Here at the Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Centers, we’’re ardent devotees of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. It guides many of the programs and services we offer our clients, and we use the principles in our own organization as well. In fact, the standards for certification by our national association are based on those criteria.

The national Baldrige association is undergoing an evaluation of the criteria to find ways to incorporate more “lean” practices as a way to improve and simplify work and reduce waste. This can only result in better criteria.

However, I recently read a story about an organization attempting to implement more “lean” processes in their operations and taking it — perhaps — a bit too far. They took it to the restroom.

In an attempt to lean their facility, the company re-engineered the paper towel dispensing in their restrooms. Now, only a predetermined size towel is available, and the quality of the towel is so poor that it shreds before it can be pulled free of the dispenser. To have enough to actually dry one’s hands, the user has to attempt to pull more towels from the dispenser, but since they tend to shred, the dispenser is often jammed, resulting in the user having to reach up into a rather unsanitary dispenser to free the next small paper towel. Towel remnants litter the floor, and custodial staff spend more time un-jamming the dispenser and picking up the discards.

This is a case of process improvement going too far without assessing the needs of the user. Sometimes cheaper is not better. A cost savings in one area may create a cost overrun in another. The lesson for business owners is to accurately and thoroughly assess what your customers want and need before attempting to change things. Their needs should play an equally important role in your decision making as do cost, processes and systems.