Fundamentals of

Process Improvement
What is covered in this course?
Introduction

Introduction PI: The what PI: The who

- What is covered in this course? - What is the process? - Who delivers process improvement?
- What is the purpose of this - What is process improvement? - Who is process improvement for?
course? - Examples of process improvement. - Process improvement roles.
- Process improvement technique 1. - Process improvement technique 2.
What is covered in this course?
Introduction

PI: The how PI: The when PI: The why

- Process improvement methodologies. - What are the triggers for improvement? - Reasons to pursue improvements.
- The process to deploy improvements. - When is a process ripe for change? - The benefits & desired outputs.
- Considerations for deployment. - When best to conduct change? - Process improvement technique 5.
- Process improvement technique 3. - Process improvement technique 4.
What is covered in this course?
Introduction

Demonstrations Close out

- Overview. - Interactive exercise.

- Demonstration 1. - Review of key learnings.
- Demonstration 2. - Thank you.
- Demonstration 3.
What is the purpose of this course?
Introduction

Introduction

- What is covered in this course?

- What is the purpose of this
course?
What is the purpose of this course?
Introduction

- In this course, we are going to explore the fundamentals of process improvement. This will include looking at the basics, the theory,
the practicalities, the methodologies and much more.
- In effect, we will look at the what, who, how, when and why of process improvement, seeking to understand the pathway to delivery.
- The course has been designed to give you as much basic and fundamental insight as possible to wet your whistle and start you on your
journey to process improvement – a highly important and in demand skill to have in today’s marketplace.
- The course has been designed to enable you to start delivering process improvement as soon as you complete the course, and the
deck of the course has been built in a way for you to take away and use / share with others.
- There are 4 main purposes of this course and benefits to you taking it:

Ability to deliver Increase your toolkit of Make you a confident Start saving your business
improvements from day 1 tools & methodologies deliverer of change time & money right away

- The course has been largely designed to give you confidence in your abilities to make process improvements, to know the
improvements you identify are indeed the right ones and to be able to sell your approach to others.
What is the process?
PI: The what

PI: The what

- What is the process?

- What is process improvement?
- Examples of process improvement.
- Process improvement technique 1.
What is the process?
PI: The what

• A process, simply put, is the effort taken to get you from A to B. It is the
effort taken to get your desired output delivered.
• It is the set of activities and steps that help you move a raw material into
something sellable and presentable to a customer.
• For example, going into a process is raw data. Coming out of the process is a
fully customized and detailed report, extremely valuable and useful to your
client.
• The bit that comes in between, when the raw data is turned into the report,
is the process.
• When it comes to process improvement, this is generally the piece we are
focused on.
• Not what is going into the process or what is coming out – that will be largely
impacted by the improvements we make internally.
• We want to focus on making the process as slick, efficient, productive and
effective as possible to ensure the raw material can become a sellable service
or product easier, faster and in better quality.
• While processes can look simple and straight forward in their mapped
format, they can be harbouring a LOT under the surface.
What is the process?
PI: The what

Starting point • Underlying many of these seemingly simple processes

can be waste, bottlenecks, rework loops and issues.
• A start point may be confused, with uncertainty around
Hand off who should be conducting this activity every time.
• A hand off may be a time waste, having to wait to be
able to hand off or wait for work to be handed to you.
Activity / step
• How do we know the activity or step is being conducted
in the most optimal fashion? Could it be completed far
Rework loop
quicker and easier?
• Are decision points leading to bottlenecks, where a
number of decisions are needed and no one is making
Decision point them?
• What is causing your rework loop? Do you have the
right systems in place to eliminate it?
• All of these questions will and should be asked of your
processes, especially when seeking to deliver process
improvement.
End point
What is process improvement?
PI: The what

PI: The what

- What is the process?

- What is process improvement?
- Examples of process improvement.
- Process improvement technique 1.
What is process improvement?
PI: The what

- Process improvement is the proactive task of:

1) Identifying a process is in need of reform or improvement.
2) Analyzing this process to see what issue needs addressing.
3) Changing key aspects, steps or tasks in a process to improve its overall performance.

- It is all about moving something from one state to another, with that shift taking it from a state that is not operating as effectively as
it could to one that is.
- It is about removing waste, making processes and the people who work within them more productive and efficient.
- It can be both a continual effort, something where you make amendments and improvements regularly. It can also be a one-off
exercise, where you conduct a review, deliver recommendations and work on them.
- Process improvement is about mapping out the full end to end of a process, identifying where it is going wrong or
where it could be improved and acting upon that.
What is process improvement?
PI: The what

- You have probably seen process maps like the one shown before – where a team have got into a room, identified the process they need
to map and have mapped out the workflow – step by step.
- Having a process map is crucial when it comes to process improvement. How can you seek to actively and successfully improve your
process if you can’t see it, graphically?
- You need to see the steps, the hands offs, the pain points, the waste, the opportunities etc.
- But remember – building a process map is just the start. If no improvements are made following the mapping, then all you have done is
process mapped – you have not improved the process.

Processing of invoices (Finance Process)

Client
Complete Send amendment
Complete invoice Upload invoice Check all data Submit invoice
amendment of form back to
form form to portal correct form
invoice form requestor

- It is worth remembering that your approach to process improvement

Invoice portal
can come in many forms. Process data

- You could be either: Extract invoice

Check invoice has
Is any
information
Go back to the
Review the

•
all correct Yes client to request a
from system missing / information

Improving on single process. information re-submittal

Billings Team
incorrect?

Review invoices in
Generate
system to be Approve invoices
No completion report
approved

• Improving a series of processes for one department. Send to accounts

payable to sign off
Respond to the
query in full

• Reviewing and seeking to improve all processes across the Review the invoice
Go back to the
Yes

Accounts Payable
Any issues? Billings Team and

organization.
case
query

No

• Implementing a rolling continuous improvement plan. Hand over to the

Head of Finance
for final approval
Respond to the
query in full

Go back to the
Review the invoice
case
Any issues? Yes Accounts Payable
Team and query

- The required output and the approach you take will determine how

Head of Finance
No

big or small the effort and the final impact will be. Sign off the
invoice
Examples of process improvement
PI: The what

PI: The what

- What is the process?

- What is process improvement?
- Examples of process improvement.
- Process improvement technique 1.
Examples of process improvement
PI: The what

- To help you visualise exactly what process improvement is, what it can do and how it can be delivered, we will run through a series of
examples.
- With these deployed, you can be confident that you have delivered successful process improvement.
- When it comes to process improvement, the aim is to:

Conduct peer Offer customer

review multiple options

Upload the data Process the data

Examples of process improvement
PI: The what

- The fundamental way in which you know you have improved a process is when you can see you have taken something (a process), moved
it from one state (your current, sometimes compromised state) to another state (improved, performing better or more in line with
expectations).
- This is always going to be the aim of the work you are doing, plus the desired outcome you want to see.
Process improvement technique 1
PI: The what

PI: The what

- What is the process?

- What is process improvement?
- Examples of process improvement.
- Process improvement technique 1.
Process improvement technique 1
PI: The what

FLOWCHART MAPPING
• Flowchart mapping is a type of process mapping technique, one of many process mapping techniques that exist.
• Even though many techniques exist, Flowchart Mapping is by far and away the most common, most popular and most widely
deployed process mapping technique there is.
• If your business has a suite of process maps, there is a very big chance they are in Flowchart form. If your business has a process
mapping tool, there is a big chance it’ll be Microsoft Visio, BPMN 2.0 or Lucidchart.
• The Flowchart Map is a highly effective map because it provides you with a lot of the information you need to understand how a
process is currently performing, how a process could perform in the future and where there are opportunities for improvement.
• A typical Flowchart Map will include (including the icons traditionally used):

Decision Connectors
Start End Activities points Database

Inputs Outputs
Process improvement technique 1
PI: The what

Create
Review the Changes Y Initiate
master Make changes
Payroll

needed?
data payment
data
N
Send to Benefit
Analyst
Benefits

Confirm data
Check the data Send to Finance
checked
Finance

Check the data Await sign off

Lead

Sign off data

Colleague

Receive
payment
Process improvement technique 1
PI: The what
…
…
…
…
…
Who delivers process improvement?
PI: The who

PI: The who

- Who delivers process improvement?

