From there it was spread into other operating subsidiaries. The process delivery changes were then used to drive further changes in management systems and management practices based on cross functional modes of operation. The improvement process continued as the core team engaged in further experiments designed to create further changes in modes of operation by using multi-skilled individuals supported by new technology in place of the cross functional teams. At Bell Atlantic we see the same process of quantum change as in the other case studies. It's driven by carefully targeted initiatives and experiments capable of prototyping new styles of organization in practice.
Success breeds success as the organization uses carefully chosen initiatives to lever large effects.
There's no attempt to change everything at once even though the aim is quantum gain. With hindsight there is a very clear course to the change. The transformation at Hallmark was another top-down initiative designed to create a new competitive edge in the face of fragmenting markets, expanding channels of retail distribution, and smaller average print runs, all leading to fundamental changes in the economics of Hallmark's business. That required picking our pilot projects carefully. They had to be believable and reproducible in another area of the organization.