The pieces were right, but the whole failed. But being faster doesn't necessarily mean being smarter. What firms need are ways to recognize when their problems are of their own making. At the heart of our research is a set of questions. We are finding that managers can learn to think systemically if they can uncover the subtle interactions that thwart their efforts.
Managers can use microworlds to expose assumptions underlying their business strategies.
Through computer-simulation models like the one Sterman developed to analyze People Express, microworlds could transform how organizations learn. And they may be a first step in reversing the chronic tendency of U.S. companies to focus on the short term and neglect the long term. By providing updated feedback to decision makers on key variables like defect rates and delivery and manufacturing times, TQ programs promote continuous improvement. By relying on TQ programs, U.S. companies like Ford and Motorola have achieved world-class levels of quality. But the quality revolution is far from over.