- Who is process improvement for?
- Process improvement roles.
- Process improvement technique 2.
Who delivers process improvement?
PI: The who

On the one hand, we have those roles which are dedicated to On the other hand, we have roles which straddle the world of
Process Improvement. These include: improvement but not just process. These include:
• Process Improvement Director. • Business Improvement Director.
• Process Improvement Manager. • Continuous Improvement Manager.
• Process Improvement Lead. • Continuous Improvement Lead.
• Process Improvement Engineer. • Business Improvement Consultant.
• Process Improvement Project Manager. • Quality Manager.
• Process Improvement Analyst. • Quality Analyst.
• Process Improvement Coordinator. • Business Improvement Analyst.
• Process Improvement Assistant. • Continuous Improvement Coordinator.
Who delivers process improvement?
PI: The who

• There are also a lot of ways to get process improvement into non-improvement specific roles.
• The key way to do this – training, upskilling and experience.
• Process improvement can be delivered by people as part of their BAU activities, or as a separate developmental opportunity.
• Example:

• Meet Abeer.
• She is a Payroll Analyst.
• For 90% of her time, she is working hard, delivering payroll solutions for her colleagues.
• For 10% of her time, she is improving Payroll Operations.
• This involves her spending a little time each week (3-4 hours) conducting improvement related activities
such as:
• Mapping out processes.
• Root causing issues from the error log.
• Delivering changes to process steps to speed up delivery.
• Keeping up to date with innovations in the Payroll space to see if new solutions have come onto the market
that could improve her operations.

• This additional work is part of her professional development, and it keeps her engaged and committed to
her work and her team.
Who delivers process improvement?
PI: The who

• As is the case with Abeer, you can make process improvement a part of your team’s regular activities. Ways to do this include the
following:

Add PI related work Discuss PI related work / Set targets in team Offer involvement in
to performance goals ideas in meetings huddles wider programs

• In essence, process improvement can be done by everyone, at every level of your organization.
• Whether it is your leaders setting the strategic vision for what the change and improvement needs to look like through to the
Analysts, Executives and Business Support functions delivering the change on the frontlines.
• Individuals and teams alike should be encouraged to improve processes as doing so can make their roles more value adding, more
efficient, effective and productive.
Who is process improvement for?
PI: The who

PI: The who

- Who delivers process improvement?

- Who is process improvement for?
- Process improvement roles.
- Process improvement technique 2.
Who is process improvement for?
PI: The who

• As well as knowing who is going to be delivering process improvement within your business, it's also important to know who it is for
in each and every instance.
• There are several key ways in which you can divvy this up to ensure your approach and your focus remains consistent.
• These include the following:

The individual The team

Process improvement work with respect to Process improvement work with respect to the team is about
the individual is about empowering the working collectively to make improvements which will benefit
individual to improve their own role. the whole team collectively.

This type of improvement can be conducted This type of work can be done either by external experienced
by or for the individual. It focuses on identify players OR those within the team
those wasteful, time consuming, frustrating who act as “SMEs” who can
and defect prone steps and either reforming identify a problem, a solution
or removing them altogether. and then deliver on that.

This makes the individual’s job more value This work looks at whole
adding and less wasteful. processes, not just certain
activities or steps.
Who is process improvement for?
PI: The who

The business

Process improvement work in respect to

the business is all about securing those
bigger, more lucrative wins.

With this approach, you will conduct a

program of work, seeking many benefits.
These projects would be to save money,
The customer The process
time and effort. To improve customer
experience, improve key metrics such as
Process improvement work in respect to client retention, sales performance and Process improvement work in respect to
the customer is about improving the colleague retention / satisfaction. the process is about reforming and
customer journey and experience. building processes for the long term.
The wider “brand”
This is often (but not always) done by can be a central This work is focused solely on making
more experienced improvement focus here. processes better for the sake of the
professionals who need to conduct voice process, ensuring stability and capability.
of the customer work to understand what Ensuring they can deliver the right, high
the customer wants and needs both today quality outputs. That they will be able to
and, in the future, and then reform and satisfy their requirements for the
redesign processes accordingly. foreseeable future, without fault or error.
Process improvement roles
PI: The who

PI: The who

- Who delivers process improvement?

- Who is process improvement for?
- Process improvement roles.
- Process improvement technique 2.
Process improvement roles
PI: The who

Process Improvement Process Improvement

Analyst Engineer

• More junior forms of this role can include Process • More specialist role, can also be referred to as a Process
Improvement Coordinator or Assistant. Improvement Practitioner or Specialist.
• Responsible for analyzing current processes. • Design brand new processes to be deployed.
• Run process mapping sessions and workshops with the teams. • Redesign current processes being deployed.
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses within current • Assist in the deployment of newly designed, redesigned or
processes, opportunities and issues. reformed processes (from a specialist perspective).
• Recommend the changes required to improve the process. • Ensure process improvement techniques are successfully
• Analyze data to support recommendations made. deployed when new processes designed and deployed.
• Present recommendations and data in a way for leaders and • Assess current state processes and work on Analyst
managers to be able to make more informed decisions. recommendations to identify the right solutions needed for
• Support in the changes being made. processes under strain.
Process improvement roles
PI: The who

Process Improvement Process Improvement

Manager Director

• A more senior role which will often oversee others. • The most senior role, focus here is more strategic.
• The others overseen in this role will include the Process • Will oversee and support Process Improvement Managers and
Improvement Analysts, Specialists and Engineers. wider Process Improvement Teams.
• The Manager will ensure the work to be conducted by these • Will oversee whole programs of work, including business wide
direct reports is indeed happening on time and to plan. Quality, Improvement or Training programs alike.
• The Manager will also oversee certain projects, advising on the • Will allocate budgets for solutions and systems, sign off on
best options for delivery, methodologies for use etc. business cases for work IF deemed within business needs.
• The Manager will look more widely across the business (not • Deliver the company wide strategy to process improvement.
just a process), looking at company waste and challenges. • Liaise with senior leaders and feedback to the board on
• They will identify the relationships between systems, help in progress of critical improvement projects.
the modelling of solutions and perform cost assessments. • Support in the delivery of projects and solutions using their
expertise, knowledge and guidance.
Process improvement technique 2
PI: The who

PI: The who

- Who delivers process improvement?

- Who is process improvement for?
- Process improvement roles.
- Process improvement technique 2.
Process improvement technique 2
PI: The who

THE 8 WASTES
• The 8 wastes are a concept identified within Lean thinking. They define the 8 most common types of waste we see in operational
processes, departments, products and services.
• From a Lean perspective, waste is defined as: “Any step or activity within a process which does not add value to the customer, and
therefore the customer would not be willing to pay for”.
• With that in mind, the 8 wastes is a great way for you to identify waste, categorize it and decide on the best approach to remove it.
• Once categorized, you’ll understand better how to remove the waste, as there will be tried and tested ways to remove such waste.
• The great thing about this approach is that it gets you thinking about waste in your organization in a different way, and once you have
learnt about the 8 wastes, you will see waste everywhere it exists – physical, digital, people, process, procedure, system, service etc.
• Examples of waste you may see include:

- Hand offs in a process - Error and issue fixing

- Peer reviewing other’s work - System operating slower than capability
- Checking data - Unknowledgeable agents
- Quality checking of products - Unnecessary sign offs
- Waiting for others to complete their work - Manual keying (when it can be automated)
 Process improvement technique 2
PI: The who

