| Everyone knows that the customer is king, and that | | | | the customer would pay for a particular step in the |
| business processes should deliver what customers | | | | process if they knew it existed. This will force you to |
| want. But how do you do that? | | | | think about the steps in your process from the |
| The 10 steps to business process improvement can | | | | customer's perspective and, since every activity |
| help keep the focus on the customer or client. It | | | | contributes to cycle time (step 4), you should |
| starts with developing the scope definition (step 2) | | | | streamline the process as much as possible. You can |
| where you identify the customer and what they | | | | also think of cycle time as elapsed time or the overall |
| want from your business process. The customer is | | | | time it takes from the first step in the process to |
| someone external to your company who pays for | | | | the last step, including waiting time. Cycle time is |
| your goods or services; the client is your internal | | | | what customers "see," and they always want it as |
| customer if you work as an internal consultant within | | | | short as possible. |
| your company. Employees have an easy time | | | | Include the customer needs as you develop metrics |
| identifying the external customer, but have a harder | | | | (step 7) to measure the effectiveness of your |
| time identifying the client because they have become | | | | business process. Ask them if you are measuring |
| so accustomed to working to please their boss. After | | | | what they care about. You might not be! Adapt your |
| all, the boss rewards your performance and controls | | | | metrics to focus on what is most important to your |
| your salary increases. Your boss though is not your | | | | customers. |
| client! | | | | When you develop your continuous improvement |
| Another way to keep the customer/client at the | | | | plan (step 10), remember to think about how often |
| forefront is to notice, as you draw the process map | | | | you will revisit the customer needs, e.g., every 6 |
| in step 3, how often (or more likely, how | | | | months, 12 months, etc. Make certain that you follow |
| infrequently) the activities in your process touch the | | | | the schedule you put in place. |
| customer. Then as you work to improve the | | | | You can see how easy it is to keep the customer in |
| business process (step 6), check each activity to | | | | mind. I already covered how to include them in six of |
| determine if it adds value to the customer. If it does | | | | the ten steps to business process improvement. |
| not add value, eliminate the activity. Ask yourself if | | | | |