Beyond Quality Improvement Science Eats Org Charts for Breakfast!
29 snips
Mar 10, 2026 
Dr. Dave Williams, improvement scientist and author who led improvement science work at IHI, outlines system-level thinking and how to treat quality as an organizational strategy. He contrasts project fixes with system-wide approaches. He emphasizes testing before scaling, mapping interdependencies, using small rapid learning cycles, and leaders owning outcomes rather than delegating them.
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Zoom Out From Processes To See System Behavior
- Organizations are systems of interdependent processes, not isolated projects, and outcomes depend on how those processes interact.
- Dr. Dave Williams compares zooming between process, microsystem, and organization to pinching in/out on Google Maps to reveal linkages.
Use System Maps Paired With Time Series Measures
- Map processes with flow diagrams, then build a system map linking processes and display a vector of time-series measures as the system's vital signs.
- Use run charts or SPC to see where to intervene and whether changes actually move outcomes.
Stabilize Process Before Trying To Improve It
- Stabilize variation before optimizing: test and run the written process as-is to make work consistent and reveal what truly needs changing.
- Dr. Dave Williams uses the cruise control analogy to show stability exposes hidden variation.
