Description
The first and only guide to using MVT as a breakthrough management tool.
MVT® (Multivariable Testing) has been heralded as a breakthrough business tool in major publications such as Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and BusinessWeek. Although MVT could become one of the most widely used management tools and has been applied by leading companies in every industry to create billions of dollars of value – no book on it has been published, until now.
In Breakthrough Business Results with MVT®, MVT creator and guru Charles Holland shows managers how multivariable testing-an advanced mathematical method that allows simultaneous testing of up to 40 variables-can dramatically improve efficiency and profits in any organization. MVT reveals to managers precisely which factors have a positive impact on any important business decision or process, which have a negative impact, and which have no impact at all. Very often the results are radically counterintuitive. MVT identifies quickly the best ways for a company to make major improvements, such as boosting sales, reducing waste, increasing production, enhancing advertising strategies, or optimizing service levels.
Faster and cheaper than other quality improvement methodologies such as Six Sigma, MVT is a natural tool for any organization that wants to reduce the amount of guesswork and politics when making crucial business decisions. In Breakthrough Business Results with MVT, Holland reveals the dramatic benefits that have made true believers of top executives in such companies as Lowe’s, Ameritech, Williams-Sonoma, DuPont, Pacific Bell, and Boise, among others.
Charles Holland, PhD (Knoxville, TN), is principal and founder of QualPro, Inc., the leading MVT consultancy in the world. QualPro’s work has been celebrated in most major business publications, and they have consulted to senior executives at many Fortune 500 companies. QualPro regularly conducts seminars on MVT, and their work has been widely publicized. *MVT is a trademark of QualPro, Inc.
S.E. Leahy –
This book takes an old subject (improving business performance) and provides a truly unique perspective as to how you can actually accomplish big improvements.
I thought that the author did a really good job of balancing the level of detail so that I understood the concept of MVT . . . but did not get bogged down in technical issues.
The book is obviously not written for technocrats. But if you are an executive, or someone who wants to become an executive, you don’t want to miss it!
The really good news is that it is so full of real-life case studies that it is an easy/entertaining read . . . and at the same time it shares a truly ground-breaking business improvement approach.
Brenda Hall –
This book has provided a powerful and practical process to determine what all business leaders and manages want to know – What are the right things to change to make business better?
This book is a must read for all executives and managers looking to bring about significant improvement in their business processes.
Rene (Biz Book Reader) –
For once, the hype matches the results. The secret of MVT is finally revealed to the average person through this book. From the case study that walks you through the 12 steps of an actual MVT experiment to the remarkable results peppered throughout, this book offers hope for solving any problem in any industry. Thank you Charles Holland for revealing this vital process.
Bob –
After more than two decades of leading process improvement and business turnarounds, I finally have read about a proven, practical and powerful MVT approach which I intend to apply immediately . . .
Mark Solzman –
When I read chapter four of the book, the differences between the 12-Step Process and Six Sigma became clear.
My company has been in the Six Sigma process for over two years now. We have had some good results, but the up front load has made the costs much greater than the benefits. The 12-Step Process is tactical in nature and focusses on a high payoff project. There is no upfront loading.
Another important difference in the two approaches is the 12-Step Process emphasizes operator involvement. In our company black belts are expected to accomplish the projects alone or with only minimal assistance from green and yellow belts. If operators are not involved in the improvement effort, they become part of the problem. Also in my experience operators have the best ideas.
Low frontend costs and rapid gains through operator involvement convinces me that our company should give the 12-Step Process a try on one big-bucks project.
Bud Leete –
This is a practical book written by a passionate professional. I think it should be a handy reference to a lot more managers.
In my experience, the majority of improvement efforts are directed by the lead engineer or by groups of stakeholders who hesitate to move too far away from one factor at a time experimenting or basic experimental designs. They improve, but have no strategy for breakthrough improvements.
A core point of this book is that if there is one good idea among all the people who want to improve, you can harvest it. Read the testimonials. See for yourself.
Jim –
This book explains in clear, user friendly terms how to implement, in a variety of real business applications, a tool that is very underutilized in America. It tells how to improve individual processes . . . and then describes how to increase performance organization-wide.
