Continuous Process Improvement:

Analyzing Your Work Processes to

Discover Opportunities for Improvement

Patrick K. Powell
BYU–Idaho Human Resources
Kimball Building 226
Rexburg, ID 83460-1670

© 1999 BYU–Idaho
 Continuous Process Improvement:
Things to Analyzing Your Work Processes
Consider to Discover Opportunities for
Improvement
#############
Introduction and Definitions
< Many processes are
Processes exist all around us. For example, we follow a certain
created haphazardly over
process to make chocolate chip cookies. We usually begin by going
time, and many times are
to the cupboard to find a recipe. Once we’ve done that we follow the
never analyzed for defects.
recipe, which is, a set pattern of steps and
The phrase “this is how we
instructions for combining certain ingredients.
have always done it” may
This pattern includes preheating the oven,
not be reason enough to
greasing and flouring cookie sheets, measuring
continue a particular
and mixing ingredients, and baking the dough for
process.
a specific length of time.

Although that is a rather simple example, and many smaller steps

< Do your homework.
have been omitted, it illustrates that fact that we follow certain steps
Don’t do something rash
for completing various tasks.
that may cause more
problems than it solves.
By definition, a process is a series of steps or tasks that lead to an
end goal. Processes exist in all offices, from the executive office to
the accounting office. Examples of business processes include:
< The power to change
payroll, institutional travel, application for employment, retirement
processes lies in the hands
procedures, and procedures for cleaning a building. And each of
of the managers – those
these processes could consist of various other processes.
with the authority to change
the systems within their
Executive management has the responsibility of overseeing all work
departments.
processes in a general sense, as well as directing the work processes
within their own offices. It is also their responsibility to fully utilize
the resources of the organization and to keep the organization fiscally
stable. They are responsible for organizational strategy and providing
the structural guidelines to provide value for their customers.
Departments have the responsibility of analyzing and improving their
own areas and supporting the executive management team in the
overall vision for the organization.

Analyzing work processes is important to the organization. But why?

And is it really worth the effort?

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< Manage the process, not Analyzing work processes is necessary to discover where
the goods. We are often so improvements can be made, and to discover areas where tradition is
busy “fighting fires” that we not serving the best interests of the organization. The following story
do not take the time to serves well as an example:
analyze the way we do
things and change them. There was a woman who always cut the ends off of her roast before
she cooked it. Observing this, her husband inquired, “Why do you
always cut the ends off the roast before you put it into the oven?”
The woman explained, “Cutting the ends off makes the roast taste
better. My mother used to always do this.” Not fully satisfied with
her answer, he called his mother-in-law. He asked her, “Why do you
always cut the ends off the roast before you put it into the oven?”
His mother-in-law explained, “Cutting the ends off makes the roast
taste better. My mother used to always do this.” Really curious now,
he calls grandmother and asks, “Why do you always cut the ends off
the roast before you put it into the oven?” To which grandmother
replied, “I never did have a pan big enough for the roast.”

< Most new managers tend Tradition does not always best serve the needs of the organization.
to take the processes they Sometimes we need to change. And in a market where things are
inherit “as is” and then try changing at a rapid pace, organizations must change to sufficiently
to get the most out of them meet the demands of the customers. As the world changes, customers
(efficiency), instead of express different needs. And one of the main goals of an organization
working smarter by should be to create value for customers ... that is, if you want to stay
analyzing the processes and in business (even if your business is education).
making improvements
where necessary. Thus, it is important to align your processes to serve your customers.
This necessitates keeping informed of current patterns and trends and
surveying your customers to find out what their needs are. This leads
< Businesses should have a to step number one.
strong customer service
philosophy. Not only does it
provide value for people, it Step 1 - Find Out Where You Need to Improve
also keeps you in business.
After all, in most cases, Ask your customers where you need to improve. They are a source of
your customers pay your instant and readily available information. Take them seriously and try
bills. to address their legitimate concerns. The downfall of many
organizations is assuming that they know best how to serve the needs
of their customers without even asking the customers what their
needs actually are. Survey your customers, internal and external, and
discover the areas where you need improvement. And remember,
internal customers (your coworkers) can provide you with valuable
information. After all, they, too, are consumers of the services that
you provide.

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 Some good warning signs that you may need to address your work
< When surveying your processes include the presence of errors, complaints, employee
customers, remember that absenteeism, increased costs, calls to the president, “end runs”
your coworkers are also (attempts to get around certain processes), overtime, and employee
customers of the service turnover. And even where these don’t exist, it is still wise to keep
that your company close to the customer.
provides. Ask them about
their feelings and strongly In an effort to discover the needs and
consider them. expectations of your customers and where
you need to improve, you will want to create
a survey and administer it to your customers.
< The late Dr. W. Edwards In developing the survey it is necessary to
Deming, a well known identify your processes and the services that
organizational expert, you provide so you can implement these into
suggested that when your survey. Also remember, when designing
evaluating processes to find your survey, some common customer concerns are: timeliness, cost,
opportunities for quality, accuracy, functionality, availability, and the way they are
improvement the following treated by the employees that they come into contact with.
items should be examined:
people, machines, methods,
material, and environment. Step 2 - Identify the Processes to Be Improved

Using the suggestions that you received by administering the survey,

create a list of processes that need improving. After creating the list
of work processes, prioritize them – as that you cannot address all of
them at one time. Be sensitive to the suggestions that are discovered
through the survey procedure and the possible causes of these
problems, but do not begin your analysis yet.

