Your Process Stinks. You Need to Change it.

Written by Daniel Rohats

Yup, I said it. Your company’s processes STINK.  They are slow, inefficient, and have been around since the company started.  Some  are “organic” processes that have developed out of the need to get things done, while others have been implemented to fix a problem, prevent problems, or increase efficiency on getting products out the door. They still stink, trust me. I know. 6zrpgdcx74

The reason I know is that I have been doing process mapping and analysis for almost 10 years. These are actual problems we see first hand.

The first problem with your company processes is that they are static in nature.  They were developed at one time, for a single purpose, and have rarely, if ever, been reviewed or updated.  Sure they have changed a bit here and there. Instead of sending around a paper file to be marked up, you might be emailing it around instead.

The second problem is that when the processes were changed/updated, they were designed to include every single option, instance, quirk, bunny trail, rabbit hole, and kitchen sink option you could think of so nothing would be left out.  This might sound like a good idea, but really, your process has become slow and bloated with all this extra stuff that you don’t really need.

Third, they have a lot of unnecessary steps in them. Take a hard look…there are probably a number of steps that simply don’t need to be there.

Fourth, if you have made your processes electronic (email, workflow system, web-based),  you probably just took the paper process and made it electronic. Making a bad process electronic is just that, a bad electronic process.

Now (with the sluggish economy) is the perfect time to devote some resources (internal or external) to reviewing and revamping your company processes.  This is a GREAT use of internal resources that are sitting idle, and once the economy does turn around, you will be stronger and leaner since your processes have been re-engineered.   Your first step should be to read the following book “Re-engineering the Corporation“  by Hammer and Champy.  Below are the additional steps I recommend:

1. Read the above book a second time. Yes, the book IS that important. This time make notes as it relates to your company.
2. Map out your current processes AS THEY REALLY ARE! Talk to the people doing the work (not the managers or VPs) and find out how things REALLY get done at your company. This will be invaluable and a real eye opener.
3. Follow the 80/20 rule. Your “standard” process should encompass 80% of the things you do. The 20% that does not fit the standard process should have intelligent humans to get the work done in a more manual way.
4. Use technology to improve the process. Electronic workflow systems, digital signatures, and digital redlining can all speed up your process substantially. Most of the above items are part of a PDM or PLM system.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are many consulting organizations out there, Razorleaf included, that have specialty consultants to help with this type of operation.
6. Keep the new processes light and dynamic so that they can change when the business does. Don’t lock them down, don’t leave them static.

Stay tuned for a separate blog post on items #1 – 6 with more details on how to get this job done.

Tags: change management, process analysis, process improvement, process mapping, re-engineering, workflow