Overview

After the CEO and the top management team have bought into the DFTS initiative, the team must assess its preparedness before a formal launch. Although the DFTS principles, tools, and techniques are relatively straightforward, they are not easy to implement. Realizing their full potential may be even more challenging and requires competence as well as leadership commitment. This chapter commences with two case studies that illustrate some key elements of successful quality initiatives. They illustrate that quality initiatives are major long-term commitments and that such appreciation is vital for their successful implementation.

The lean methods, originally developed for automobile assembly, have been successfully adapted for transaction processes and service industries. The leadership challenges for achieving organizational excellence and delivering transformational results are not industry-specific. Although industry experience is a valid managerial issue, leadership challenges transcend industry specificity. Leadership research illustrates that there is no one ideal characteristic of a great or even good leader. The characteristics to inspire, motivate, and lead to lofty heights are needed in all leaders. Beyond that, it all depends on particular era, situation, and cultural contexts. In software development contexts, the ability to inspire on a personal level may be a highly desirable trait, particularly in small organizations and small software development teams. Rarely, if ever, do leaders possess all the characteristics by themselves. But great leaders always recognize their own shortcomings and have others within the organization lead in areas where they lack capabilities.

The key elements for assessing organizational preparedness are creating leadership commitment, understanding the leadership role, assessing strategic linkages, ensuring organization-wide participation, understanding the need for customer focus, and assessing current quality management capability. Such analysis creates awareness of organizational challenges during preparatory stages. Invariably, such analysis leads to identification of critical deficiencies that need to be addressed. Asking the right questions is the key.

Chapter Outline

• Time to Ponder

• Leadership Challenges for Transformational Initiatives

• Assessing Key Organizational Elements

• Key Points

• Additional Resources

• Internet Exercises

• Review Questions

• Discussion Questions and Projects

• Endnotes