Resources - Business Process Improvement

Stage

Appropriate Methodology

Identify

The first stage in the journey is to identify what processes exist in the organisation, and determine how they are linked together. Once this is done, establish objectives, responsibilities and measures of current performance.

ISO 9000/EFQM

ISO9001 requires organisations to identify, control, measure, analyse and improve processes. This provides the ideal framework upon which to build for the future. ISO9001 contains requirements for system controls, management, core processes, resources and improvement.

The EFQM Excellence Model is a framework based on 9 elements. Five of these are 'Enablers' and four are 'Results'. The 'Enabler' elements cover what an organisation does. The 'Results' elements cover what an organisation achieves. 'Results' are caused by 'Enablers' and 'Enablers' are improved using feedback from 'Results'.

Manage

The second stage, once processes, objectives and measures are defined, is to identify and eliminate waste in the processes, leading to streamlining and improved efficiency.

Lean

Lean can be considered an approach that considers which steps in a process add value and which do not. Once the non value adding steps have been identified these can be eliminated, combined with other steps or reduced. In this way process efficiency is improved.

Value is considered from a customer perspective, for example the question "would the customer be prepared to pay extra for this particular step" is a crucial one.

Improve

Once any obvious waste is eliminated, the third stage is to identify sources of variability in process performance, and to reduce or eliminate them. This can dramatically improve an organisation's effectiveness.

Six Sigma DMAIC

DMAIC is a five step methodology that helps reduce process variability and solves process problems permanently. DMAIC considers the Voice of the Customer (what the goals of the process really are or should be) and then determines through rigorous analysis which factors are most significant in affecting whether or not the goals are achieved.

DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve Control. It is designed to achieve breakthrough improvement, where the solution is not already known.

Redesign

To achieve real excellence requires organisations to have both highly efficient and truly effective processes in all areas. This means that processes, products or services often have to be redesigned with excellence in mind from the start. Process redesign is the way to achieve real excellence

Design for Six Sigma (DfSS) DMADV

DfSS is an approach to the design of new products, services and processes. The fundamental concept of DfSS is that before commencing product, service or process design we must know what is expected of that process or product in detail from its customers (VOC). A technique called quality function deployment (QFD) is used to ensure the VOC is kept in mind throughout the entire design process.

DMADV is a structured approach to ensure that requirements are understood from the start, risks are properly considered, and that the process/product is designed with all the requirements built in. DfSS has many tools and methods to ensure this happens.