| Over the past several months, my articles on | | | | new mindset |
| business process improvement (BPI) have focused | | | | Several people have asked me how long it takes to |
| on one step at a time (of a 10 step roadmap) to | | | | move through the 10 steps and I have to say that |
| highlight what action you should take to improve your | | | | as with almost anything else in life, it all depends on |
| business processes. In reality, as you do BPI work, | | | | the particular situation. But I can tell you that there |
| you will run into situations where you may have to | | | | have been times when I have moved very quickly |
| take a detour, so you should view the 10 steps as | | | | through all 10 steps and other times where I had to |
| adaptable and make changes as necessary. To | | | | spend an enormous amount of time on certain steps. |
| summarize the 10 steps, they include: | | | | Whatever you do, do not skimp on the time you |
| | | | spend on step 2 because it provides the foundation |
| 1. Create the Process Inventory: identifying and | | | | for the rest of your work. Step 2 is where you |
| prioritizing the process list | | | | create a scope definition document that outlines the |
| 2. Establish the Foundation: avoiding scope creep | | | | key information for a particular process including the |
| 3. Draw the Process Map: flowcharting and | | | | boundaries (the start and end of the process), |
| documenting | | | | process responsibilities, client or customer needs, |
| 4. Estimate Time and Cost: identifying process and | | | | stakeholder needs, and measurements of success. |
| cycle time | | | | You will pay the price if you move too quickly |
| 5. Verify the Process Map: gaining buy-in | | | | through this step. Spending time laying the foundation |
| 6. Apply Improvement Techniques: challenging | | | | will help you to avoid scope creep later on in the |
| everything | | | | work. |
| 7. Create Internal Controls, Tools, and Metrics: making | | | | I lay out the 10 steps in a specific order for a reason. |
| it real | | | | One step builds on another and, if you work with a |
| 8. Test and Rework: making sure it works | | | | project team, each step helps them coalesce into a |
| 9. Implement Change: preparing the organization | | | | tighter group so that as the work becomes more |
| 10. Drive Continuous Improvement: embracing the | | | | difficult, they feel more connected and less anxious. |