Process and Process Improvement

The word “process” is often associated with manufacturing or computer terminology. These, however, are merely special uses of the term. Generally speaking, a process is any sequence of activities that results in the achievement of a goal (intended or not). In other words, a process takes input, does something with it, and generates an output.


In that sense, everything we do is a process. Whether it is making coffee in the morning, driving the kids to school, manufacturing a product or delivering a service – we cannot do anything without conscientiously or unconscientiously following some sort of process. And as any process can be expressed through its individual steps and measured with metrics, it can also be improved to reach a desired state.


It is important to note, that the term “process” does not automatically imply “good”. Nor should we assume, we know what constitutes “good”, or for that matter, that we are the ones who get to define it. Furthermore, we should not only question the efficiency of the process (“is it done right?”), but also the effectiveness within the bigger picture (“is this process doing what we need it to?”).


Once we understand that the process is necessary, however, and have established what “good” looks like, we can analyze and improve it by using a whole arsenal of tools, such as Kaizen Events, statistical data analysis, and 5S.


For any process improvement effort to be successful, it is crucial that the scope and objective is clearly identified at the onset. Identifying individual processes and the steps within (this often is referred to as “mapping”) is the next step towards improving the performance of any given activity.

 

Mapping the current state of the process, followed by identifying existing challenges and opportunities allows for the sound design of an improved future state. This exercise, however, is not complete without the creation of a project plan, including all needed actions and objectives over time, to implement the change.


The design of the future state is the perfect time to incorporate proven concepts of world-class processes, such as Flow, Just-In-Time, Poka Yoke, Kanban, Supermarkets, Standard Work, Rapid Changeover (SMED), 5S, ... to name a few.


Structuring the implementation with governance (resources, metrics, review) is as important as the design of the new process itself. Without effective metrics and a balanced scorecard, the best laid plans often evaporate into thin air. Choosing the right metrics is not as simple as it sounds: the adage "you get what you measure" is certainly not to be taken lightly. Many organizations have run their projects aground simply by confusing leading and lagging indicators.


Effective process improvement must follow these steps:

  1. Create the strategic framework (why, what, how much, by when)
  2. Improvement activities (current state, analysis, future state, action plan)
  3. Governance (metrics, resources, progress review)

 

PSPadvisor can support your process improvement goals in many ways: