Evaluating Process Improvement

A process is an organized way of achieving a goal or task. Systems, procedures, and processes have evolved over time to make things more efficient. For example, before technology people traveled around in horse and carriages due to there being no fast transportation available.

With the advent of cars, trains, and planes, it made sense to use this tool for longer trips that you can do efficiently and quickly. This is what gave us the concept of starting from your home base and traveling to another location using these modes of transport.

By having this understanding of how companies functioned in the past, we can apply what makes each process effective today. These changes are called “process improvements” because they improve upon the already successful process!

There are several types of process improvement strategies, but one of the most common ones is called model-based management (MBM). What makes MBM unique is its focus on models as tools to help you develop better processes.

This article will go into detail about why model-based management is such a powerful technique and some examples of how it has been used effectively across various industries.

Create a new process

A process is an efficient way to achieve an objective, or goal. For example, your company may have an internal policy that requires you to keep at least two receipts for every purchase you make.

You can organize all of your receipt paperwork into a system with clearly defined steps and components. By designing a structured document management process, you will be more likely to find all of your documents in one place and use the same folder/category system each time.

This will help you stay organized as well as create consistency across the organization. It also helps ensure that everything gets recorded properly because there are standardized protocols.

Making changes to processes is important because it removes barriers to having effective communication and recording transactions.

Test the new process

This step is crucial as it determines if your changes worked or not! Testing the old way of doing things and then the new way is necessary to determine whether there was improvement.

It cannot be repeated enough how important this test is. Not only does it evaluate the effectiveness of the changes, but it also confirms that the people involved in the change are able to use the new system effectively.

If you have ever tried changing something about a job where someone else is in charge, you know what I mean. You may put in so much effort into making the changes and improving the situation, and they may work for awhile, before someone puts them to a conclusion and says “That doesn’t Work” and pulls the plug.

This can be very frustrating, especially if you invested time in planning the changes and everyone agreed it was needed. It takes a lot of self-confidence to make such significant changes and see them fail, so try to be supportive and understanding of others’ reactions.

Also remember that even though someone might seem like they could handle the new approach, you never truly know until you try it out. In fact, most successful business transformations happen because someone who works for you simply couldn't bear being part of an ineffective team any longer.

We've discussed some reasons why process improvements often don't succeed here, but none of those are definitive proof that this one will not.

Re-evaluate the current process

A process is always in need of reevaluation. This should be done at least once every year to make sure it’s still necessary and effective.

This isn’t just because things may have changed, but also due to the fact that processes usually slow down as projects come to an end or new ones are initiated.

When those changes occur, something will likely go out the window, so making revisions can prevent too much downtime. You want to make sure there’s no gap when work has to be shifted around or resources have to be reassigned.

It’s also important to consider how well your current process serves your organization. If you’re not getting the results you desire, there might be other factors playing a bigger role than what you were originally thinking.

There could be technical limitations keeping you from implementing advanced techniques, for example. Or maybe your department head doesn’t think highly enough of your efforts to allocate more money or people to help you.

Measure results

A process improvement should not be measured in terms of how well it impacted the function of the organization, but rather whether or not it increased organizational performance.

This is typically done through using quantitative metrics that measure profitability, productivity, quality, etc. While these are important to look into, they are only part of the picture when measuring an efficiency change.

Other key indicators to check include employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, knowledge of procedure, teamwork, etc. – all of which contribute to the success of the organization.

When looking at these indicators, make sure to take note of what has changed over time and if those changes have improved or diminished the overall success of the company.

Process improvements can seem tedious at times due to the nature of improving something that you are already doing correctly.

Identify weaknesses and fix them

A process improvement initiative is not just about introducing new processes, it’s looking at how well current processes work and if they are efficient and effective.

It’s also evaluating whether there are any possible ways to make things more efficiently by thinking outside the box. For example, what can you replace your current process with and why would that be better?

By assessing and improving processes, you will help ensure the organization succeeds in its mission and goals. You will also feel happier as a member of the team because you played an important role in ensuring success for the company.

Celebrate successes

A lot of people focus on the need to constantly be looking for ways to improve what you are doing, but they forget the second part of that statement – how to celebrate successful attempts at improving your process or product!

There is an important reason why this is overlooked – it can make people feel insecure. If you are always seeking out new things to do, then you are putting in more effort than those around you who may not see the same need to change things. This can create a sense of insecurity for them — maybe they will get the chance to lead one day?

By celebrating achievements, others appreciate your efforts and build confidence in yourself as well as motivation from their peers. It also helps remove some of the stress that may come with trying to implement changes.

If someone has managed to achieve something that you thought was impossible, let them know about it! Hold them up as an example so that other people can follow their lead.

It’s also worth pointing out any good practices that person implemented to reach their goal. By studying these, you could try introducing similar changes into your own workplace.

Commit to the process

A process is not something you will or should keep for only a short time frame. It is an integral part of your business that helps ensure success.

The reason it is important to have a process in place is because employees may come and go, but the steps needed to accomplish your mission stay stable.

By having clear processes, people know what needs to be done without needing extra instructions. This cuts down on wasted time and energy as well as miscommunication which can spread chaos.

It also gives people a sense of security since they know how things are done. When everyone has their job defined, no one feels like they do not know their assigned task.

When someone new comes into the organization, they already have a set process they can learn from. You want these newcomers to succeed quickly so having a strong process makes this possible.

Monitor progress

A process improvement initiative should have you monitoring your performance, not just at the beginning but throughout the entire project. This includes looking at how well each step of the process is going, if there are any major setbacks or delays, and what factors may be preventing it from moving forward.

It also means checking to see whether people involved in the process are staying focused on their assignments and delivering on time. If someone who has a key role in an operation does not seem engaged and committed to the effort, they might need to be reassigned or let go of their position.

By paying close attention to these issues, you will be able to stop any potential catastrophes before they happen and avoid having to start over. Your organization will also be better equipped to identify and address possible causes for future failures.