Targets help provide direction, set expectations and provide pace and urgency to an improvement effort whilst also providing some indication of the expected final impact.
Targets can be set top-down or bottom-up by team leads (requires ‘Lead’ Authority level):
- Top-down targets: Used in the initial diagnostic phases of the improvement program, when the overall opportunity (or gap) is defined but without a clear understanding of the detail initiatives in the program or how much each initiative will contribute towards the target
- Bottom-up targets: Used in the later implementation phases of the improvement program, when each initiative has been evaluated and a detailed understanding and analysis has been made of the each initiative’s impact and contribution to the target