Defects Overproduction Waiting Non-utilized talent

Waiting occurs whenever work This is where individual skillsets and
Defects are mistakes that are Overproduction occurs when
or a process has to stop. experience are not utilized for the
made when running a process to workers produce more and more
In this instance, the process benefit of individuals, their job or the
deliver a service or product, or data / goods.
flow is disrupted by something wider business.
some form of output. This will occur even when there is
which needs addressing, fixing
no demand for this, or the customer
or simply waiting for. • Assigning staff to the wrong tasks.
• Missed deadlines. is not ready for it.
• Not bringing in the CI team to
• Missing / incorrect data. • Waiting for sign off from improve processes.
• Wrong file upload. • Too much data being produced.
another department. • Not knowing the extent of the
• Additional unread reports being
• Waiting for a part to be skills make up in the team.
produced.
delivered to site.
• Manual storage of digital
• Waiting for a 3rd party
documents.
provider to send their data.
 Process improvement technique 2
PI: The who

Transport Inventory Motion Extra processing

Waste can be generated by the Waste in inventory occurs when more A lot of the time, you will notice that This leads to the production of
moving of things from one location to products or services are stored than motion refers to something which is multiple versions of the same
another. the customer has asked for. repetitive – done again and again product or the processing of
It can also be generated by the This can lead to a backlog of products (including with rework). something additionally for no
location of key resources being vastly or services that need to then be purpose.
spread out within a physical cleared through. • Repetitive keystrokes (manual
environment. intervention). • Excessive reports.
• Stockpiling of supplies (often, just • Walking between equipment in the • The same process being
• Hand-offs between departments. in case). office. run several times.
• Sending and resending emails or • Backlog of data waiting to be • Switching between applications on • Multiple signatures.
information. entered. the computer.
• Moving goods from warehouse to • Storing information longer than is
warehouse. required.
Process improvement technique 2
PI: The who

Defects Overproduction Waiting Non-utilization of skills

Transport Inventory Motion Extra processing

Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

PI: The how

- Process improvement methodologies.

- The process to deploy improvements.
- Considerations for deployment.
- Process improvement technique 3.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

• To help you to navigate the world of process improvement, there are a number of methodologies on offer.
• These methodologies are there to help you structure your approach, give you the tools and techniques to support the delivery of
that approach and empower you to guarantee the success of your endeavours.
• These methodologies all want you to deliver process improvement successfully but have different ways of supporting you in that
journey.
• There are 7 methodologies we will run through here which are:

LEAN TOTAL QUALITY PLAN, DO, BUSINESS PROCESS

MANAGEMENT CHECK, ACT MANAGEMENT

THEORY OF CONTINUOUS
SIX SIGMA CONSTRAINTS IMPROVEMENT
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

LEAN
- Lean is an approach to quality that focuses on reducing waste, waiting time and saving money.
- The focus of Lean is not necessarily to fix something that has gone wrong (although its tools and principles
can be used for this) but it is about finding value in a process or product and maximising this.
- The outcome of Lean is to deliver a process which has higher productivity and efficiency by:
• Reducing waste (hand offs, rework loops, bottlenecks, issues and errors etc.)
• Streamlining the delivery of products and services (getting them to market quicker)
• Ensuring people with the right skills are deployed to the right roles
- It is about asking “what here do we need? What do we not need? What do we need to do to reduce waste and
realize the opportunities?”

- With Lean, you need to think about your approach in terms of the purpose (the end product), the process (that which leads to the
end product) and people (those that create the end product).
- There are a number of tools which can be used within Lean including Kaizen, Gemba, Poke Yoke, 5S etc.
- Lean is not an end state, but a constant. You need to identify how to instil Lean and how to maintain it.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

LEAN
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

SIX SIGMA

- Six Sigma is more data driven and analytical. The more data you have available at the start and throughout Six
Sigma projects, the more you will get out of the methodology.
- The focus of Six Sigma is on understanding the variations in a current process, and what can be done to reduce
that variation.
- If a process has a big deal of variation, this can lead to defects and errors, and can lead to a process being
unstable and incapable of delivering what it is supposed to (again, focus on process).
- When it comes to defects, the central aim of Six Sigma is to make a process effective with 99.99966% defect free (or 3.4
defects per million).
- This, in effect, means for every 1 million transactions, only 3.4 or less of them can be incorrect for the process to be classified
as Six Sigma. Perfect is often seen as 99%, so achieving this is an extremely hard feat.
- The aim is often to strive to get to as close to this level as possible, even if you never actually hit it.
- There is a structured problem-solving methodology – DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control). This approach
guides you seamlessly through from identifying the current state through to delivering the new and improved state.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

SIX SIGMA

Define Measure Analyze Improve Control

- Project Charter. - Map out the process. - Establish process - Develop potential - Control Plan.
- Project Plan. - Data Collection Plan. Sigma. solutions. - Control measures.
- Stakeholder - Data collection. - Root cause analysis. - Solution selection. - Control charts.
analysis. - Identify the key Ys. - Identify key Xs. - Pilot test. - Documentation
- Communication - MSA. - Control Impact Matrix. - Implementation update.
Plan. - Check process - Analyze the process. Plan. - Benefits realization.
- SIPOC mapping. stability & capability. - Gap analysis. - Implement solution. - Close project.
- VOC capture. - Map new process.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

- Total Quality Management was developed by William Deming, a man who was very involved in the development
of the Quality mindset whose work had a great impact on Japanese manufacturing.
- At definition level, it can be defined as – “The continual process of detecting and eliminating errors, streamlining supply chains,
improving customer experience, and ensuring employees have the right knowledge and skills to conduct their work.”
- Total Quality Management (TQM) is an ongoing process of detecting and reducing or eliminating errors.
- It is used to streamline supply chain management, improve customer service, and ensure that employees are trained.
- The focus is to improve the quality of an organization's outputs, including goods and services, through the continual improvement
of internal practices.
- Total Quality Management aims to hold all parties involved in the production process accountable for the overall quality of the
final product or service.
- Even though they are similar, Total Quality Management focuses on ensuring that internal guidelines and process standards
reduce errors, while Six Sigma looks to reduce defects.

The key aim? How are they set? What are industry standards?
Improve the quality of your outputs, The standards to meet are reflective of both They can be legally required, laws set around
including products and services through a internal priorities and industry standards quality and production. They can also be the
continual improvement of practices. more broadly and more generally. “norm”, an expectation for quality.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Customer focused Employee involvement Process-centered Integrated systems

Strategic approach Continual improvement Fact-based decisions Communications

- To aid in the success of your TQM journey, placing the process at the heart of your work alongside the other principles is key.
- The process is what generates the product or services to go to your customers or are the fundamental building blocks of your
internal workings.
- When working through the TQM approach, you will find yourself:

• Building out process flowcharts

• TQM diagrams
• Visual action plans
• Documented workflows.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS
- Theory of Constraints is a practical methodology that is often associated with the world of continuous improvement.
- It is an approach which seeks to reduce errors, defects, problems and issues to ensure processes can flow unabated
and products can get to customers unimpeded.
- This approach is different however, in that it doesn’t seek to change and improve everything at once. Instead, it
focuses on the limiting factors present, one at a time.
- It works in the following way:

1) Identify the most important limiting factor (i.e. constraint) that is stopping you from achieving your goal (work, product etc.)
2) Focus solely on this limiting factor by systematically improving this constraint until it is no longer a limiting factor.

- ToC thinking states – “every process has a single constraint and total process throughput can only be improved when the constraint
is improved”. Therefore, this work is not a one off, it is continuous.
- The thinking also highlights that often in improvement work, people focus on improving all steps, activities and parts of the process
and product, even if they are not currently a limiting factor causing a problem.
- The effort with ToC is to focus on the one limiting factor of the day, improving it over and over until it is no longer a limiting factor.
Only then can we move on to the next limiting factor, and so the process repeats continuously.

