Unlike other books that promote a specific process and performance improvement discipline, this book shows organizations how to achieve success by fixing basic operational issues and problems using a broad and wide-sweeping process-based toolkit. In addition, it helps individuals who have worked in stale- or siloed-thinking enterprises make the tra
Baffled by repeated mistakes in your department? Want to focus your employees' limited time on more valuable work? The answer to these challenges and more is business process improvement (BPI). Every process in every organization can be made more effective, cost-efficient, and adaptable to changing business needs. The good news is you don't need to be a BPM expert to get great results. Written by an experienced process analyst, this how-to guide presents a simple, bottom-line approach to process improvement work. With its proven 10-step method you can: Identify and prioritize the processes that need fixing * Eliminate duplication and bureaucracy * Control costs * Establish internal controls to reduce human error * Test and rework the process before introducing it * Implement the changes Now in its second edition, The Power of Business Process Improvement is even more user-friendly with new software suggestions, quizzes, a comparison of industry improvement methods, and examples to help you apply the ideas. Whether you are new to BPI or a seasoned pro, you will have business running better in no time.
At last, a simple, well-written survey of process redesign that will help you transform your organization into a world-class competitor. Author Dan Madison explains the evolution of work management styles, from traditional to process-focused, and introduces the tools of process mapping, the roles and responsibilities of everyone in the organization, and a logical ten-step redesign methodology. Thirty-eight design principles allow readers to custom-fit the methodology to the particular challenges within their own organizations. Additional chapters by guest writers Jerry Talley, Ph.D., and Vic Walling, Ph.D., discuss cross-department process management and using computer simulation in redesign, respectively. (Publisher)
The bestselling first edition of this influential resource has been incorporated into the curriculum at forward thinking colleges and universities, a leading vocational technical institute, many in-house corporate continuous improvement approaches, and the United Nations’ headquarters. Providing a complete and accessible introduction to process maps, The Basics of Process Mapping, Second Edition raises the bar on what constitutes the basics. Thoroughly revised and updated to keep pace with recent developments, it explains how relationship maps, cross-functional process maps (swimlane diagrams), and flowcharts can be used as a set to provide different views of work. New in the Second Edition: Four new chapters and 75 new graphics An introduction to the concepts of flow and waste and how both appear in knowledge work or business processes A set of measures for flow and waste A discussion of problematic features of knowledge work and business processes that act as barriers to flow Seven principles* and 29 guidelines for improving the flow of knowledge work A detailed (actual) case study that shows how one organization applied the principles and guidelines to reduce lead time from an average of 28 days to 4 days Unlike "tool books" or "pocket guides" that focus on discrete tools in isolation, this text use a single comprehensive service work example that integrates all three maps, and illustrates the insights they provide when applied as a set. It contains how to procedures for creating each type of map, and includes clear-cut guidance for determining when each type of map is most appropriate. The well-rounded understanding provided in these pages will allow readers to effectively apply all three types of maps to make work visible at the organization, process, and job/performer levels. *The Seven principles are integrated into Version 3 of the body of knowledge used for Lean certification by the ASQ/AME/SME/SHINGO Lean Alliance. This is the first publication of those principles and guidelines.
This book provides business professionals with the clearest, easiest roadmap to achieving highly effective departments and organizations. Are you baffled by how your department can keep making the same mistakes? Do you feel you have been climbing an unending, uphill battle trying to focus your employees’ limited time on more valuable work? These obstacles are so common in business that the solution to getting past them even has a name--business process improvement (BPI). Thankfully, though, you don’t have to be a BPI expert to resolve these situations and find the results your business needs to find success again. Written by experienced process analyst Susan Page, The Power of Business Process Improvement is the resource you need to find a simple, bottom-line approach to process improvement work. By implementing its proven 10-step method, you will be able to: Eliminate duplication and bureaucracy Control costs Establish internal controls to reduce human error Test and rework the process before introducing it Implement the changes Complete with software suggestions, quizzes, a comparison of industry improvement methods, and examples to help you apply the ideas, The Power of Business Process Improvement is your solution to turning your business into the well-oiled machine you know it can be.
