LockSpur, the national hairdressing franchise, No 1 in the UK by turnover, boosted performance by a factor of three in results announced by CEO Archie Strator today.
In 2006, they introduced Lean Management methods. Through a series of closely controlled incremental breakthroughs, throughput from booking to payment along the pareto hair processing options was optimised.
In early 2008, a member of the value network movement who wishes to remain anonymous drew Strator's attention to the unmanaged "chat" that flowed inexorably between the hair stylists and their customers. Through a co-ordinated programme of breakthrough sessions in each outlet, and a reconfiguring at group level of the business boundary, the co-created ideas and insights arising from the "chat" are now cultivated in an incubator offshoot.
By applying Service Design principles and building on the deepening business relationships between LockSpur and its customers, the early fruits of a thriving business ecosystem are now reaching the marketplace.
Says Strator, "the value network team helped me identify the previously unappreciated capabilities and knowledge of my staff and customers, adding to the financial results and boosting both social cohesion and capital and reducing our environmental footprint."
He added, "this business model is one that can be universally applied and by releasing this information, we also wish to play our part in spreading the good news in these straightend times."
You are at http://tinyurl.com/yjb9knk
1st April 2010
Comments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools'_Day
Good old Chaucer! The Nun's Priest's Tale was a good read.