Historically, organizations have created value using different management styles, optimization methodologies, principles of improvement, and through any other means available. The idea is generally to maximize investment.
Contrary to the tendency of adopting and focusing on only one or two methodologies, Operational Excellence" is the strategy being pursued in many progressive companies -- being more of a loosely-knit conglomerate of earlier individual focus areas.
A company focused on "Operational Excellence" as their Continuous Improvement strategy will turn to tools and methods from whichever previously defined methodology or framework applies. A successful OpEx Team will understand and use a combination of disciplines -- drawing on the best tools they can apply in any given situation: Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, Toyota Production System, etc.
High-level historical timeline of various management and improvement strategies:
| Strategy |
1890 |
1900 |
1910 |
1920 |
1930 |
1940 |
1950 |
1960 |
1970 |
1980 |
1990 |
2000 |
2010 |
2020 |
1911 - Scientific Management Theory
Frederick W. Taylor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1913 - Assembly Line Production System
Henry Ford |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1916 - Bureaucratic Management Theory
Henri Fayol/Max Weber |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1933 - Behavioral Managment Perspective
Hugo Munsterberg/Elton Mayo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1943 - Heirarchy of Needs Theory
Abraham Maslow |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1948 - Toyota Production System
Taiichi Ohno/Eiji Toyoda |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1949 - Kaizen
Japanese Business Leaders |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1951 - Sociotechnical Systems Theory
Eric Trist/Fred Emery |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1954 - Leadership/Management by Objectives
Peter Drucker |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1960 - Theory X and Theory Y
Douglas McGregor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1964 - Managerial Grid Model
Robert R. Blake/Jane S. Mouton |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1965 - Drive Theory
Robert Zajonc |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1968 - Motivator-Hygiene Theory
Frederick Herzberg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1980 - Action Learning
Reginald W. Revans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1982 - In Search of Excellence
John Larson/Tom Peters |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1986 - Six Sigma
Bill Smith |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1988 - Lean Manufacturing
James P. Womak/Daniel T. Jones |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1990 - Learning Organization
Peter Senge |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2001 - Lean Six Sigma
Barbara Wheat/Chuck Mills/Mike Carnell |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006 - Human Performance Technology
Thomas F. Gilbert |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012 - Business Process Management
Theodore Panagacos |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2014 - Operational Excellence
Iris Tsidon/Maya Gal/Shingo Institute |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
