Journal of Business Strategy

Purpose – A central theme that has always separated C-suite executives from communications practitioners – the ability to operate within the parameters of immutable data – is beginning to unravel as uncontrollable external forces challenge traditional business approaches. However, while communicators' skills are being recognized as essential to building and maintaining strong reputations and bottom lines, the importance of data-driven accountability has by no means dissipated; on the contrary, it has only grown as resources dwindle in today's business climate. This paper's purpose is two-fold: giving communications executives a roadmap for achieving data-wielding parity in the C-suite, and offering senior management teams a process through which they can leverage this function's strategic value to a much greater effect – all by applying techniques drawn from Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology.

Design/methodology/approach – The article introduces executives who are not LSS experts – who may even be wary of the concept – to “communications process improvement,” effective LSS methods that can be executed by non-experts. It details a process for applying communications process improvement (CPI) to various business functions and activities in the context of LSS-derived procedures.

Findings – The article examines the application of CPI to specific organizational activities, including marketing, communications planning and customer service. When applied as a step-by-step procedure mirroring that of LSS (where the steps are define, measure, analyze, improve, control), CPI generates constant, cross-functional awareness of how things should happen, why they're not happening that way now, and how to make sure they are done properly on a continuously improving basis going forward.

Originality/value – Lean Six Sigma is an established business management strategy that seeks to identify and remove inefficiencies in manufacturing processes. While it is well known in this context, there is very little evidence that management teams are applying the same methodologies to more intangible functions within the other departments – specifically, corporate communications. This article offers executives a standard, step-by-step process for doing just that, which they can begin implementing today to transform their communications departments into customer-facing, data-driven, proactive cultures of excellence, based on accountability and focused on demonstrable results.