It has got to be read by anyone responsible for improving a bottom line, no matter what the business.
Juanquez Champion –
I just finished reading this book and I am jazzed about putting the ideas to work in my marketing consulting practice. When working with clients as a consultant, your true value is in being able to make recommendations that you know will work if implemented. In marketing, this has always been a challenge since the marketplace is the only place to determine if a marketing piece or campaign will really work. Most of the time, you take your best guess at what will work, then you do a test run of the piece or the campaign. This book has now given me a whole new perspective on how to do it right. I should develop pieces and campaigns that address all of the “hot buttons” in different ways and use MVT techniques to test them all instead of just testing my best guess. I learn what will really work and my client gains confidence in my recommendations because they have some scientific basis behind them! Thanks!
Tom Rutherford –
Great book. The MVT process is a blend of time honored common sense (the 7 steps)and pragmatic, cold blooded statistical analysis. It spits out answers quickly to problems that seem unsolvable. I loved the stories of how the method worked in specific companies. The thing that seems to separate these guys from other “quality improvement” companies is they fix a problem where others seem to be trying to train you into quality. I highly recommend it.
Engr. –
Powerful methodology. Definitely an impressive list of real life successes – from top notch companies.
It is nice to see that the 12 steps actually “do something” rather than just talk about concepts and fluff like many other concepts I have seen.
This book is like “Beat the Dealer.” Mathematics applied rigorously can be very powerful. The odds say you will win if you follow the MVT process.
Bill –
A great book! It describes a logical and systematic approach to improve virtually any business. It is amazing at how the MVT process has been used on everything from manufacturing a product to increasing sales . . . and from improving quality to eliminating waste.
The author laid out the MVT process clearly in 12 steps, and gave a wide variety of examples illustrating how they have been applied in real life situations.
I would have liked even more detail on each of the 12 steps, but I guess that is why QualPro teaches seminars.
A reader –
This book presents a solid approach to process improvement using a detailed 12 step process. My experience is that lots of approaches (like Six Sigma) just say “Here are a bunch of statistical tools, now go improve something.”
Dr. Holland’s MVT process solicits ideas from the work force, tests the practical, fast, and cost-free ones, and implements only the winners. FINALLY, there is a common sense process improvement that entire organizations can use!
If it wasn’t for all the testimonials from credible people, it would almost seem “too good to be true.”
George Kerry –
Breakthrough Business Results with MVT provided great insights on how to create business success via process improvement, without carrying all the baggage that comes with other approaches such as Six Sigma.
I like the idea of directly attacking problems and getting proven results up front. The fact that the payoff often begins to occur even before findings are implemented is a little hard to believe . . . but a lot of people seem to have said it is true.
Holland demonstrates that the MVT process works across a broad range of businesses, from retail to manufacturing. He effectively uses testimonies from customers that back up his claims about the value of his approach.
His 12-step MVT process could be the next great 12-Step recovery program to sweep the nation and will go a long way in shoring up any smart company’s competitive position! A must read for business executives.
L.D. Kaynin –
This book lays it out like it is. I worked for one of the companies cited as a case study in the book. Take from me, the results are just as they are presented.
The methodology isn’t necessarily easy, but nothing worth knowing or having usually is. What the authors point out is that by following a systematic 12-step procedure, business decisions can be based on facts rather than intuition. Furthermore, this method allows information to be gathered on many variables in a single effort and synergistically applied to achieve far better results, far more quickly than could possibly be done using any other approach.
Joe –
One of the most useful books I have ever read. A must read for every business profession.
The MVT process described in this book takes the guess work out of process improvement. This book describes a method to test dozens of ideas all at the same time with a few tests! You discover the correct combination of ideas that produces the greatest impact for your unique environment.
Holland gives real world examples throughout the book. These examples make it easy to understand the MVT process and how it can be applied to any business.
Joseph L. Lay –
I recently read this book on the advice of a friend, not fully knowing what to expect. The book was extremely informative, but much more importantly, it got me to thinking about business and sales improvement in a totally new and more effective way. Moreover, the MVT process that Dr. Holland of QualPro describes in this book is a new, refreshing, and promising way to approach solving challenging business problems.
