Learn about the most effective methods for choosing the right process improvement projects for your organization based on your goals, resources, and constraints.

A direct tool to use is a risk matrix. This simply ranks process improvements (PIs) based off on severity of the process gap, considering the impact to the business, people and environment if it happens. It could be a financial, regulatory, social or health impact to name the most commonly encountered. Secondly, ranking is done considering probability; that is how likely is the issue to happen. After considering both severity "AND" probabilty, the team can easily decide in what order PIs can be implemented.

Doing due diligence into process improvement is essential. We do not want to improve a process only to find it has made our customers get irritated faster. Processes are disposable - outcomes are not. What is the outcome of this process? Does this process enhance or detract from the outcome? Do we even need this process, what would happen if we just didn't do it? Always be outcome focused not process focused.

What are the most effective methods for selecting impactful process improvements?

Process improvement is a systematic approach to enhance the efficiency, quality, and effectiveness of a business process. However, not all process improvement initiatives are equally valuable or feasible. How can you select the most impactful process improvements for your organization? In this article, you will learn about some of the most effective methods for choosing the right process improvement projects based on your goals, resources, and constraints.

1 Define your objectives

Before you start looking for process improvement opportunities, you need to define your objectives clearly. What are the main problems or pain points that you want to solve? What are the desired outcomes or benefits that you want to achieve? How will you measure the success of your process improvement efforts? By answering these questions, you can establish a clear vision and direction for your process improvement strategy, and align it with your organizational goals and priorities.

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David Ketchen

📌 Smartist - an Artist who does Strategic Management Consulting
(edited)
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Doing due diligence into process improvement is essential. We do not want to improve a process only to find it has made our customers get irritated faster. Processes are disposable - outcomes are not. What is the outcome of this process? Does this process enhance or detract from the outcome? Do we even need this process, what would happen if we just didn't do it? Always be outcome focused not process focused.

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Larissa Santos

Tenha os seus processos estruturados e organizados por mim (ou aprenda comigo a organizar os seus!) Especialista em processos de negócios e industriais | Gestão | Estruturação | Organização de Processos & Rotinas
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Antes de selecionar melhorias de processo, é fundamental definir claramente os objetivos que deseja alcançar. Isso pode incluir metas específicas de eficiência, qualidade, redução de custos, ou qualquer outro objetivo relevante para o seu negócio.

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2 Identify your processes

Next, you need to identify the processes that are relevant to your objectives. A process is a series of steps or activities that transform inputs into outputs, and deliver value to customers or stakeholders. You can use various tools and techniques to map out your processes, such as flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, SIPOC diagrams, or value stream maps. By mapping your processes, you can gain a better understanding of how they work, who is involved, what resources are needed, and where the potential gaps or inefficiencies are.

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Larissa Santos

Tenha os seus processos estruturados e organizados por mim (ou aprenda comigo a organizar os seus!) Especialista em processos de negócios e industriais | Gestão | Estruturação | Organização de Processos & Rotinas
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Identifique e mapeie os processos existentes em sua organização. Isso ajudará a entender como as atividades são executadas atualmente e onde podem ocorrer oportunidades de melhoria.

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3 Assess your processes

Once you have identified your processes, you need to assess their current performance and potential for improvement. You can use various methods to collect and analyze data about your processes, such as surveys, interviews, observations, benchmarks, or metrics. You can also use various frameworks to evaluate your processes, such as the PDCA cycle, the DMAIC model, or the Lean Six Sigma methodology. By assessing your processes, you can identify the root causes of the problems or pain points, and quantify the impact and feasibility of the possible solutions.

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Larissa Santos

Tenha os seus processos estruturados e organizados por mim (ou aprenda comigo a organizar os seus!) Especialista em processos de negócios e industriais | Gestão | Estruturação | Organização de Processos & Rotinas
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Avalie os processos identificados para identificar áreas de ineficiência, desperdício, gargalos ou oportunidades de melhoria. Isso pode ser feito por meio de análises de dados, feedback dos funcionários, benchmarking com outras organizações, entre outros métodos.

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4 Prioritize your processes

After you have assessed your processes, you need to prioritize the ones that have the most potential for improvement. You can use various criteria to rank your processes, such as the urgency, importance, difficulty, cost, or return on investment of the improvement projects. You can also use various tools to help you prioritize your processes, such as the Pareto chart, the Eisenhower matrix, the RICE score, or the impact-effort matrix. By prioritizing your processes, you can focus on the most valuable and achievable process improvement opportunities, and allocate your resources accordingly.