- ToC hypothesizes that every complex system or ecosystem of processes contain multiple linked activities, overlapping workflows,
teams, individuals and requirements. Given the level of complexity often seen, of course there will be bottlenecks appearing which
needs to be worked on, continuously.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS
- One of the key terms used within the ToC methodology is “bottleneck”.
- Indeed, many of the “constraints” seen and worked through as part of ToC can be deemed “bottlenecks”.
- The official definition of the bottleneck in this setting is: “That which has impeded the free flowing of work, goods or information
through a process. This has caused a narrowing of the workflow, leading to a constraint in completing the work as expected”.

- The aim of ToC is to remove this bottleneck, widening the flow and enabling work, information, data etc. to flow through the process as
expected and as happened before the bottleneck appears.
- These bottlenecks can lead to rework, backlogs of work, delays etc.

- The workflow should end up looking like this – step by step, activity by activity. The flow
is uninterrupted.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

PLAN DO CHECK ACT (PDCA)

- Also known as PDCA, PDSA, Deming Wheel or the Shewhart Cycle.

- PDCA is a simple approach to business improvement that is often tied to continuous improvement,
when delivered on a continuous nature.
- Its cycle structure is designed specifically to enable it to be done again, and again, and again –
continually and for an unlimited amount of time (or limited, if needed).

- The premise behind the approach is:

• You identify that there is a NEED for a PDCA (i.e. a problem that needs fixing, something needs improving).
• You design / identify what the solution to this need is.
• You pilot test this on a small scale.
• You review the results of the pilot.
• The results help inform you as to whether or not you are going to take the solution forward, amend it or find another.

- At its most simple, that is PDCA – a relatively quick way for you to understand your options and make more informed decisions,
based on the data you produce.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

PLAN DO CHECK ACT

Now tested and amended, your improved business process To plan, you can spend time working out what process is in
can be deployed in full. Here, you will work with the team to scope, why, what you want to change and how.
ensure the smooth transition of the process from design to With how, this will require a full end to end plan for how the
deployment. You will ensure you have put in controls which process is going to be improved and how the project is going
make the process retain its simplicity today and for the longer to work.
term. Here, ensuring aims, goals and desired outcomes are clearly
The controls will need to be robust to ensure the process defined, all in line with the changes the process
does not become wasteful once more. needs to see, as well as the benefits of taking this
approach.

Now the testing is done, you need to check the data. When doing, you are delivering your plan in full.
Here you want to see whether the approach you took This requires you to hold process mapping
was indeed the right one, whether you need to make any workshops (both current & future state). You will
amendments to the approach and change the new process. also identify issues and problems within your process and
This will tell you how far the simplification of your business think about ways to rectify and remove these permanently. At
process can go. the end of this stage, you will then have to test the new
process. This will involve some sort of pilot test or sample
testing to see how the new process runs compared to the old.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
- Continuous improvement can be seen, defined and described in a number of ways. Some of these definitions are right on. Others,
maybe less so.
- At a definition level, continuous improvement is the ongoing improvement of products, services or processes through incremental
and breakthrough improvements.
- Notice the stress on the word ongoing. Continuous improvement is not a one-off activity – it is something you should be looking
to conduct yesterday, today and tomorrow – on an ongoing, continual basis.
- You can improve, as mentioned, products, services and processes, with one of the main reasons for this to improve the output of
your organizational activities – so potentially your services and products.
- You can deliver continuous improvement through projects, initiatives, programmes, training – even BAU practices (daily huddles,
delivering tools regularly, mindset etc.)
- Continuous improvement can be seen as a methodology, an approach and a mindset.
- Therefore, when it comes to continuous improvement, you need to ensure your corporate culture is ready / right. It needs to be
open, transparent, dynamic, open to and welcoming of change, innovative and above all else – NOT siloed.

MUDA MURA MURI

Known as wastefulness. This activity looks at Known as unevenness. This activity looks at Known as overburden. This activity looks at
those practices within an operation which those practices within an operation which those practices within an operation which
consume resources but don’t add value to overproduce. They produce an excess of cause too much strain within a process.
the wider process. An example would be good and services, leaving behind waste. Examples could include overworked
checking data – takes up time, adds no value. Examples would include too much product. employees and worn-out machinery.
 Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

Kaizen events
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT These can also be seen as workshops or
continuous improvement initiatives. They are
targeted, delivered quickly and are highly
Setting targets effective. They take CI tools and thinking to
This can include KPIs, SLAs, individual, team and deliver improvements that can be delivered again
companywide targets. Setting these can both and again and again, constantly improving.
enable and promote the use of a continuous
improvement approach – always striving to
achieve and excel targets.
Training
Upskilling your teams in continuous
improvement methodologies, tools and
approaches is a great way to instil CI in
your business. This will have a ripple effect
across the business and is a great way to
instil CI into the culture, tying this in with
Projects & initiatives targets (personal).
Running projects continually can see
wider business processes improving,
continually. The “feel” of the
organization will be one of always
being in a state of improvement, Regular activities
delivering BAU alongside project When speaking with individuals within the team, set an
work. activity related to improvement (find a way to reduce X
from the process). In daily huddles, identify the challenges
faced and get people on to them – divvy out the work. This
also helps the culture of the business shift.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

Business Process Management

- Business process management is by far the closest to traditional process improvement a

methodology can be.
- This methodology is the act of analyzing how a process is performing and seeking the right
solutions to address any issues, delivering them as part of this work.
- It is an end-to-end approach which looks at what the data is telling you, requires conversations
with team members, seeks to identify challenges, identify solutions etc. It is all encompassing.
- The main reason for this approach is because of the nature of processes within an organization.
- Overtime, as companies grow, teams evolve and the demands of customers change, processes remain static, fit for the purpose
they were originally designed for.
- This leads to many of the problems we see – processes not growing with the business. New systems being deployed into old
processes not reformed to absorb these changes.
- BPM (as it is commonly referred to) focuses on:
- The identifying and removal of bottlenecks.
- Ways to automate manual work.
- Strategies to make processes more efficient and productive.
- To do this, there is a 5-step process commonly followed.
Process improvement methodologies
PI: The how

BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT

ANALYZE MODEL IMPLEMENT MONITOR OPTIMIZE

Map out the current Map out what you Roll out your new Check your delivered As the new process
state of your want the process to process. This will process and its embeds and the clock
processes (process look like next. The involve performance against ticks forward, ensure
mapping). process will be the communicating with any criteria you set at the process is working
Analyze them from ideal process, with all those who work with the start. Have you as expected, at all
end to end, issues and inefficiencies the process, testing met your objectives? times. As expectations
identifying issues, removed. Identify here any changes, Continue to monitor evolve, optimize and
challenges and any solutions needed producing required its performance, evolve the process
opportunities. Record to remove waste and documentation, ironing out any issues along with these,
all of this information. stop issues. delivering training etc. along the way (CI). continually improving.
The process to deploy improvements
PI: The how

PI: The how

- Process improvement methodologies.

- The process to deploy improvements.
- Considerations for deployment.
- Process improvement technique 3.
The process to deploy improvements
PI: The how

• The process to deploy process improvement can come in many forms, can be end-to-end and exhaustive and can be delivered bit by
bit, step by step, section by section.
• As we have just seen with the methodologies, there are a range of ways to do process improvement.
• However, IF you are delivering an end-to-end process improvement project, are seeking to deliver sizeable process changes and want
to follow a well thought out and well-trodden approach, over the following slides we will cover off an 8-stage approach that you can
always call upon to help you deliver process improvements.

First stage – Define

We will use this time to define the current situation. This will involve:
Analyzing current datasets to understand any trends in the problems faced.
Interviewing team members to understand their perspective and experiences.
Interviewing end users of the process outputs to understand their experiences.

We will leave this stage crystal clear on the problems, the experiences and the processes in scope.
The process to deploy improvements
PI: The how

Second stage – Plan

We will use this time to plan out what needs to be done in this initiative. This will involve:
Identify any additional activities that need to be completed outside of this list.
Plotting all activities in an initiative plan.
Assigning the tasks to owners, scheduling the timeframe and scheduling updates.

