“Process improvement” means making things better, not just fighting fires or managing crises. It means setting aside the customary practice of blaming people for problems or failures. It is a way of looking at how we can do our work better. When we take a problem-solving approach or simply try to fix what’s broken, we may never discover or understand the root cause of the difficulty. Murphy’s Law comes into play and our efforts to “fix” things may actually make things worse. However, when we engage in true process improvement, we seek to learn what causes things to happen in a process and to use this knowledge to reduce variation, remove activities that contribute no value to the product or service produced, and improve customer satisfaction. A team examines all of the factors affecting the process: the materials used in the process, the methods and machines used to transform the materials into a product or service, and the people who perform the work.
Everyone has a stake in one or more processes. Groups of individuals usually share in—and “own”—the activities which make up a process. But the one individual who is ultimately responsible and accountable for the proper working of the process is known as the “process owner.” The process owner is the immediate supervisor or leader who has control over the entire process from beginning to end. A process owner may choose to be a team leader and participate directly in the actions of a process improvement team. Or, the process owner may decide to delegate the team leadership role to another person who is knowledgeable about the process. Whatever the case, it is very important for the process owner to stay informed about the team’s actions and decisions affecting the process.
How does process improvement benefit the organization?
A standardized process improvement methodology allows us to look at how we perform work. When all of the major players are involved in process improvement, they can collectively focus on eliminating waste—of money, people, materials, time, and opportunities. The ideal outcome is that jobs can be done cheaper, quicker, easier, and—most importantly—safer. A teamwork approach is intrinsic to organization success. Using total quality tools and methods reinforces teamwork. Using team members’ collective knowledge, experiences, and efforts is a powerful approach to improving processes. Through teamwork, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
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How does an organization get started on process improvement?
An essential first step in getting started on process improvement is for the senior leader to make it a command priority. The importance of process improvement must be communicated from the top. Leaders need to foster an organizational environment in which a process improvement mentality can thrive and people are using quality-related tools and techniques on a regular basis. For the organization to reach this state, leaders must ensure that everyone receives the training that will enable them to carry out their process improvement efforts effectively. Instilling a process improvement mentality in an organization can be difficult because it requires some different ways of thinking most organizations are already accustomed to. Process improvement requires everyone to become a “fire preventer,” rather than a “firefighter.” The focus is on improving a process over the long term, not just patching up procedures and work routines as problems occur. To get started on process improvement, leaders who have been fighting fires need to set aside the CO2 bottle and start thinking in these terms:
- What process should we select for improvement?
- What resources are required for the improvement effort?
- Who are the right people to improve the selected process?
- What’s the best way to learn about the process?
- How do we go about improving the process?
- How can we institutionalize the improved process?
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