Charting a path to the maturity of the organization

In today´s competitive environment, the sustained profitability and very survival of organizations depend on their maturity. To achieve and demonstrate deeper understanding of their products and processes, to improve process efficiency and enhance product quality, organizations increasingly turn to `systems models´ and `metrics´. Their purpose is to articulate, document and quantify their institutional goals and strategies, their marketing function, their technical and nontechnical operations, their procedures for product and service development. Investment into process modelling and measurement often fails to yield the desired results, because `models´ and `metrics´ tend to be inadequate. We present a few simple examples from a comprehensive case study based on the experience of a major international company whose competence is renowned throughout the industry. The basis of the examples is an extensive handbook containing mandatory `Guidelines´ which the company imposes on all its units involved in the marketing, development, manufacture and supply of a specific product line of the organization. The purpose of these guidelines is to enhance efficiency by imposing consistent management methods and measures. The case study reveals that the guidelines show fundamental omissions, inconsistencies, contradictions and incomprehensibility