We will leave this stage with a clear plan of what needs to be done, when and by whom.

Third stage – Map

We will use this time map out the current problems the team are facing. This will involve:
Mapping the current state processes via process mapping workshops.
Identifying on the maps where the problems are occurring.
Making the data we have graphical and visual.

We will leave this stage with a clear visual on all in scope processes, problems and data.
The process to deploy improvements
PI: The how

Fourth stage – Analysis

We will use this time to understand why the problems are occurring. This will involve:
Root cause analysis workshops to understand the why behind the problems.
Understand the potential causes and land on the actual causes.
Improvement workshops to identify waste within the processes.
Gap analysis of current state processes compared with potential future state processes.

We will leave this stage knowing exactly why the problems have been occurring, armed with a list of causes and
knowledge of what waste exists, where and the potential to remove it.

Fifth stage – Improvement

We will use this time to identify the solutions and changes needed. This will involve:
A workshop to identify all potential improvements to address waste and productivity.
A workshop to identify all potential solutions to be deployed to address problems.
A mapping workshop to plot all potential solutions and improvements to maps.
Work through the maps to transfer potential to actual that will be deployed.

We will leave this stage knowing exactly the changes and improvements to be delivered and which ones have been
parked for now.
The process to deploy improvements
PI: The how

Sixth stage – Preparation

We will use this time to get the processes and teams ready for go LIVE. This will involve:
Test the improvements and solutions using dummy data and scenarios.
Pilot testing the changes using a small sample size.
Plan for the full go LIVE of the changes, including an implementation plan.

We will leave this stage with full confidence that the changes and improvements are the correct ones and will land
well on day 1 of go LIVE.

Seventh stage – Deployment

We will use this time to deploy the solutions and changes needed. This stage may take some time, depending on the
types of improvement. This will involve:
Deploying the changes as per the implementation plan built in stage 6.
Building new process maps to identify the new processes.
Communicating out the changes to all.

We will leave this stage with all improvements and changes deployed and the new situation LIVE.
The process to deploy improvements
PI: The how

Eighth stage – Control

We will use this time to ensure the changes deployed will last. This will involve:
Adding the right controls into the amended processes (if not already done).
Set up the tracking / control charts to analyze long term performance data.
Compare the performance of the new processes with original baseline data.
Communicate out benefits realization.

We will leave this stage with the process improvement initiative now completed and closed with full
confidence the changes we have made will last the test of time.
Considerations for deployment
PI: The how

PI: The how

- Process improvement methodologies.

- The process to deploy improvements.
- Considerations for deployment.
- Process improvement technique 3.
Considerations for deployment
PI: The how

• When it comes to deploying process improvements and changes, you need to take into consideration a range of different factors,
characteristics, players etc.
• It is not as simple as just making a change and walking away (as many often do), but there are wider considerations at play, individuals
to be consulted, communication styles to be discussed.
• Here we will look through a range of considerations to make sure when you are delivering your process changes, you are considering
all aspects of the work being conducted and the impacts.

• Ensure you are always engaging with those in the know. These will be deemed as
PEOPLE “SMEs” – subject matter experts – who will be able to support the work at all times.
• Understand the best way to communicate with those who need to be in the know.
CONSIDERATIONS • Identify those who want to be directly involved with the improvement work early,
whether discovery workshops or delivery of changes.
• Identify those who may have experience or qualifications in this space, those that
have done it before or who are really passionate about making improvements.
• Consider different people will respond to changes differently, depending on length of
service, personality type, impact on their role etc.
• People can be unpredictable, so when planning out your project / work, ensure you
conduct some stakeholder analysis work / mapping.
• When mapping your processes, identify clearly who is involved in the process. Don’t
put their actual names, as people lead, and therefore maps become redundant.
Considerations for deployment
PI: The how

• Be mindful of the wider ecosystem within which the process operates. There could be a number
PROCESS of external forces that impact the process in various ways you need to consider.
CONSIDERATIONS • Be mindful of the wider process / set of processes within which the process you are working on
exists. One simple change in your process could have a BIG impact on wider processes.
• Equally, there are a range of factors seen with the surrounding processes which could be
impacting your process, and therefore to improve your process they need to be in scope.
• Get it all right. Whether the mapping of the current state, the analysis of current issues and
opportunities, the building of the future state – all must be correct in order to deliver change.
• Solutions and newly amended processes will need testing – this way, problems and snags can be
ironed out quickly.
• Never assume! Never assume something happens one way, that all behave in the same way etc.

COMPANY •
•
Be mindful of other projects and initiatives ongoing in the wider business at this time.
Speak more widely across the business to understand what other changes may be ongoing. This
CONSIDERATIONS will help you to ensure you can resource the work correctly / don’t impact others negatively.
• Be considerate of the wider organizational strategy. Make sure the changes you make for the
today and longer term are done with company goals and future wants firmly in mind.
• If you have someone who oversees the wider organization from a projects / programs position,
add them into your project team / regular updates circulation (if the work is substantial).
• Consult on resourcing well ahead of time, and assess any resource plans you have. This will
help people keep their diaries clear for the work (workshops) but also help you to determine
early on if you need to bring in outside resource.
Process improvement technique 3
PI: The how

PI: The how

- Process improvement methodologies.

- The process to deploy improvements.
- Considerations for deployment.
- Process improvement technique 3.
Process improvement technique 3
PI: The how

VALUE VS. NON-VALUE ADD

• When looking at your processes (whether through discussion or through maps) it is important to identify where the value
within your process lies, and where there is waste.
• This waste is often referred to as non-value adding. Those activities that do not add value to the process, and therefore, if
possible, should be removed from the process altogether.
• With most process improvement work, the identification of value and non-value adding work is one of the first steps post the
mapping of a process, where value is marked in green and non-value add in red.
• This requires a discussion with and amongst the SMEs for them to agree on which steps ultimately do not add value.
• The idea here is to identify these steps, remove them from the process, and test to see whether the process could continue to
operate as expected without them. This is often how you can get to your future state process map.

Value add Non-value add Non-value add but necessary

Any step, decision or activity which makes a Any step, decision or activity which makes a Any step, decision or activity which makes no
positive change to the product, service or negative or no change to the product, service change to the product, service or output. That
output. That which the customer values and or output. That which the customer does not which the customer does not value and would
would be willing to pay for. value and would not be willing to pay for. not be willing to pay for BUT is required from a
legal, compliance or governance perspective.
Process improvement technique 3
PI: The how

Value add Non-Value add Non-Value add but necessary

• Delivery of a training course • Peer reviewing data • Send tax data to tax office
• Unique features on a product (specific • Checking the quality of a • Sign off finance transaction
colour phone) product • HR confirm job requisition
• Offering a service in different • Adding orders to logs • Move project through
languages • Reporting on performance governance tollgates
• A traveller’s suitcase gaining wheels • Broken item upon arrival • Populating medical number of
• Creating a dashboard of data for the a form
client
Process improvement technique 3
PI: The how

Value add Non-Value add Non-Value add but necessary

• … • … • …
• … • … • …
• … • … • …
• … • … • …
• … • … • …
What are the triggers for improvement?
PI: The when

PI: The when

- What are the triggers for improvement?

- When is a process ripe for change?
- When best to conduct change?
- Process improvement technique 4.
What are the triggers for improvement?
PI: The when

• When it comes to pursuing process improvement, there can either be a NEED or a WANT which triggers off the pursuit.
• To understand these instances better, we can split them by the motivator – there is a need and there is a want.

NEED WANT
• There is an ongoing program of change and improvement. • You want to test how much capacity your processes have.
• Leadership have demanded it. • You want to free up time anywhere possible.
• Something has been going wrong in the process. • You want to keep brand awareness strong.
• Process is taking longer than usual. • You want to keep customers happy.
• Process delays are impacting customer satisfaction. • You want to test route to market potential speed.
• The business is under pressure to cut the cost of doing business. • Colleagues want to improve their working conditions.
• The business is under pressure to cut the time of doing business. • Customers want to see if they are getting value.
• More time is needed to address errors & issues.
• The process needs reform before a change (new system,
automation etc.)