The Definitive Guide to Process Improvement & Operational Excellence. This complete body of knowledge for process improvement professionals provides an easy-to-understand foundation for process maturity capability in any company. Gold Medal Winner of the 2015 Axiom Book Award for best business theory book! The Process Improvement Handbook: A Blueprint for Managing Change and Increasing Organizational Performance introduces an all-encompassing body of knowledge for anyone looking to improve their operating environment. It presents a practical way to build and improve processes, and can assist professionals whether they are learning the basics of Process Improvement, planning their first improvement project, or evangelizing process oriented thinking throughout their organization. All of the concepts explained in this book encapsulate everything needed to enable process excellence from start to finish, saving time, conserving resources, and accomplishing more in a competitive timeframe. These practical insights will make you more effective in any Process Improvement role: from contributor, stakeholder, executive, team member, department, business division, supplier, and customer. Highlights include: A comprehensive framework that outlines the methods, tools, and competencies used to create sustainable Process Improvement efforts An industry-leading architecture approach for building organizational processes - Process-Oriented Architecture (POA) Demonstrating the importance of end-to-end process improvement, and the pitfalls of individual and isolated improvement methods Capitalizing on practical agility principles to deliver faster results Sample learning materials such as instructions for getting started, practical guides, real-world case studies, and templates available in the book and on an affiliated website A self-sufficient reference guide that all employees can easily use or self-train with A common vocabulary within the Process Improvement profession for discussing, writing, and applying Process Improvement concepts A robust tool for educating or training organizations and professionals Includes a Foreword from Dr. H. James Harrington, prolific author of over 35 Process Improvement books and winner of numerous quality awards including ASQ's Distinguished Service Medal.
“The Business Process Improvement methodology established by Dr. H. James Harrington and his group brings revolutionary improvement not only in quality of products and services, but also in the business processes.” —Professor Yoshio Kondo The Book That Goes Beyond Six Sigma and Lean . . . The Next Evolutionary Step in Business Process Management “Don’t design for Six Sigma—design for maximum performance.” H. James Harrington How would you like to streamline your operations, lower your costs, improve your quality, and increase your profits—all at the same time? It’s not an impossible dream. It’s the next evolutionary breakthrough in process improvement that goes beyond Process Reengineering, TRIZ, Six Sigma, and Lean to deliver actual, quantifiable results. And now it’s yours. Streamlined Process Improvement (SPI) is the powerful new program developed by H. James Harrington. After 40 years of improving processes for IBM, Ernst & Young, the Chinese government, and many other private and governmental organizations, Harrington has become the go-to leader in the field. His revolutionary guide shows you how to: Discover the latest process tools—to make faster, more dramatic improvements using the revolutionary PASIC improvement methodology Use walk-through questionnaires and checklists—to streamline your job, resulting in optimum value to your stakeholders Use the newest methodologies—including simulation modeling, risk analysis, Five Ss, Process Innovation, Information Technology, Lean, and Six Sigma—to take your business to the next level Increase innovation—to drive growth and profits for many years to come Harrington’s groundbreaking system is organized and explained step by step to help you achieve maximum results with a minimum of stress. His simple PASIC approach shows you how to Plan, Analyze, Streamline, Implement, and Continuously Improve throughout the entire process. He walks you through the basics of how to analyze each process, how to decide which to focus on first, and how to prepare for organizational change. You’ll be surprised by just how quickly you can make things run more efficiently and effectively. With Harrington’s proven techniques, you can sell your products and services at a lower price, satisfy your customers, make work more enjoyable for your employees, and still earn greater profits than your competitors. This powerful process guide is the definitive handbook for operations managers, quality consultants, Six Sigma practitioners, knowledge workers, and Lean thinkers for a new generation.
Enables you to improve quality, productivity, and competitiveness the business process improvement way. This workbook shows you how to: understand and set process improvement goals; eliminate bureaucracies, duplication, and obsolescence; evaluate information management; research cycle time; analyze functions and tasks in administration; and more.
"While it is usually helpful to launch improvement programs, many such programs soon get bogged down in detail. They either address the wrong problems, or they keep beating on the same solutions, wondering why things don't improve. This is when you need an objective way to look at the problems. This is the time to get some data." Watts S. Humphrey, from the Foreword This book, drawing on work done at the Software Engineering Institute and other organizations, shows how to use measurements to manage and improve software processes. The authors explain specifically how quality characteristics of software products and processes can be quantified, plotted, and analyzed so the performance of software development activities can be predicted, controlled, and guided to achieve both business and technical goals. The measurement methods presented, based on the principles of statistical quality control, are illuminated by application examples taken from industry. Although many of the methods discussed are applicable to individual projects, the book's primary focus is on the steps software development organizations can take toward broad-reaching, long-term success. The book particularly addresses the needs of software managers and practitioners who have already set up some kind of basic measurement process and are ready to take the next step by collecting and analyzing software data as a basis for making process decisions and predicting process performance. Highlights of the book include: Insight into developing a clear framework for measuring process behavior Discussions of process performance, stability, compliance, capability, and improvement Explanations of what you want to measure (and why) and instructions on how to collect your data Step-by-step guidance on how to get started using statistical process control If you have responsibilities for product quality or process performance and you are ready to use measurements to manage, control, and predict your software processes, this book will be an invaluable resource.
Unlike other books that promote a specific process and performance improvement discipline, this book shows organizations how to achieve success by fixing basic operational issues and problems using a broad and wide-sweeping process-based toolkit. In addition, it helps individuals who have worked in stale- or siloed-thinking enterprises make the tra
