Managing the Productivity Cycle

Leaders are always challenged with improving the productivity of their business. Historically, productivity has been thought of as improving the output of people in the organization. But productivity is about realizing more with less:  Fewer people, less overhead cost, less working capital, and various other measures. My view is that the productivity of your business is really measured in terms of $ of revenue/ $ of cost. The higher the number, the better your productivity. Productivity isn’t just about people anymore. It is about people, systems, and processes throughout your business: Back office, supporting functions, sales, marketing, product development, the shop floor and throughout the supply chain. The productivity cycle below is applicable to any business process.

…Read More

Question: Does your company have an opportunity to streamline business processes and staffing?

Answer: Every company has the opportunity to streamline business processes and staffing, regardless of what the economy is doing.

In every business we have worked with over the last 20 years, …Read More

Drive Business Success with a High-Impact Continuous Improvement Program

Turn Change into Competitive Advantage

Change is inevitable—how you respond determines your success.

Every business must continuously evolve its strategies, processes, tools, and workforce skills to stay ahead of the competition. But without a well-structured Continuous Improvement program, change can be chaotic, ineffective, or even damaging.

At Group50® Consulting, we don’t just help companies implement Continuous Improvement—we align it with your business strategy to create lasting competitive advantage. Whether you’re launching, revitalizing, or expanding a Continuous Improvement program, we provide the framework, tools, and expertise to ensure measurable success.

The 5 Key Elements of a Successful Continuous Improvement Program

To ensure sustainability and impact, your Continuous Improvement program must include:

1. Align Continuous Improvement with Strategic Objectives

• Continuous Improvement should never be a standalone initiative—it must drive real business results. Successful programs:
• Directly impact key business goals and the company’s Most Important Goal (MIG).
• Focus on high-visibility, high-impact projects that build momentum and credibility.
• Use strategic objectives and Group50’s Business Hierarchy of Needs® to guide priorities.

2. Start Small—Then Scale for Maximum Impact

• Many companies fail because they try to tackle too much too soon. Instead, we help you:
• Begin with targeted projects that address critical strategic and operational gaps.
• Leverage process owners and key influencers to drive change across all departments.
• Use Value Stream Mapping and Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) for quick wins and measurable progress.

3. Build a Culture of Strategic Execution

• Continuous Improvement isn’t just about tools—it’s about people and culture. Sustainable success requires:
• Clear communication of mission, vision, and values to align the organization.
• Continuous training and leadership development to empower employees.
• Engagement at every level—from executives to frontline employees.

4. Use the Right Tools—at the Right Time

• Relying on a single improvement methodology limits results. We blend the best techniques to fit your unique needs:
• Six Sigma for data-driven problem solving.
• Lean & Kaizen for rapid, sustainable efficiency gains.
• Value Stream Mapping & Business Process Reengineering for holistic process transformation.
• Just-in-Time (JIT) training to ensure learning is applied immediately.

5. Focus on Data—Not Just Gut Feelings

• Forget “That’s how we’ve always done it.” Successful Continuous Improvement programs:
• Use hard data and measurable KPIs to justify projects.
• Hold teams accountable for results with clear metrics.
• Create a culture of disciplined decision-making, ensuring every initiative moves the strategic needle.

Where Does Your Company Stand?

Before launching or expanding a Continuous Improvement program, assess where you are today:

Strategic gaps – Are your business goals aligned with your current capabilities?

Operational gaps – Are inefficiencies and bottlenecks slowing you down?

Organizational gaps – Do employees have the skills, tools, and leadership support to drive change?

At Group50®, we use the Business Hierarchy of Needs® framework to pinpoint these gaps and create a tailored roadmap for success.

How Group50® Helps You Build & Sustain Continuous Improvement

Our process ensures your program delivers real results and becomes embedded in your company culture:

Continuous Improvement Assessment – Identify operating challenges and opportunities for impact.

Organizational Assessment – Ensure the right structure and skillsets are in place. Building the Business Case – Develop a data-backed plan with clear objectives, expected outcomes, and ROI. Planning & Implementation – Develop project roadmaps, training strategies, and execution plans. Sustaining the Program – Integrate Continuous Improvement into the company’s DNA to drive long-term success.

Need Master Black Belt training? Group50®’s specialized training program helps your organization build in-house Continuous Improvement expertise that moves the strategic needle.

Why Many Programs Fail—And How You Can Avoid It

Lack of executive support – Continuous Improvement must be driven from the top down.

No clear alignment with strategy – If projects don’t move the business forward, leadership will lose interest. Failure to engage employees – Without buy-in, even the best programs won’t last. Poor planning and execution – A lack of structured methodology leads to wasted time and effort.

With Group50®’s proven frameworks, expert facilitation, and structured approach, your company will avoid these pitfalls and achieve lasting success.

Ready to Make Continuous Improvement a Competitive Advantage?

A successful, sustainable Continuous Improvement program doesn’t just happen—it’s carefully planned, strategically executed, and continuously refined.

📞 Call us today at +1 (626) 644-9746
📩 Email us at info@group50.com

Schedule a Meeting with our Subject Matter Expert

Group50® – Helping Businesses Achieve Excellence, One Process at a Time.