• You can also consider the split between one off simplification and continuous.
• One off simplification is often focused around a process improvement initiative – seeking specific simplification within a process.
• Continuous simplification argues that efforts should always be made to make processes simpler, more efficient and more effective.
What are the triggers for improvement?
PI: The when

• When it comes to the trigger, the way in which you approach this will depend on whether it is a need or a want.
• Just as the motivators are different, so too will be the response to those triggers, so you need to be mindful about what they look like
so you can look out for them ahead of time.
• Below we will look at the need and want aspects again, but this time through a response lens.
NEED WANT
• Often requires you to act quickly. • Can be delivered over the longer term.
• Often requires a firefighting mentality. • Can be more proactive in nature.
• Often requires utilization of internal resources. • Can be spawn out of the culture “wanting” to see things
• Often requires a quick-fire meeting to agree approach. improved.
• Any business case pulled together will be prioritized for approval • Can see a resource plan asking for a mix of internal and external
/ amendments. resources to deliver the work.
• Often is done to sooth nerves, complaints and anxiety. • Can pull together a business case to be assessed.
• Can involve a temporary fix before the real fix comes. • Can be built into the wider business strategy, can reflect the
current strategy (be delivered in its name) or be delayed until
the next year business strategy.

• To conclude, it is important to remember that the trigger will often determine the approach taken.
• Therefore, it is important to be clear and up front at the start of your work when defining the process and the problem at hand why
you are taking this work on – what is the need or want and what will the outcome need to look like.
When is a process ripe for change?
PI: The when

PI: The when

- What are the triggers for improvement?

- When is a process ripe for change?
- When best to conduct change?
- Process improvement technique 4.
When is a process ripe for change?
PI: The when

• One assessment you can do early on in your process improvement work is to determine whether or not a process is “ripe” for
change.
• When we say “ripe” we are talking about a process that is very much in need of process improvement work. We know this work will
give us the biggest bang for our buck, and will have strong, positive effects across the business.
• The way in which you define a ripe process will be down to you, and will depend on your business type, the aims of the work,
whether you are looking to save money or time, reduce problems etc.
• To do this, you can run through a brief questionnaire relating to your process, setting certain criteria or characteristics and ask
whether or not they meet them. The more of them they meet, the more likely it is the process is “ripe” for improvement.
• Characteristics here can include:
• Process is taking longer than it once was.
• The process has not been reviewed / reformed in more than 5 years.
• Complaints around the output of the process have been rising.
• The number of issues / defects coming from this process are higher than before.
• Satisfaction with the process has fallen.
• Colleague turnover is linked directly to the process.

• In effect, the way in which you frame these characteristics is skewed towards – if the process meets these (taking longer time wise,
linked to complaints etc.) then it is time to do something about this process.
• That is because processes which may have none of these issues may also be good options for improvement work, but more from a
want than a need basis.
• Let’s look at an example.
When is a process ripe for change?
PI: The when

Current process assessment questionnaire

Process name: Onboarding of New Joiners process

Detail: This process is controlled by the Recruitment & Onboarding Team who largely run the process, along with the New Joiners themselves. The process
is focused on the activities that New Joiners and invested internal parties need to complete before a New Joiner onboarding can be deemed as complete.
This includes a range of checks, setting up of profiles and providing of documentation and information on both sides.

Characteristic Yes / No Commentary

Process taking longer to complete YES 6 months ago, average time to complete was 10 business days, now it is 15 business days
During team meetings and 1:1s, internal teams are complaining. New Joiners are also
Process leading to complaints YES calling TA in higher numbers querying the process
Process leading to errors NO Outside of mistakes made by New Joiner, no uptick in errors seen

Process has multiple (unnecessary) hand offs YES Initial light touch mapping indicates a lot of hand offs throughout the process
Both guidance for New Joiners and for internal team members is not clear in terms of
Guidance not clear YES
what they should be doing, how and when
Process includes a lot of waiting time YES Actual handling time (work completed) is 3 days vs. 15 days to complete the process

• Given that 5 of the 6 characteristics were met AND there was concern without addressing the process waste would continue to
build, times would continue to get larger and staff busier, this increased the risk of errors occurring more frequently.
• If you want, you can have a scoring system 1-5 instead of Yes/No. You can also amend your characteristics based on what your
leaders want to measure against.
When is a process ripe for change?
PI: The when

Current process assessment questionnaire – GIVE IT A TRY!

Process name: …
Detail: …

Characteristic Yes / No Commentary

When best to conduct the change?
PI: The when

PI: The when

- What are the triggers for improvement?

- When is a process ripe for change?
- When best to conduct change?
- Process improvement technique 4.
When best to conduct the change?
PI: The when

When the process is well defined: You must ensure you are
clear on exactly what process in scope for this work. A clear
definition will lead to a clear solution, right for this process.
Equally, you can also define clearly what is NOT in scope as When the problem / opportunity is well defined: You
a way of avoiding scope creep. must also be clear why the process is in scope for
improvement. What issues are plaguing it? What waste
needs to be removed? Where are there opportunities to
When the team is ready: Whether setting up a specific increase the value adding nature of the process?
team or bringing together SMEs, the team needs to be
ready for the work. This includes being fully briefed,
knowing what coming and is expected of them (workshops, Before the issue becomes too pressing: IF possible, try
analysis, delivery etc.) and getting times and dates into and be proactive with your process improvements. Embed
their diaries. the mindset into the culture of the organization and
individual teams, encouraging them to improve along the
way, fix immediately and put controls in place to avoid any
When time & resources allow: If you find yourself with
issues arising in the first place.
additional resource, more downtime than expected or a
tick down in work, use this time wisely. If the business has a
good year, brings in more revenue than anticipated or hits As soon as you have what you need: Once the processes
its targets, use this additional capacity wisely. It is always are mapped get going, before they become out of date.
better to fix the roof whilst the sun is shining. Once the data is collected act on their findings, before
they become out of date.
Process improvement technique 4
PI: The when

PI: The when

- What are the triggers for improvement?

- When is a process ripe for change?
- When best to conduct change?
- Process improvement technique 4.
Process improvement technique 4
PI: The when

THE WORKSHOP
• One of the most commonly deployed and required tools within process improvement is the workshop. This refers to any time
a group of people are brought together for a common purpose and to generate a shared output.
• Workshops are traditionally called to generate something – whether that be a process map, knowledge transfer, a list of
solutions, identification of the root cause of a problem etc.
• It is about bringing together those in the know (often referred to as SMEs) to have them impart their knowledge.
• They will provide insight into the process, how it works, the small intricate details not seen on a process map. They will discuss
the problems, the issues, the bottlenecks, the concerns, the potential improvements etc.
• Workshops are commonly used in process improvement work throughout – whether it is mapping the process at the start,
conducting analysis during or seeking to find solutions nearer towards the end.
• They hold such value in the world of process improvement, but there is a standard and a good way to conduct them. Following
that standard is important to ensure you get the most out of your workshops.
Process improvement technique 4
PI: The when

• Plan well for the workshop. • Ensure ground rules for the workshops
• Ensure a detailed agenda is included in are set before and during.
any calendar invite. • These include allowing everyone to
• Ensure a detailed communication is sent speak, being respectful, keeping the aim
ahead of time (usually 2 weeks). in mind at all times plus the process etc.
• In that comms, state the aim, the • Ensure everyone is aware of the
purpose, the approach, the structure etc. expectations on them and ask this early.
Prepare thoroughly Set the scene well
• Plan the logistics of the workshop, the • State timings, how long each section will
attendees, the Facilitator etc. take, not going down rabbit holes etc.

