The Power of Business Process Improvement: 10 Simple Steps to Increase Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Adaptability

353 Pages·2010·2.56 MB·English

by  Susan Page

The Power of
Business Process
Improvement
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The Power of
Business Process
Improvement
10 Simple Steps to Increase
Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Adaptability
Susan Page
American Management Association
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Page,Susan(SusanAnn)
Thepowerofbusinessprocessimprovement:10simplestepstoincreaseeffectiveness,
efficiency,andadaptability/SusanPage.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-0-8144-1478-1
ISBN-10:0-8144-1478-8
1.Workflow—Management. 2.Organizationaleffectiveness. 3.Management. I.Title.
HD62.17.P34 2010
658.5(cid:2)1—dc22 2009023530
(cid:3)2010SusanPage.
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Contents
CHAPTER 1:
The Roadmap: Learning How to Navigate
1
CanYouDoIt? 5
TheJourney 6
TheTenSimpleStepstoBusinessProcessImprovement 8
Step1:DeveloptheProcessInventory 8
Step2:EstablishtheFoundation 9
Step3:DrawtheProcessMap 10
Step4:EstimateTimeandCost 11
Step5:VerifytheProcessMap 11
Step6:ApplyImprovementTechniques 12
Step7:CreateInternalControls,Tools,andMetrics 12
Step8:TestandRework 13
Step9:ImplementtheChange 14
Step10:DriveContinuousImprovement 15
TheExecutiveSummary 15
CaseStudy 16
ChapterSummary 16
CHAPTER 2:
Step 1: Develop the Process Inventory: Identifying and Prioritizing
the Process List
18
TheProcessInventory 19
ProcessPrioritization 23
DevelopingCriteria 23
Scale 29
ApplyingWeighting 43
ChapterSummary:Step1 47
TimeEstimate 48
BuildtheBusinessProcessInventory 48
vii
viii CONTENTS
SponsorMeeting 49
EstablishCategories,Criteria,Scale,Weighting 49
CompletetheProcessPrioritizationTable 49
ASecondSponsorMeeting 49
WhatYouHaveAchieved 50
CHAPTER 3:
Step 2: Establish the Foundation: Avoiding Scope Creep
51
TheEightSectionsoftheScopeDefinitionDocument 54
Section1:ProcessName 54
Section2:ProcessOwner 56
Section3:Description: 56
Section4:Scope 64
Section5:ProcessResponsibilities 66
Section6:ClientandClientNeeds 68
Section7:KeyStakeholdersandInterests 69
Section8:MeasurementsofSuccess 71
ChapterSummary:Step2 72
TimeEstimate 74
FirstProjectTeamMeeting 74
SponsorMeeting 76
WhatYouHaveAchieved 76
CHAPTER 4:
Step 3: Draw the Process Map: Flowcharting and Documenting
77
ProcessMapOverview 78
DrawingtheProcessMap 82
Box1 84
Box2 88
Box3 91
Boxes4–7 93
TheCross-FunctionalProcessMap 96
ContinuingtheWorkfromMeetingtoMeeting 97
DocumentingtheProcess 102
ChapterSummary:Step3 106
TimeEstimate 106
SecondProjectTeamMeeting 108
PostmeetingWork 108
Follow-onProjectTeamMeetings 108
WhatYouHaveAchieved 109
CONTENTS ix
CHAPTER 5:
Steps 4–5: Estimate Time and Cost and Verify the Process Map:
Introducing the Process and Cycle Time and Gaining Buy-In
110
BusinessProcessTiming 110
ProcessTime 111
CycleTime 115
ProcessCost 119
PeopleCosts 120
ToolCosts 126
OverheadCosts 128
PuttingItAllTogether 128
AlternativeCutsoftheData 129
AnalyzingtheCostEstimateColumns 131
VerifytheProcessMap 135
ProcessWorkers 135
Stakeholders 136
Sponsor 136
ChapterSummary:Steps4–5 137
TimeEstimate 138
ProjectTeamMeeting 138
PostmeetingWork 138
SponsorMeeting 139
VerifytheProcessMap 139
PostvalidationWork 139
WhatYouHaveAchieved 140
CHAPTER 6:
Step 6: Apply Improvement Techniques: Challenging Everything
141
EliminateBureaucracy 143
ValueAdded 147
EliminateDuplication 151
Simplification 154
ReduceCycleTime 156
Automation 160
ChapterSummary:Step6 164
TimeEstimate 165
ProjectTeamMeeting 165
PostmeetingWork 166
WhatYouHaveAchieved 166