ARE YOUR PROCESSES LIKE A PAINFULL PILGRIMAGE THROUGH A PINBALL MACHINE?

ARE YOU ABLE TO QUICKLY IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS?

The Pinball Process

As you know, in the business context, a PROCESS consists of a series of logical steps that one can execute to eventually deliver a product or a service to a client. An effective and efficient PROCESS delivers a product or service which is precisely what the client needs (and wants), while making the best use of

time and resource. Every product and every service is the result of a PROCESS. Depending on the complexity of the PROCESS, there could be many STEPS to be followed. 

Watch the flash Movie - The Pinball Process 

 Our life is frittered away by detail…….simplify, simplify!

- Henry David Thoreau

The more complex a process, the more opportunities there are to improve it. The truth is that any process, and as a result, any product or service can be improved.

By continuously improving the organization’s products and services, the company could remain (or become) more competitive, -more productive and more profitable. This explains why many companies today are busy re-looking at their processes. So buzz-words like; BPR (Business Process Re-engineering) and PI(Process Improvement) are common. BPR is quite radical, it means; ‘throw the old process out the window and build a new one from scratch’. This approach makes most business men a little nervous, so there is a tendency to go for gentle Process Improvement. The PROCESS IMPROVERã  can be used for either preference. The suggestion is to start with constant improvement activities, then consider re-engineering.

The Process of the Process

This is where the selected PROCESS is mapped out and documented in order to create a visual understanding of the flow of the process. This is a highly interactive activity involving everyone along the path of the process, including the final client of the process. The facilitator should ensure that everyone plays a part in constructing the process. Use paper- covered lecture room walls, or combine white boards to create room to map the processes. Use Stick-On slips of paper for everyone to record activities at random in the process.

1.      Create 5 to 7 ‘pools’ for logical groupings of the process. Later to be named as process ‘Steps’.

2.      Show what ‘triggers’ each process as a starting point.

3.      Show the deliverable at the completion of the process.

4.      Then fill in the ‘pools’ in-between the ‘starting’ and ‘end’ points.

5.      Let the team members stick their ‘Stick-On’ tags where they feel it to be appropriate.

6.      Stick on as many activities as possible.

7.      Group all the activities in logical ‘pools’, about 5 to 7 of them.

8.      When all the activities have been exhausted and logically grouped in the ‘pools’- give each ‘pool’ a meaningful name. This would then be called a Step in the overall Process.

9.      Identify all the most important Inputs and Outputs for each of these Steps.

10.  Identify a Service Provider and a Client for each Step.

11.  Check with the Client of each step; “How should we measure the output for quality?”

12.  Develop a meaningful stretch target for the process (this could be obtained from management before the workshop). This process target should accommodate both company strategy and should also satisfy the client needs. This completes the 1^st side of the PROCESS IMPROVER.

Once this exercise has been completed, the Process Improvement team will have a Macro view (The Big Picture!) of the overall process. This then also provides a mechanism to measure for bottlenecks in the process so that improvement actions can be initiated.

When it is meaningful to do so, the process steps can be ‘drilled down’ further to accommodate the need for more detailed views. This should allow for up to 3 levels of detail that can be built over time, or when needed.

Measure Process Performance

Side two of the PROCESS IMPROVER accommodates the measurement of the overall PROCESS and it’s mainSteps. Start off by listing, in sequence, the main Steps in the PROCESS.

Then get the Improvement Team to rate each steps’ performance in relation to meeting with the stretch target.

Poor, or Fair ratings indicate “bottlenecks’ in the PROCESS that require attention for improvement.

Measurements should occur on a regular, probably monthly, basis. The monthly PROCESS IMPROVEMENT WORKSHOPS provide an ideal way to regularly measure and improve upon the process’ performance.

Constantly Improving the Process

“One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.”

         

Improving a process means change - and change could often meet with resistance. Mostly it will. Often the resistance may come from those directly involved in running the process. They may feel threatened. The best way to get people to change is to let them make the changes themselves. In other words, let the people involved in the process, make the suggestions and take the actions required for the improvements.

Perhaps management could consider a reward program for individuals who make the most valuable contributions to process improvement. The most valuable contributions directly impact in meeting with the stretch targets.

A process can typically be improved by:

1.      Reducing the delivery time or increasing volume throughput.

2.      Reducing the resources required to do the delivery.

3.      Improving the quality of the deliverables.

The following tool is used in the PROCESS IMPROVER to stimulate ideas on improving processes:

Process Improvement Tool: Bottlenecks are reduced or eliminated by:

1.      Eliminating duplicate tasks! 2.      Combining similar tasks- 3.      Taking out approvals and reviews 4.      Reducing preparation 5.      Outsourcing tasks 6.      Eliminating filing tasks 7.      Centralising activities Creating quality at the source!

8.      Eliminating inspections 9.      Making it mistake proof- no repeats! 10.  Changing the order of tasks. 11.  Multi-processing activities. 12.  Standardising on best practices 13.  “Touching the paper,  only once!” 14.  Taking ownership for tasks, now!

15.  “Do it on one page!”- no manuals. 16.  Creating demand pull. 17.  Parallel processing many tasks. 18.  Making the customer the boss! 19.  Involving all the employees. 20.  Constantly improving!