I have a number of years of experience as CEO of a medium sized manufacturing business. Seeking to improve operations and profitability is always a significant challenge, and my operations people always indicated to me that no measurable profit building improvements could ever be made without more capital dollars to spend. Holland and Cochran of QualPro demonstrate in this book that there is another way. The MVT process is designed to accomplish exactly those types of major profitability improvements without a large upfront investment. The process description and case studies show clearly how this can happen. The case studies also show how the MVT improvement process can be used to similarly uncover cost free approaches to increasing sales and improving customer service.
In short, I strongly recommend this book to any business leader seeking a process or method that can bring breakthrough, business transforming improvements to their organization. Best of all, the examples given in this book show that with the MVT process major improvement can truly be accomplished with fast, practical, and cost free ideas that your own people generate and can implement.
Bryce W. Baker –
I have had the pleasure and benefit of working with QualPro MVT methods in a high tech semiconductor environment for several years on many projects. Really enjoyed the book in light of what I have experienced.
We have the brightest people — well-educated with PhDs in their field. We have a very cooperative highly-skilled workforce. We have management that understands the math, the strategy, and the need. We do not have the luxury of wasting any time in getting state-of-the-art high quality products to market before the competition.
In the book, Dr. Holland is absolutely correct that it takes a well-trained, highly experienced coach to be successful with MVT. And successful we are. But it takes a lot of skill to handle the strong personalities, to overcome the advanced local expert opinions, and to design MVTs given the complexity of our processes. Lots of interactions to handle – both people and technology. Because of how highly technical our processes are and how good our people are – it is that much more important to have a highly-skilled MVT consultant. Our people demand it.
The return is so high on such a reasonable investment, why would anyone risk doing MVT on their own? Might as well try heart surgery on yourself. With the highly-skilled consultant, the risks are understood, managed, and low.
Dr. Holland’s book is right on target for helping people get ready for their proper roles in MVT work whether it be top management, technical, or operations.
Alfred Laos –
This book is a must read for anyone company thinking about process improvement. The MVT process is incredibly logical – Focus on your largest strategic issues with the biggest improvement opportunities. Test lots of ideas to quickly get answers as to which ones help, hurt or have no effect. Then implement the solutions that real world test data has proven will work. The results Holland describes seem almost “too good to be true’… but when executives from DuPont, Williams-Sonoma, Citibank, etc. are telling of their own successes, you have to believe that MVT really does work.
David L. Coffey –
This book and “The World is Flat” must be the most important business books in years. “Breakthrough Business Results with MVT” reveals powerful methods that unlock cost-free improvement opportunities in any business.
With named businesses and cases it tells the surprising fact that most business improvement ideas don’t help or actually hurt. But scientifically proven techniques sort out the winners.
Any business wanting to improve, or sometimes just survive, needs to know the power of MVT. I have seen it work.
David Coffey, Lenoir City, TN
D. M. Nixon –
I loved what this book demonstrates. QualPro and MVT provide clear, concise, verifiable, reliable ways to improve any process in a multitude of industries. It is truly unbelievable that this methodology is not more widely encompassed in businesses around the world. I had attended QualPro’s annual symposium in Atlanta for the last two years and was really impressed with the success stories but wasn’t sure this was the firm I wanted to use. The book clarifies how this process may be used to improve the bottom line and increase shareholder satisfaction.
Gary Owen –
After many years in many industries, I have read my fair share of process improvement books and taken part in many process improvement projects. With few exceptions, the time and resource investments were always very large in proportion to the results obtained. My most recent experiences with 6-Sigma have been a continuation of the same theme…huge resource allocations, long time-lines, and results that were mediocre at best.
Dr. Holland’s book exposes the world to tools that are the antithesis of 6-Sigma. Any time you can focus this much power on a project with the constraints “practical, fast, and cost-free”, it is intuitively obvious that the opportunities for success are huge as proven by the success stories of major companies such as Lowes and DuPont which are detailed in the book.
This book is well-written and, while MVT is a high-level statistical tool, you don’t have to be a statistician to benefit from it. Shortly after buying this book for myself, my wife (a registered nurse) began reading it and immediately developed insights into how the power of MVT could make a difference in the health care industry. The book has a lot of real-world information integrated into the text and is a very informative read. If you are in business and looking for ways to put big results on the bottom line, read this book.