Step 3 - Measure to Find Out How You Are Doing

Before analyzing your work processes and the information that you
< Develop your policies receive from the survey, validate the information that you received
using statistical evidence. from your customers with hard data. Find out if what you are hearing
Collect the data. is true, or is just hearsay. And if the information is true, find out, for
example, what percentage of the time it is true.
< Gather the data. Find out
how you are doing. You may be tempted to leave this step out, but do not. Spend the
Measure errors, fluctuations time gathering the data. Why? Because we are often “too close to the
in cost, accidents, waiting forest to see the trees,” so to speak. We are so close to our
time, returns, etc. Base your operations, and so used to the day-to-day routines that we fail to see
decisions on statistics the reality and magnitude of the situation. Gathering the actual
instead of “gut feelings.” information can be very revealing.

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 Step 4 - Set Goals

Set some general goals for improvement. Identify 5-10 things that
you would like to improve, and commit yourself to accomplishing
these things.

Step 5 - Chart the Process

< Processes that are too Flowchart one of the processes that you
complex and do not add have chosen to work on. Flowchart the
value to the customer not process as is. Establish a starting point
only waste time and money, and an ending point. List all tasks
but also increase your involved in the process in the order that
chance for errors. is currently established. (There is an
example in the back of this booklet.)

< Continuous process Flow chart basics are as follows:

improvement, although
frightening to some
employees, is actually a
way of establishing job = starting and ending points
security, not diminishing it.
If you fail to meet your = a workflow task
customers needs, they will
take their business where
they can get their needs = decision points
met. Change is often
necessary for survival.
= directional arrows

< Job security doesn’t

necessarily mean that
everyone will be doing the Step 6 - Analyze the Flowchart and Write Down Ways
exact same thing for 30 to Improve
years. With changes in
processes come changes in Now it is time to identify opportunities to streamline, improve, and
duties. modify the process to add value to the customer. In your analysis,
identify whether each task is essential, or is adding value to the
customer. If the task is not essential or adding value to the customer,
< Analyzing work processes consider cutting it out. Be sensitive to those tasks and items that are
and making improvements required by law. Otherwise, identify redundancies and unnecessary
takes time and energy. It complexities and determine to make some changes. After identifying
can be a daunting task, but those things that need changed, it is helpful to prioritize them.
it is well worth the effort.

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< Be mindful of your values The changes that you make may well affect other offices, too.
as an organization. Clarify Remember this when drawing up plans to implement the change.
your values, mission, Be sensitive to how the changes will affect other offices. Be aware of
vision, and philosophy. the “domino effect,” and plan to implement the changes that you
Don’t just blindly and want to make on a smaller scale first.
irresponsibly give the
customers whatever they
want. Step 7 - Implement the Improvements

During the implementation phase it is important to take note of a few

items. First, it is very important to be sensitive to the psychological
and sociological implications that this change will have on the
organization. Change is a frightening thing for most people and
managers have a sociological and psychological responsibility to
their employees. Don’t misunderstand, this does not mean to forgo
any changes. It simply means being aware and sensitive to the needs
and feelings of those who will be affected by the changes that you
make.
< Anticipate the possible
problems that will surface Managing change effectively requires effort, skill, and insight. When
with the changes that you contemplating making changes, consider the following:
propose to implement. # Most people resist change, and many are threatened by new
ideas. Be sensitive to their fears and concerns, and open to
their suggestions.
< Don’t be afraid to act # People don’t like the “run around,” and prefer managers to
once you arrive at a well be upfront with them about the situation. Communicate,
thought out decision. Don’t wisely and empathetically, with the people involved what
find excuses not to act you are doing. Express the “givens” in the situation, and be
because you don’t want to flexible on the rest.
“rock the boat.” # Clear up any misunderstandings that people have so they
understand clearly what changes will occur and what will
be expected of them.

Second, the employees that you supervise may need some additional
training to succeed in their new assignments. Provide this as needed.

