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SPANNING THREE DECADES OF VALUE MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP

May 2, 2003

One Of The Keys To Success In Value Analysis Is Asking Good Questions

Robert T. Yokl - President - The HCP Group, Ltd.

“I Keep Six Honest Serving Men.  They Taught Me All I Knew: Their Names Are What And Why And When.  And How And Where And Who.” 

                                                                                              Rudyard Kipling

This famous quote from Rudyard Kipling could have been describing the value analysis methodology, since one of the keys to success in value analysis is asking good questions.  Yet, this is not where most value practitioners start their value studies, but instead assume that they know most of the answers, which is the fatal flaw with most value studies.  By asking the customers, stakeholders and experts of the products, services and technologies they purchase probing questions value practitioners can get to root of their true functional requirements quickly.  Here are six power questions that will uncover the hidden facts you need to know to begin your functional analysis of any product, service or technology:

 

1.                  Who first introduced you to this product, service or technology?

2.                  What are the biggest challenges you are facing related to using this product, service or technology?

3.                  When (and where) do you use this product, service or technology?

4.                  Where would I find utilization data on the product, service or technology?

5.                  Why do you use this product, service or technology as opposed to other products, services or technologies on the market today?

6.                  How do you utilize (steps in the process) this product, service or technology?

  

Good questions are the bedrock of the value analysis process. Your questions need to be open and expansive to obtain the information that you need to know to value justify the commodities you are investigating. By formulating good questions you will be able to generate a meaningful dialog with your customers, stakeholders or experts and uncover their true motivation and their challenges. This dialog will go a long way in establishing rapport and building your credibility with your customers. Then and only then can you discover your customer’s specific needs, wants and desires, speak to their concerns and gain a commitment for positive change.

 Copyright © 2003 The HCP Group, Ltd.

Robert T. Yokl, President, The HCP Group, Ltd., has over 35 years of experience as a consultant and manager in the field of Supply/Value Chain Management and is one of the country's leading healthcare experts in value analysis, value engineering and materials management. He is the developer and program leader of the award winning Certified Value Analysis Practitioner Training Program™. Mr. Yokl is also the developer of the healthcare industry's leading ValueNetCentral™ Value Analysis Software. Over the past two decades he has trained thousands of healthcare managers in his patented Strategic Value Analysis™ and Team-Based Project Management™ processes and has assisted scores of organizations in developing their own value management programs. He has published six books, videos and audios on supply/value chain management. His latest book being, “ Strategic Value Analysis™: The #1 Smart Strategy for Taking Cost Out of a Healthcare Organizations’ Supply/Value Chain”.