Chuck –
It’s obvious that employees have a lot of knowledge about how things could be improved. But until MVT, I haven’t seen a good method to gather their ideas, test them to find the ones that are worthwhile, and then get them implemented in the real world.
The MVT process looks like it may be the way to do just that. This book is a good read for managers just for the methodology to get a project done. And Holland lays out a huge number of interesting success stories to show that it really works in every kind of industry.
Given the speed of the MVT process, it seems like companies that are having trouble in their market could turn their results around quick enough to make a difference. I would think airlines should jump all over this! In fact, everyone who has any P&L responsibility should read this book.
Edward P. Carroll Jr. –
This book took on special interest as my company was involved with Qual-PRO and more specifically multi-variable testing for over one year. I particularly liked the format of the book with a very explanatory review of the process and concise and meaningful case studies that, from my perspective and personal experience, were accurate. Actually, I wish the book had been written before our engagement as it would have been an excellent primer for what was going to happen. The involvement of their team members was amazing and the integration with our internal staff was both productive and motivational. It is uncanny as to how our results matched their years of working with other companies in other industries. It absolutely changed the way we approach business opportunities/problems today.
Karson Stowe –
Wow! I think this is this best book on process improvement ever been written!
I have read lots of books about improving business performance and this is the first one that details a truly practical procedure and then illustrates it with so many examples.
Dr. Holland’s book has provided a powerful and practical process to determine what all business leaders and managers want to know – – What are the RIGHT things to change to make the business better?
The breadth of application for MVT illustrated in this book is unprecedented. It clearly demonstrates that MVT is not just applicable in R & D or in manufacturing processes, it can be used with any business process.
This book is a must read for all Executives and Managers looking to bring about significant improvement in their business processes.
David Futrell –
There are no “magic bullets” for improving business processes, but this is the next best thing. While these kind of statistical designs have been around for more than fifty years, QualPro is the only company to figure out how to successfully apply them to a wide range of business processes.
The return on investment for the cases in this book are staggering, as is the variety of processes to which the methods have been successfully applied. MVT isn’t appropriate for every situation, but if a business process has 1) a measurable outcome, 2) variety of ideas test (and there’s almost no limit to the number of ideas that can be tested simultaneously), and 3) the discipline to ensure that the design is executed properly, MVT can’t fail. It’s based on solid mathematics instead of the usual consultant “theory of the month.”
If your company is implementing Six-Sigma or some other process-improvement methodology, you owe it to yourself to read this book and learn how to achieve better, faster results.
Sandra M. –
A must read for any executive responsible for continually improving their sales, marketing or operations. MVT is destined to become one of the essential tools for any organization to survive and thrive in the 21st century.
Jacob Williams –
Before reading the book, I had an opportunity to attend the annual QualPro MVT symposium. Think it was their fifteenth or sixteenth one and it was in October that year. Many of the book’s examples are derived from these symposiums.
One of the things I remember was that no one from QualPro spoke except to welcome us to the symposium. All the presentations were from MVT users themselves ranging from the hourly workers to the CEO and everything in between.
There were over twenty different presenters that year. All the talks that I attended were fantastic. They were well organized and presented.
During breaks and meals, I got to spend a lot of time with these MVT users one-on-one. Some of them were old-timers. Others were finishing their first MVT. I got to hear first hand their stories. In person they were even more enthusiastic about the MVT methodology, their success, and what it meant to them personally.
They all were emphatic about moving fast. All wish they had started using MVT sooner. All had plans to expand their use of MVT in order to get the high return in more business functions.
Later, when reading the book, began to understand more fully what all the excitement was about. The symposium presentations were great and the book helped bring it all together.
I saw a recent PBS book review/interview with Dr. Holland which was very informative. And his CNBC segment was great as well.
The book is a must read. But note, in the book Dr. Holland and David Cochran do not really do justice to the excitement level of the MVT user.
Stat guy –
Holland has a lot of good insight into actually how to improve processes. Also, this book points up the problems with Six Sigma, especially in the chapter on Six Sigma: not enough input from workers, too many projects with wimpy goals, and too slow. What is good about it is that it just doesn’t point out the problems, but gives a solution: ASK the workers, and run bigger experiments to find out what really works instead throwing out the best ideas by making educated guesses before even trying them.
