| To bring a business process to life, beyond simply | | | | perhaps use an online tracking tool to view your |
| drawing a map, you need to establish internal | | | | progress. Without frequent measurement, you might |
| controls, create tools that increase its efficiency, and | | | | easily gain the weight back. The same is true of a |
| develop metrics. These items make the process real | | | | business process: without regular measurement, it |
| to others. | | | | gets outdated. So, look at what you identified as |
| - Internal controls: use these to identify points in the | | | | measurements of success when you began your |
| business process where mistakes can occur and | | | | business process improvement effort, and decide |
| explain how to prevent them. Without internal | | | | how to measure whether you are achieving your |
| controls, human errors occur. So, spend some time | | | | goals. You do not need to track everything you |
| identifying the potential problem spots and outline | | | | identified all at once, but focus on the key points. |
| how you can avoid them. | | | | When you think about metrics, consider them from |
| - Tools: creating tools can help to streamline the | | | | the point of view of effectiveness, efficiency, and |
| process and avoid errors. They also help you when | | | | adaptability. |
| training new employees on how to perform their | | | | - Effectiveness is about quality. Think about metrics |
| jobs. You can create tools from everyday | | | | that measure whether the process produces the |
| applications you have available on your desktop - you | | | | desired results and meet the customer or client |
| do not need expensive software applications. Think | | | | needs. |
| about what you can create using standard | | | | - Efficiency is about productivity. Here you should |
| spreadsheet software for example. Create checklists | | | | think about the use of resources and improving the |
| and other job aids that will help employees do their | | | | cycle time. |
| job. | | | | - Adaptability is about flexibility. Consider metrics that |
| - Metrics: establishing metrics will show whether the | | | | determine whether the process remains flexible to |
| process works as planned. If you want to lose | | | | changing business needs. Creating internal controls, |
| weight, how do you keep track of your progress so | | | | tools, and metrics is the seventh step to improving |
| that you keep moving toward your goal? You | | | | the effectiveness, efficiency, and adaptability of your |
| probably weigh yourself at regular intervals and | | | | business. |