About the Author:  Jim Gitney is the CEO and Founder of Group50^® Consulting, and author of “Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Needs®”, a book focused on the use of Continuous Improvement tools and frameworks for developing and implementing strategy (Clink on the picture to find out more about the book and acquire a copy).

He works with companies to significantly improve their performance by leveraging people, process and technology to implement a company’s strategic plan.  In 2013, he created Group50’s Business Hierarchy of Needs® change management framework, a fundamental operating guide to senior leadership teams, and was granted a trademark in 2015. He has held C-suite and Board positions in large and small manufacturing companies.

He was a member of GE’s Quality Council, part of the team that developed and implemented Black & Decker’s global Total Quality Management (TQM) program, has led or participated in over 125 Kaizen events and is considered a subject matter expert in Continuous Improvement. Group50® consists of consultants from every functional discipline who have spent their careers in corporate America developing strategic plans and rolling up their shirt sleeves to get it done.

Transform Your Business Processes with Group50’s Brown Paper Exercise

Visualize. Collaborate. Optimize.

Are your business processes slowing you down? Are inefficiencies hidden in your workflows, costing you time, money, and productivity? At Group50®, we don’t just analyze processes—we bring them to life.

Our Brown Paper Exercise is a game-changing approach to Value Stream Mapping that visually exposes inefficiencies, reveals missed opportunities, and engages your team in real-time problem-solving. It’s interactive, dynamic, and highly effective—far beyond traditional process mapping.

Why This Works Better Than Traditional Methods

Long before computers, businesses used paper-based mapping to uncover inefficiencies—because it works. We’ve modernized this proven technique to help you break free from the limits of digital screens.

• Visual learning is 60,000 times faster than text-based analysis—and 65% of people are visual learners.
• In just one session, companies identify dozens of process fixes—sometimes covering the entire project’s cost on Day 1.
• It’s engaging and fun—keeping teams actively involved and invested in the solutions they help create.

What Makes Group50’s Brown Paper Exercise Unique?

• It’s fast, effective, and immediately impactful. In our first session, expect major “Aha!” moments—those breakthroughs that can unlock millions in cost savings.
• It exposes hidden bottlenecks. Most process failures occur at handoff points between departments and technology. We pinpoint these issues quickly.
• It unites teams across functions. We bring together process owners, customers, and internal stakeholders to create solutions that work across the entire organization.
• It delivers real business results. One recent Quote-to-Cash project uncovered $15 million in annual savings—and that’s just one example.

How It Works

1. Map Out Your Entire Workflow – We spread out your process, piece by piece, in a way that digital screens never could.
2. Engage Your Teams (Hybrid or In-Person) – Employees at all levels contribute their insights, ensuring solutions come from those who know the work best.
3. Identify Inefficiencies Instantly – Within hours, we’ll highlight dozens of process gaps and redundancies that can be fixed immediately.
4. Create Actionable Solutions – Using Group50’s Business Hierarchy of Needs® framework, we ensure your process changes align with your company’s most important goals.
5. Implement and Sustain Improvements – We train your team to continue optimizing workflows long after the exercise ends.

Results That Speak for Themselves

• A $25M manufacturer identified 160 process gaps in just four days—leading to 30% productivity improvement.
• A multi-national company used this method to streamline global operations, cutting costs by $15M per year.
• Teams report higher engagement, better cross-departmental collaboration, and a clearer understanding of how to fix inefficiencies.

What Happens Next?

We don’t just leave you with a massive paper diagram—we take your insights and transform them into detailed Value Stream Maps, enabling data-driven decision-making for long-term optimization.

Call to Action: Don’t Let Inefficiencies Hold You Back

Are you ready to eliminate waste, improve productivity, and transform the way your company operates? Let’s talk.

📞 Call us at +1 (626) 644-9746
📩 Email: info@group50.com

Schedule a Meeting with our Subject Matter Expert

Group50® – Helping Companies Achieve Excellence, One Process at a Time.

About the Author:  Jim Gitney is the CEO and Founder of Group50^® Consulting, and the author of “Strategy Realized – The Business Hierarchy of Needs®” which summarizes a framework for applying Value Stream Mapping and the Brown Paper Exercise successfully (You can find out more about the book and acquire a copy by clicking on the image to the right).

Founded in 2004, Group50®consulting is focused on working with middle market companies to significantly improve their productivity by leveraging people, process and technology as part of a company’s strategic plan. Business process improvement and process reengineering are Group50® specialties. Group50® consists of consultants who have spent their careers in corporate America learning how to optimize businesses.  

We specialize in working with senior leaders to develop and implement programs that leverage people, process and technology to optimize business performance.

The most successful way to look at unneeded business processes and their costs to the business is through a Value Stream Mapping (VSM) project. VSM provides a clear view of how various business processes are related to each other and assesses the need for those processes and how efficient they really are.

…Read More

Every organization views Customer Service as a critical function for their business.  It has a significant impact on your Voice of the Customer (VOC).  Customer service is on the front line of interfacing with the customer, but it isn’t the only function that interfaces with your customers.  Finance, Shipping, Sales and Marketing also play an important role in customer service.  The Customer Service group acts  …Read More