February 27, 2001
Dear Charles,
I would like to thank you for your help with our cycle time reduction project; we definitely would not be as far along as we are without your help.
Clearly your facilitation of the process mapping sessions were invaluable; there is no way we would have made it to an agreed upon target of 80% cycle time reduction without your pushing and prodding. People questioned what someone from Motorola could offer to a pharmaceutical company and it was clearly evident to me during the mapping sessions that only someone outside of the industry could provide the breakthrough paradigm shifts that we achieved in our Should Be mapping.
You were especially helpful during the implementation phase as you pushed the action item owners back on course. Many times it was only as a result of your prompting that the team was up front about their dissatisfaction on the direction of an action item. I also appreciate your helping to insure that the executive sponsors took action when it was needed. It is obviously easier for you to do this as an outsider and they did listen and respond. You also provided excellent assistance to me as the project leader. I was glad you were there to answer my questions and our breakfast meetings prior to the team meetings always helped to outline the focus for that meeting.
Your continuous support of our efforts is greatly appreciated and I look forward to working with you again in the near future.
Sincerely,
Alexandra B. Weymouth
Regulatory Project Leader
Eli Lilly and Company