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Akinjide Makinde, CSCP, LSSBB, PMP®

Head, Supply Chain @ Godrej | Supply Chain Management | Operations Management | Continuous Improvement | Project Management | Coach
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A direct tool to use is a risk matrix. This simply ranks process improvements (PIs) based off on severity of the process gap, considering the impact to the business, people and environment if it happens. It could be a financial, regulatory, social or health impact to name the most commonly encountered. Secondly, ranking is done considering probability; that is how likely is the issue to happen. After considering both severity "AND" probabilty, the team can easily decide in what order PIs can be implemented.

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Larissa Santos

Tenha os seus processos estruturados e organizados por mim (ou aprenda comigo a organizar os seus!) Especialista em processos de negócios e industriais | Gestão | Estruturação | Organização de Processos & Rotinas
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Priorize os processos com base em critérios como impacto potencial nas metas da organização, facilidade de implementação, custo-benefício e urgência. Isso ajudará a concentrar os recursos nas melhorias que terão o maior impacto.

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5 Implement your processes

Finally, you need to implement the process improvement projects that you have selected and prioritized. You can use various methods to plan and execute your process improvement initiatives, such as project management, change management, agile, or scrum. You can also use various tools to support your process improvement implementation, such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, action plans, or checklists. By implementing your process improvement projects, you can realize the benefits of your process improvement strategy, and deliver value to your customers or stakeholders.

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Gladstone Samuel

Qualified Independent Director | ESG Practitioner | PMP®
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We had to make a decision to move from water fall model to an agile framework. These are the considerations during the execution phase: # A pilot project was selected # Adequate training to the concerned team members # Providing the required tools and techniques # An expert was providing constant support on the job to clarify issues # Lessons learnt was recorded and shared with other project teams One of the key outcomes : It is not necessary that all our project were required to move towards agile. Example : Software maintenance projects

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Larissa Santos

Tenha os seus processos estruturados e organizados por mim (ou aprenda comigo a organizar os seus!) Especialista em processos de negócios e industriais | Gestão | Estruturação | Organização de Processos & Rotinas
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Implemente as melhorias selecionadas nos processos prioritizados. Isso pode envolver mudanças nos procedimentos, introdução de novas tecnologias, automação de tarefas, entre outras ações.

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6 Monitor and improve your processes

Process improvement is not a one-time event, but a continuous cycle of monitoring and improvement. You need to track and measure the results of your process improvement projects, and compare them with your objectives and expectations. You also need to collect and analyze feedback from your customers or stakeholders, and identify any new problems or opportunities for improvement. You can use various methods to monitor and improve your processes, such as dashboards, reports, audits, or reviews. By monitoring and improving your processes, you can ensure that they are aligned with your changing needs and goals, and that they are always optimized for efficiency, quality, and effectiveness.

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Larissa Santos

Tenha os seus processos estruturados e organizados por mim (ou aprenda comigo a organizar os seus!) Especialista em processos de negócios e industriais | Gestão | Estruturação | Organização de Processos & Rotinas
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Após a implementação das melhorias, monitore continuamente o desempenho dos processos para garantir que os objetivos estejam sendo alcançados. Além disso, esteja preparado para ajustar e melhorar os processos conforme necessário ao longo do tempo.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Ashok Kumar

Deputy Director - Process Excellence at PepsiCo, Leading Productivity Delivery
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Here are a couple of points to look at; Prioritise Voice of customers; this may probably hit your top line if not addressed on priority. Also, target revenue leakages to improve your bottom line in the business. For example payment on time issues raised by customers. Percentage of invalid deduction claims and proportion write offs.

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Larissa Santos

Tenha os seus processos estruturados e organizados por mim (ou aprenda comigo a organizar os seus!) Especialista em processos de negócios e industriais | Gestão | Estruturação | Organização de Processos & Rotinas
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Além dos métodos mencionados acima, considere também a importância de envolver as partes interessadas relevantes no processo de seleção de melhorias, fornecer treinamento adequado aos funcionários afetados pelas mudanças e comunicar claramente os objetivos e benefícios das melhorias propostas.

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What are the most effective methods for selecting impactful process improvements?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Define your objectives

2 Identify your processes

3 Assess your processes

4 Prioritize your processes

5 Implement your processes

6 Monitor and improve your processes

7 Here’s what else to consider

Process Design

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What are the most effective methods for selecting impactful process improvements?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Define your objectives

2 Identify your processes

3 Assess your processes

4 Prioritize your processes

5 Implement your processes

6 Monitor and improve your processes

7 Here’s what else to consider

Process Design

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