By Mary Ann Lewis, FSAVE
First, let me say…in conclusion, thank you to all who made the 2016 Value Summit a success! To our joint SAVE International and Value Analysis Canada conference committee, to the more than 100 first-time attendees, to General Electric’s (GE) fantastic 14 professionals from around the world, to our presenters and moderators, and to all of you who have practiced, mentored, and promoted the value methodology, congratulations and thank you!
To me, the most striking message to come out of those few days came from our keynote speaker, Christine Furstoss, GE Vice President, who said “…VE is at the core of leadership.” While many of us in our presentations and conversations with others have identified VE as a program or project manager’s best tool, I am not sure how many of us have clearly, unambiguously, flatly said VE is at the core of leadership. It is a very strong message and one which we should embrace.
For the last couple of years, I have told government officials and politicians that VE is a disruptive methodology, which is a threatening thought to some but a revolutionary idea to many. Not everyone grasps that VE’s benefits of improved performance and cost and reduced risk enable leaders to make informed choices.
As Ms. Furstoss said, leaders set the course and allow teams to collaborate. And, with the value methodology these leaders have given structure to the conversation to drive change and innovate.
It is a message we all understand.
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