Sarah –
This was a quick read with several examples of real life proven results from all different companies in several markets. Following the case study through each step allowed me to see how this would work for my company and what to expect when hiring QualPro to run MVT’s.
John Pendergrass –
‘Breakthrough Business Results with MVT has really made me think about how I manage my business. I am seriously questioning the tools I use to attempt to improve business results.
I have tried using Six Sigma with less than satisfactory results. This MVT approach provides the only sensible step-by-step procedure to improve a process that I have seen.
MVT’s successful track record in a large number of well-known companies is really compelling. I am looking forward to using this MVT Process to improve my bottom-line.
William K. Dunn –
Usually when I read a business related book I do so knowing that it is going to be more like a pep talk, something that motivates and then fades. This book introduced me to something more concrete, a busines tool. Being a person who likes numbers and statistics I find this concept of Multivariable Testing fascinating. The real life examples and testimonials from well known companies leave no doubt that it works. As I read the book I realized that this methodology would be useful in other areas as well such as government where practical, no cost solutions are desperately needed.
Arthur Hammer –
Many books have been written by those in the trenches trying to make business better. They have focused on the managerial things that their experience tells them works, but successful people have life experiences that are in direct conflict with each other.
Many books have been written by academics with no experience in the field, or a grand total of one or two examples. Their feeble attempts at explaining how to use quantitative tools in real business problems demonstrates how weak their experience really is. W. Edwards Deming said, “It is better to solve a real problem than to come up with a perfect mathematical solution to a question no one ever asked.”
Finally there is a book written by someone who truly knows the math and the business strategy, and has thousands of successes to prove it. A book that will really help executives drive dramatic business improvement starting now and continuing forever.
Arthur Rhodes, MFG Exec –
After reading this opus by Holland and Cochran, I can’t wait to explore MVT further. The combination of step by step how to’s along with ample examples of MVT successes provide the reader with an excellent foundation in the ABCs of MVT. Having been a practitioner of Six Sigma, I am intrigued by the claims that MVT is much faster and less expensive to implement. I also like the idea of unlocking the creative potential of people in my organization.
The authors responsibly point out that this is not a recipe book to be applied without expert assistance. While to some, this may seem self serving, it’s a fact of business literature that no book can stand on its own,whether it be Porter’s “Five Forces”, Hammer’s “Reengineering”, or Peter’s “In Search of Excellence”, each of which spawned very successful consulting firms. The fact of the matter is,this book presents a cogent argument for Dr. Holland’s process that is worthy of further investigation. I’m going to give him a call.
Steven Reed –
The most amazing thing about the book is the hundreds of real
life examples with dramatic improvements. The examples come from all industries. The fact that such improvements have been accomplished with no increase in costs is astounding.
Chadace –
As a recently graduated law student, I find myself reading more business essential books than I ever thought possible. I have read this book from cover-to-cover and find it difficult to express the value of its numerous practical lessons. One such lesson reverberates throughout the entire book: our ideas about improving a process sometimes help, often hurt, and may make no difference whatsoever. Although everyone hates to admit it, we cannot be right every time. This book demonstrates how a unique statistical process can filter the good ideas from the bad. I am 100% convinced me that MVT guarantees better results.
Gary P. Kodman –
This is a great book and should be taught at the college along with a supporting statistics package. The essence of the book is in the Placket-Burman fractional designs and how to analyze them. QualPro keeps some of their business secrets and that detracts from the books “useability” and in that respect, the book was a downer. They also put in a few plugs for hiring a “MVT” consultant–which is more like advertising than telling a story. However, the methodology is sound and needs to be used in more areas.
DT –
Breakthrough Business Results by Dr. Holland seemed to be a relatively straightforward read. Of course, they had to protect methodologies and techniques to maintain their competitive edge, so the book lacked some of the formulaic insights some would have wanted to see. However, having read this book, I am surprised you don’t hear of more companies utilizing MVT. If I could eliminate doubt as to which ideas were good for my company, and implement only those, I would certainly do it. MVT seems like the ideal way to effectively stop wasting time and money on useless initiatives. Kudos to Holland and Cochran. MVT is the wave of the future.