• Identify who needs to be in the • Ensure the Facilitator gives everyone the
workshop as early as possible. opportunity to speak and share.
• This includes speaking with Managers, • Those that begin talking about non-
sending out a call to join notice etc. related items are to be brought back.
• Define clearly what knowledge the SMEs • Use phrases like “let’s take that offline”
in the workshop need to have. or “I have recorded that concern”.
Identify the right • Ensure the people involved are Control the discussion• Support people in sharing knowledge of
SMEs confident, want to impart their how to map, how to solution for etc.
knowledge and are excited for the work. • Make sure the aims are met throughout.
Reasons to pursue improvements
PI: The why

PI: The why

- Reasons to pursue improvements.

- The benefits & desired outputs.
- Process improvement technique 5.
Reasons to pursue improvements
PI: The why

- Process improvement can be deployed in many ways, for many reasons and with many outcomes.
- However, the importance of the why behind process improvement remains consistent.
- Process improvement is important for the following reasons:

It keeps organizations fresh. By It can accommodate growth. By removing

continually improving processes in waste from processes regularly and seeking
an organization, the company can to keep them lean, process improvement
remain agile and innovative as the ensures that as organizations grow they do
organization evolves and grows. not get bloated and slow down.

Morale boost for staff. Employees like

working in environments where the
It reduces cost. This can be current and future work they’re doing is adding value,
cost. If you have lean enough processes, you processes are effective, and productivity
can often have less staff. It also means as you is high. This can vastly reduce turnover.
grow you may not necessarily have to hire
new people each time.
Good employee development. Being able to
identify and reduce waste consistently is a good
skill for employees of a business to have. They
can deploy this mind-set to many areas of the
business.

- Process improvement has many benefits to list, but keeping an organization lean, agile and effective should always be the central aim.
 Reasons to pursue improvements
PI: The why

Changing entry points can

relieve pressure on the process Changing who has responsibility and what Redesigning parts of the process can
and better distribute workloads accountabilities people have can save time, align help ensure it reflects the needs and
Removing certain process steps roles better with skills and create more certainty demands of customers you have today
can speed up the process,
reducing time waste and waiting

Automating work from the process can Reforming certain process steps can help Amending the outputs of your process and
vastly reduce manual intervention, risk improve the flow, reducing the chance of where they go can lead to a working back
and the need for hiring bottlenecks and rework loops through the process – simpler delivery requires
simpler delivery process

• Fundamentally, the reason to pursue process improvement is to give your teams scope to do better, more high-quality work. It is to give them the
time and space to do this, improving customer experience and satisfaction. It is about removing that which no longer fits, making space for more
innovative approaches, better systems and more productive techniques like automation.
• You improve to grow, you improve to perform better, and you improve to deliver above and beyond expectations for all involved parties.
The benefits & desired outputs
PI: The why

PI: The why

- Reasons to pursue improvements.

- The benefits & desired outputs.
- Process improvement technique 5.
The benefits & desired outputs
PI: The why

- In terms of the benefits of process improvement, these are innumerable and, if deployed correctly, there are no drawbacks.
- Process improvement can lead to improvements in targeted areas, increases in satisfaction, decreases in errors, issues and defects.
- It can have a long-term lasting impact, even if the aim was short term initially.
- It can instil confidence in the business from the perspective of the client, the colleague and the wider market.
- When looking to sell the benefits of the work you are proposing, here are some key ones to use:

Improved efficiency Reduced waste Better turnaround times No need to hire

Improved effectiveness Reduced errors Better capacity No issues caused

Improved quality Reduced complaints Better workflow No poor team culture

Improved output Reduced costs Better systems No employee burnout

Improved responsiveness Reduced wait time Better working practices No backlogs of work

Improved productivity Reduced staff turnover Better transparency No complicated decisions

Process improvement technique 5
PI: The why

PI: The why

- Reasons to pursue improvements.

- The benefits & desired outputs.
- Process improvement technique 5.
Process improvement technique 5
PI: The why

5 WHYS DIAGRAM
• The 5 Whys Diagram is a common tool used throughout process improvement. When it comes to delivering process
improvement, it is often used at the analysis stage to try and garner additional information.
• The tool sits within the world of root cause analysis and is a way for you to identify a problem, deep dive into the causes of
that problem, and ultimately identify what the final actual cause it.
• It also enables you to identify a solution or a way forward to help address your problem once and for all.
• At its core, the tool asks why. It starts with what has happened, and then asks for the cause of this problem. It then asks why
that cause happened, and then asks why again, and again, and again, until you can ask why no more. Once you get to that
point, you know you have found your ultimate cause.
• It is commonly used within process improvement because it gives you information that you can ultimately use to make
decisions.
• These decisions include fixes for each of the causes identified, changes to the process to support the removal of the cause and
the problem, using the final suggestion for improvement given at the end of the tool.
• It is a methodical, no stone left unturned approach which can be used on all of your process issues, defects and errors and can
ultimately help you to unblock your workflow.
Process improvement technique 5
PI: The why

Define the problem

The average number of cases being handled per day by the Agents in the team is 10,
whereas the target is for 15 to be handled per day.

Why is this happenening?

Agents are not receiving the daily volume of cases they once were.

Why is that?
The team before them in the process is not sending as many new cases through.

Why is that?
That team are having to wait for Finance to review and sign off cases to move forward.

Why is that?
A new Finance Manager has brought in a rule from their previous organization.

Why is that?
To try and stop cases with missing / incorrect information hitting the queue.

What action now needs to be taken?

Immediately, review this process step to question whether or not it is needed, what the purpose of it is and what was happening before. Then, identify its effectiveness at doing
what it set out to in the first place. Finally, significantly reduce new cases with incorrect or missing information by providing much stronger guidance at submission stage.
Process improvement technique 5
PI: The why

Define the problem

Why is this happenening?

…

Why is that?
…

Why is that?
…

Why is that?
…

Why is that?
…

What action now needs to be taken?

…
Overview
Demonstrations

Demonstrations

- Overview.
- Demonstration 1.
- Demonstration 2.
- Demonstration 3.
 Overview
Demonstrations

• In this section of the course, I am going to hand over largely to you, and dial up the interactivity here.
• I am going to show you 3 different processes, presented in different ways. These processes are all deemed “current state”
processes.
• With that, they all have challenges, waste, could all be delivered in better ways – they all have opportunities for improvement.
• Based on what you have learned in this course, and using your own gut feeling, intuition and understanding of process change,
I want you to think about how you would change, improve and reform these processes.
• This will require you to look through the processes, analyzing the steps, hand offs and those involved, identifying where you
can find challenges and opportunities, and thinking about how you would like to change the process.
• You can either right this down or amend the maps yourself (each process map is attached to the relevant lecture).
• Post running through the process, I will run through what I would have done from a process improvement perspective.

Demonstration 1 Demonstration 2 Demonstration 3

Process: A simple payroll process Process: Customer Contact Centre process Process: Onboarding of New Joiner process
Activity: Activity: Activity:
• Identify and label the type of 8 waste you • Identify where there are challenges / • Analyze the process to identify where
are seeing (there are several instances) pain points there is waste & areas of concern
• Identify the impact of such waste • Identify what you would do to change • Identify what you would remove /
• What you would potentially do to solve these reduce and how this would look
this. • Identify what the new process would • Identify opportunities for automation
look like post improvement. to reduce manual work in the process.
Demonstration 1
Demonstrations

Demonstrations

- Overview.
Demonstration 1
- Demonstration 1.
- Demonstration 2.
Process: A simple payroll process
- Demonstration 3.
Activity:
• Identify and label the type of 8 waste you
are seeing (there are several instances)
• Identify the impact of such waste
• What you would potentially do to solve
this.
Demonstration 1
Demonstrations

