Process Improvement: How we improve the process

Description Phase

  The first thing we do is generate a list of organizational problems in a way that groups interrelated problems together.

  • things that cause employee discontent

  • things that waste time

  • a perceived high number of problems related to technology

  • low productivity

  • slow turnaround

  • a lack of effective ways to share information

  • obvious redundancies


    • We try to involve as many people as we can in the problem identification process. The identification of problems will help to foster interest in the process improvement effort.

    Once a list of interrelated problems is created, the next step is to identify the processes causing those problems.

    After we have identified problem processes you can select one for improvement. (When several processes are identified, you may be tempted to select more then one process for improvement. This is usually the case when there are no clear boundaries between processes. Keep in mind though, that the more processes you select for improvement the more complex the later phases of the process improvement effort will be.

    Tips for process selection:

  • start with non-strategic processes where you have the authority to carry out proposed changes.

  • try to select as few processes as possible for improvement. Ideally you should select only one.

  • to realize the biggest gains, the process that is associated with the most critical problem should be selected first or you may select the process that is associated with the highest number of problems first. To pilot a process improvement effort, (to gain expertise and confidence) select the most simple process first.

  • for your first process improvement project try to select a process that crosses few, if any, functional boundaries.


    • Examination Phase

    The next step we take is to make a work flow diagram. This is an important step as there is probably no better way to spot the trouble areas in a process.

    Things we look for:

  • duplication of information and other redundancies

  • a high number of contact points and control transfers

  • activities that happen sequentially when they could happen concurrently

  • complex processes that people fail to follow


    • Implementation Phase

    We incorporate the changes into the work flow diagram that we did in the examination phase.

    Train all the people involved on the new process and make sure that everyone is aware of the changes and that they understand what they need to do (or not do).

    Pick a day and go ahead and implement the improved process.

    Monitoring Phase

    Measure performance and monitor for potential problems and for future improvements.

    Operational processes (their outcomes) are formally measured in speed, accuracy and cycle reductions. To adequately measure process outcomes we will help you to generate a few simple metrics.

    1. Overview
    2. What is Process Improvement?
    3. How we improve the process