Smoky Mountain Music –
This is one of the most useful books I have ever read. A definite must read for every business professional.
The MVT process described in the book takes the guess work out of process improvement. Furthermore, the book describes a method to test dozens of ideas simultaneously with only a few tests, which reveals the correct combination of ideas producing the greatest economic impact for your company.
Additionally, there are several real world examples throughout the book, which make it easy to understand the MVT process and how it can be applied to any business in any industry.
Lee A. Hord, Sr. –
Do you have 30 ideas to improve your key performance metrics? Of course you do – now ask, what is the process by which those would be tested? What is the probability of finding the optimal combination of those ideas, which represent over a billion combinations, with your current process and internal experts – even if you have a team of Six Sigma black-belts, your results will be sub-optimal and the return on investment of time and money will be disappointing at best.
Holland and Cochran offer a seminal treatment of MVT (multivariable testing) as it relates to real world business cases and bottom-line performance improvement. The 12-step MVT process delivers insights into what makes any business…a better business. Knowledge is power and the MVT process yields the knowledge that affords decisive action by corporate executives to drive their businesses forward. The business cases cited and examples of breakthrough results are real. Anyone reading this book can relate to what these managers faced – imagine their fate had they not employed MVT!
Clearly, MVT is the best tool available for obtaining value-added information quickly for making executive decisions and achieving breakthrough results.
Jack Miller –
I was worried this would be another text that describes a list of tools then leaves you to figure out how to use them. This MVT book puts it all together.
Early in the book you get the sense the author thinks any process can be improved, dramatically and quickly. During Part 2 you realize that is what’s intended. By the end of the book you start to see how. I’m going to need to study it more (or get some help) to apply it though.
This book makes so much technical and management sense. It also seems to accommodate how people and businesses really work. It’s rare to find something that could be so good in business being such a good read also. How ever did the author figure all this out? I can’t find a sniff of it in any other text or management reference.
The application to service, sales, etc. is truly innovative. One wouldn’t have thought you could run tests on people and attack problems that involve so much human error and idiosyncrasy.
This “practical, fast, cost free” criteria for test ideas is ingenious. As a manager I keep stressing everything we do has to be simple, nimble, and frugal. This is so much better than most analytical methods.
Jeff –
This book is very interesting and contains a powerful methodology to help companies test their ideas to find out what works and doesn’t work. I can only imagine how much energy and money I have wasted over the years on ideas that hurt or don’t make a difference.
I especially liked how it walked through every step of the MVT process and used a real-life example to show how it is applied. After reading this book, I intend to contact QualPro and use MVT on processes that I work with.
Maggie –
With so many books on improving a business, it is refreshing to see that an idea founded in defending Brittan from bombers can be applied today to turn around virtually any under performing business process. The history of the company and its tools for improving business is an interesting read, and the ‘real-world’ results from virtually any industry prove this really does work.
It is also though provoking as it causes one to ponder every aspect of their business, and where it can be improved!
Jim Day –
This book has a gold mine of examples of organizations that have used MVT to achieve astonishing savings. No business professional who wants to improve profits should miss this book.
Chuck Holland is a pure genius at explaining MVT in easily understood terms and giving concrete real-life examples that jump off the page! Not only did I learn a great deal, but the book was fun and enjoyable to read. I couldn’t put it down until I finished.
I personally would have liked to have seen all of the statistical detail, but I do understand that the book is intended for managers and executives.
Robert Morris –
With David Cochran, Charles Holland has written a book in which he explains how and why Multivariable Testing or MTV(tm) can be “a fast, cost-free `secret weapon’ for boosting sales, cutting expenses, and improving any business process.” He also calls it “the greatest business improvement methodology ever devised” and it was soon obvious to me that Holland really believes that MTV(tm) really can be and do all that. He cites a number of examples to verify his claim. They include American Express, Boise Cascade, Deluxe, RR Donnelly & Sons, DuPont, Lowe’s, and SBC. He also cites the impressive fact that, years ago, W. Edwards Deming strong recommended him to Ford Motor Company to train managers and suppliers in statistical thinking and quality improvement methods. Since then, his company (QualPro) has been retained by more than 1,000 corporations and completed more than 13,000 projects to provide a range of consulting services that help them to (yes) boost sales, cut expenses, and improve various business processes. “Our experience proves that the results of any process can be improved using MTV if two criteria are met: (1) the process has measurable output and (2) the people in the organization have [their own ideas] about how to improve results.”