Create
Review the Changes Y Initiate
master Make changes
Payroll

needed?
data payment
data
N
Send to Benefit
Analyst
Benefits

Confirm data
Check the data Send to Finance
checked
Finance

Check the data Await sign off

Lead

Sign off data

Colleague

Receive
payment
Demonstration 1
Demonstrations

Await sign off

Review the Sign off data

data

Waste type: Overprocessing Waste type: Waiting

This rework loop indicates the team are having to Check the data The activities that follow on from this, the initiation of
conduct activities and data again and again, running the payment, are consistently held up by this unnecessary sign
same reports / conducting the same reviews. off – especially if the data has been checked several times.
Impact: Time wasted, process delayed Check the data Impact: Delay to process
Solution: Automated creation of data to remove need Solution: Remove the need for sign off
for checking Waste type: Overprocessing
Reviewing the same data again and again but by different
people means the same information is repeatedly being
processed, for no real gain.
Impact: Time wasted Waste type: Skills
Create master
data Solution: All checks conducted within Payroll Team only Having several departments with varying skillsets checking
the same data in the same way several times is a waste of
Waste type: Defects time for individuals skilled in their fields.
IF this step leads to the above rework loop, it indicates the Impact: Frustration among staff, non-value adding work
production of this data has gone wrong. Therefore, there is Solution: All checks conduced within the Payroll Team
something wrong with the production process.
Impact: A rework loop is created, errors produced
Solution: Automate the process to reduce / remove errors
Demonstration 2
Demonstrations

Demonstrations

- Overview.
Demonstration 2
- Demonstration 1.
- Demonstration 2.
Process: Customer Contact Centre process
- Demonstration 3.
Activity:
• Identify where there are challenges /
pain points
• Identify what you would do to change
these
• Identify what the new process would
look like post improvement.
 Demonstration 2
Demonstrations

Call Option 1 Conduct Make payments End

Customer

Listen to menu chosen? automatically

centre automated checks call
2
Be transferred
to Agent

Conduct 3
Answer the call
security checks

Did they No End

pass? call
Yes
Agent

Conduct the Agree payment Take payment Arrange Conduct pre-

call terms details payment authorization

Ask
Agree next Retake payment Arrange Conduct pre- Confirm set up customer if No End
anything
payment terms details payment authorization with customer else call
Yes
Transfer
customer
 Demonstration 2
Demonstrations

Call Option 1 Conduct Make payments End

Customer

Listen to menu chosen? automatically

centre automated checks call
2
Be transferred Automate all checks to remove human checking at option 2.
to Agent If these are done at the same time as the transfer to agent, this
reduces wait time.

Conduct 3
Answer the call
security checks

Did they No End

pass? call All payments are arranged at one point, not multiple
Yes
Agent

Conduct the Agree payment Take payment Arrange Conduct pre-

Agree all payment terms at one point, not multiple call terms details payment authorization

Ask
Agree next Retake payment Arrange Conduct pre- Confirm set up customer if No End
anything
payment terms details payment authorization with customer else call
Yes
Offer guidance for online options next time
When payment details are taken, they are automatically stored with the Transfer
they call
customer
customer’s profile.
If they are an existing customer, their details are pulled from the system.
 Demonstration 2
Demonstrations

Checks
pass
Call Conduct Option 1 Make payments End
Customer

centre automated checks chosen? automatically call

Checks 2
failed
Be transferred
End to Agent
call

Conduct the Agree ALL Take payment Arrange ALL Conduct pre-
Answer the call
call payment terms details payments authorization
Agent

Ask
Confirm set up customer if No End
anything
with customer else call
Yes
Transfer
customer

- Automated ALL security checks. - ALL payment terms agreed at one point, not at several points.
- Moved security check to start of the process. - ALL payments arranged at one point, not at several points.
- Had security checks in one place. - Payment details taken once.
- Failed checks lead to automated call ending. - If account already exists, payment details automatically used.
- Guidance as part of automated call ending highlights online options. - Guidance of online alternatives given at transfer time.
- Automatic payment process now instant.
Demonstration 3
Demonstrations

Demonstrations

- Overview.
Demonstration 3 - Demonstration 1.
- Demonstration 2.
Process: Onboarding of New Joiner process - Demonstration 3.
Activity:
• Analyze the process to identify where
there is waste & areas of concern
• Identify what you would remove /
reduce and how this would look
• Identify opportunities for automation
to reduce manual work in the process.
Demonstration 3
Demonstrations
Demonstration 3
Demonstrations

From analyzing the process, we discovered a number of points important to raise:

• There was a lot of back and forth between HR and the New Joiner (7 times in total).
• Email was generally the only form of communication or system being used here.
• Wait time was being built in across the process, and progression of the process was largely dependent on the individual.
• There was little consistency around when documents were received and the condition in which they were received.
• There was an issue with notifications and deadlines, clear guidance on when documentation was required etc.

It is worth remembering at this stage to ask questions. When doing your analysis, question every part of the process.
Demonstration 3
Demonstrations

Looking at our Onboarding Process, we mapped what

we wanted the process to look like after any
automation. This included:

• No hand offs between departments / individuals

and the New Joiner.
• No hands offs between the individual departments
internally.
• All hands offs to come from or to the new
automated solution / software.
• A self-service option – New Joiner and departments
alike can obtain the documents they need from the
system.
• Notifications to be automated.
• Email traffic to be vastly reduced internally.
• Waiting time to be nearly eradicated, giving the
New Joiner more time.

Additionally, better information in the welcome packs,

more automated notifications to the New Joiner and
clearer deadlines were included in this process change.
Interactive exercise
Close out

Close out

- Interactive exercise
- Review of key learnings.
- Thank you.
 Interactive exercise
Close out

Methodology 1:
• Focuses on waste reduction.
• Focuses on streamlining.
• Focuses on the reduction of non-value adding and increase in value adding.
Theory of Constraints
Methodology 2:
• “The continual process of detecting and eliminating errors, streamlining
supply chains, improving customer experience, and ensuring employees
have the right knowledge and skills to conduct their work.”
Plan, Do, Check, Act
Methodology 3:
• An approach tied very much to continuous improvement.
• Focuses on a cycle approach.
• The aim is to deploy this approach again and again and again.
Lean
Methodology 4:
• Focuses on removing bottlenecks from the process.
• Focuses on defect and error reduction.
• Focuses on tackling what is holding your process back one item at a time.
Total Quality Management
Interactive exercise
Close out

Define P lan M ap A nalysis

Improvement P reperation D eployment C ontrol

Interactive exercise
Close out

?? Starting point

?? Hand off

?? Activity / step

?? Rework loop

?? Decision point

?? End point
Review of key learnings
Close out

Close out

- Interactive exercise
- Review of key learnings.
- Thank you.
Review of key learnings
Close out

• It is all about moving something from one state to another, with that shift taking it from a state that is not operating as effectively as
it could to one that is.
• It is about removing waste, making processes and the people who work within them more productive and efficient.
• It can be both a continual effort, something where you make amendments and improvements regularly. It can also be a one-off
exercise, where you conduct a review, deliver recommendations and work on them.
• Process improvement is about mapping out the full end to end of a process, identifying where it is going wrong or
where it could be improved and acting upon that.
• When it comes to the who, you can either have specialists who conduct the work requirement (process improvement
analysts, managers, specialists etc.) or you have can individuals conduct this work as part of their BAU.
• To aid you in your journey of process improvement, there are many methodologies you can utilize including: Lean, Six
Sigma, Total Quality Management, Theory of Constraints, Plan, Do, Check, Act, Continuous Improvement and Business
Process Management.
• When you decide to conduct process improvement work, you will be triggered to do so by either a want or a need.
Whichever form yours takes, you will have to plan for your process improvements accordingly.
• It will also be important for you to clearly state the why here, to ensure you get buy in early and from those you require
it from.
• To improve your processes, you want to be identifying waste and removing it. You want to be identifying those non-
value adding activities and reforming them, giving them greater value. You want to be automating, changing systems,
improving accountability and responsibility. You want to be taking something from one state to a better, more capable
and stable future state, and delivering on that.
Thank you
Close out

Close out

- Review of key learnings.

- Hints & tips.
- Thank you.
Fundamentals of Process
Improvement