Third, be sure to follow through on the proposed changes. It does

little good to philosophize and theorize and make plans if ultimately
nothing is done. Just because you have spent the day “in the board
room” and made big plans doesn’t mean that your customers feel any
< Experts say that different about the services that they receive. Growth takes action
approximately 85% of work and frequently involves some risk.
problems are caused by
work processes, not people. Finally, after implementing the plans you will most likely have some
loose ends to tie up. Tie up loose ends and address any problems that

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< Continuous process may have surfaced during the implementation process.
improvement is not a one-
time experience. Problems Step 8 - Follow Steps 1-7 for the Other Processes that
arise as changes occur in You Have Identified that Need Improving
the world which alter how
we do things. Continue to Most likely, you have other processes that you have identified that
analyze your processes and need addressing. Although analyzing these work processes and
make changes where making improvements takes time and energy, the effort is worth it.
necessary. You will ultimately be saving yourself a lot of frustration, and may
well save money and other resources. Ultimately, it will help you to
better serve your customers, one of which is you.

Step 9 - Continue to Pursue Process Improvements

Remember, change is a constant. You will continually need to

analyze your work processes and make improvements.

Continue to survey your customers to find out where you can

improve and better serve them. Continue to identify processes that
you can improve. Continue to collect the data so you know exactly
how you are doing. Continue to analyze your work processes.
Continue to modify processes to make them better. Continue to
improve.

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References

1. Analyzing Work Processes: Finding Opportunities for Improvement [a company training booklet
with restricted availability], © 1989 by Zenger-Miller, Published by Zenger-Miller, San Jose, CA

2. Continuous Process Improvement, Richard Chang, © 1994 by Richard Chang Associates, Published
by Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, San Francisco

3. Continuous Quality Improvement, Robert J. Gelina, Ph.D., © 1993 by Robert J. Gelina, Ph.D.,
Published by the Center for Continuous Quality Improvement, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

4. Managing Change, [a company training booklet with restricted availability], © 1986 by Zenger-
Miller, Published by Zenger-Miller, San Jose, CA

5. Unchaining the Chain of Command, Paul Rubinyi, Ph.D, © 1998 by Crisp Publications, Published
by Crisp Publications, Menlo Park, CA

Recommendations for Further Reading

1. At America’s Service, Karl Albrecht, © 1988 by Dow Jones-Irwin, Published by Warner Books, NY

2. Continuous Process Improvement: Simplifying Work Flow Systems, George D. Robson, © 1991,
Published by Free Press

3. The Dance of Change, Peter M. Senge, © 1999 by Peter M. Senge, Published by Doubleday –
Division of Random House

4. The Deming Management Method, Mary Walton, © 1986 by Mary Walton, Published by Perigee
Books, NY

5. Flight of the Buffalo, James Belasco and Ralph Stayer, © 1993 by James Belasco and Ralph Stayer,
Published by Warner Books, NY

6. Managing the Change Process: A Field Book for Change Agents, Team Leaders, and Reengineering
Managers, David K. Carr and Kelvin J. Hard, © 1995, Published by McGraw-Hill

7. Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, William Bridges, © 1991 by William Bridges
and Associates, Inc., Published by Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts

8. Process Mapping: How to Reengineer Your Business Processes, V. Daniel Hunt and Daniel V. Hunt,
© 1996, Published by John Wiley & Sons

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Supplemental Material

Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s 14 Management Principles:

(Reference: Continuous Quality Improvement, Robert J. Gelina, Ph.D., © 1993 by Robert J. Gelina,
Ph.D., Published by the Center for Continuous Quality Improvement, Iowa State University, Ames,
Iowa)

1. Create constancy of purpose towards improving products and services, allocating resources to
provide for long-range needs rather than short-term profitability.

2. Adopt the new philosophy for economic stability by refusing to allow commonly accepted levels of
delays, mistakes, defective materials and defective workmanship.

3. Cease dependence on mass inspection by requiring statistical evidence of built-in quality.

4. Reduce the number of suppliers for the same item by eliminating those that do not qualify with
statistical evidence of quality; end the practice of awarding business solely on the basis of price.

5. Search continually for problems in the system to constantly improve processes.

6. Institute modern methods of training to make better use of all employees.

7. Focus supervision on helping people do a better job; ensure that immediate action is taken on reports
of defects, maintenance requirements, poor tools, inadequate operating definitions or other conditions
detrimental to quality.

8. Encourage effective, two-way communication and other means to drive out fear throughout the
organization and help people work more productively.

9. Break down barriers between departments by encouraging problem solving through teamwork,
combining the efforts of people from different areas such as research, design, sales and production.

10. Eliminate use of numerical goals, posters and slogans for the work force that ask for new levels of
productivity without providing methods.

11. Use statistical methods for continuing improvement of quality and productivity, and eliminate work
standards that prescribe numerical quotas.

12. Remove all barriers that inhibit the worker’s right to pride of workmanship.

13. Institute a vigorous program of education and retraining to keep up with changes in materials,
methods, product design and machinery.

14. Clearly define top management’s permanent commitment to quality and productivity and its
obligation to implement all of these principles.

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Supplemental Material

An Example of a Work Process Flowchart:

(Reference: Analyzing Work Processes: Finding Opportunities for Improvement [a company
training booklet with restricted availability], © 1989 by Zenger-Miller, Published by Zenger-
Miller, San Jose, CA)

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