So, what exactly is MVT? It is “is basically testing a lot of different variables/solutions/business improvement ideas all at the same time. When applied to a business problem, it is a 12-step process that starts with dozens of practical, fast, cost-free ideas for improvement and uses advanced statistics to quickly sort out the ideas that will help from the ideas that will hurt or make no difference.” Holland goes on to explain that the essence of an MVT improvement project is rigorous, quantifiable, accelerated learning and the knowledge and understand that result allow organizations to focus their energies on only those actions that matter and make breakthrough improvements in a short time.
The MTV(tm) process involves 12 steps, regardless of the business, industry, or process being tested for improvement. The process begins with selecting a high-payoff goal and creating the right environment by involving the right people, including management, technical staff, and those who actually do the work within the process. All need to be fully informed of what they will be asked to do and why it is so important that they do it well. Step 12 involves careful implementation of the most powerful ideas and calculation of their bottom-line impact. “MVT experimentation typically is performed on only one process or one part of an operation or organization. After management decides which ideas will be implemented, the ideas must be rolled out across the entire operation or organization. It is critical that a monitoring system be established to ensure compliance with the new procedure. This ensures that the organization realizes the same dramatic benefits that were achieved during testing.” Holland thoroughly explains the entire MTV(tm) process step by step.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out James O’Toole’s Leading Change: The Argument for Values-Based Leadership and Dean Spitzer’s Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success as well as Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.
Cousin DuPree –
Before reading this book, I felt, as many people do, that I understood “process improvement” about as well as anyone, and that Six Sigma (although I didn’t really know that much about 6s) was a useful tool. Now I know better.
MVT offers much faster results and appeals to me because it solves the most fundamental business problem – which ideas work, which ideas don’t, and which don’t matter. Once you know this with confidence, any business problem can be solved, any process improved. After refining your experimental results and implementing the corrective actions, you cannot escape improvement unless you sabotage the process.
Fascinating reading about many companies who have used MVT to achieve extraordinary gains. Highly recommended to anyone interested in improving their business or reading about companies who already have.
Frank Bolen –
“Breakthrough” is a strong word so I was skeptical that the book could live up to the cover. I’ve read a lot of books. This is not a book… it’s a process that every company should be using. How many important decisions are made every day based on a senior manager’s gut? Granted, a lot of gut decisions are made by very experienced and intelligent people. But who wouldn’t want to base their decisions on good science and test results rather than “plan for the worst and hope for the best”… especially when you actually make a phenomenal return on the cost of the process???!!!
D. W. Justice –
I was recently in a position to review the quality processes for my department in an organization. I looked no further than reading this book for inspiration. I had read many articles on MVT (multivariable testing) recently in the newspaper and professional magazines, touting the superior results as compared with other and older process improvement methods. I have spoken to the professional folks within Dr. Holland’s company, QualPro, Inc. We have undertaken a project to help my department significantly increase productivity and profitability. I am looking forward to the fantastic results I read about in this book. It’s a terrific and informative read!
Beverly Smith –
The MVT process outlined in this book will benefit every organization. MVT greatly accelerates learning. Imagine being able to quickly distinguish the initiatives that are doomed to failure from those that are destine to be wildly successful. Learning in a few months what you previously had not been able to learn in five years.
The mountains of examples in the book make it clear that MVT can effectively be applied to any goal.
Opal Hammer –
This book is outstanding in presenting a thoughtful, understandable approach to the business challenges of today.
There are so many well documented case studies in so many different fields from R&D, manufacturing, service, finance, retail, call centers, advertising, medical services, etc.
It makes so much common sense to anyone that the majority of brainstormed ideas don’t work. But Dr. Holland presents a proven efficient way to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I especially like the fact that the documented ROI is outstanding on the use of MVT.