![\"processes\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/processes.png?w=200\")
<\/a>e to true, sustainable improvement. Namely, loyal adherence to each individual method. These philosophies are merely tools \u2013 and, like a hammer or bandsaw, are essentially worthless without a proper blueprint.<\/p>\nThese different schools of thought frequently compete with each other \u2013 which gets in the way of actually fixing things. Following is a three-phase \u00a0\u201cagnostic\u201d process improvement model \u2013 that is, it doesn\u2019t matter whether the project is run by Lean senseis, or Six Sigma Black Belts; this is a structure to scope, plan, and execute any<\/u> improvement.<\/p>\n
In this post, I will look at building the foundation for any BPI effort \u2013 Understanding the Current State<\/strong>. Future posts will detail what to do with this information. Improvement projects are often chartered because of a gut feeling, a dissatisfaction with what\u2019s happening. Or results are off. Or a managerial drive-by (\u201cI just came out of Executive Meeting; you know what we should work on?\u201d)<\/p>\n Understand that these are symptoms, not necessarily areas for improvement. What are the processes driving these results? Who says the process is broken (e.g., customers, suppliers)?<\/p>\n If there are multiple areas needing work, prioritize where to start: What has the biggest impact on current results? On our ability to hit our strategic targets? Which is spiraling out of control? What processe(s) are entirely missing?<\/p>\n Some advocate pursuing \u201cquick wins\u201d first \u2013 chasing what gives the biggest bang with the least effort. Since this is the earliest part of the improvement project, we likely don\u2019t understand the effort involved; focusing on impact makes better business sense. This doesn\u2019t mean we favor a dramatic \u201cre-engineering\u201d; an area of great impact could<\/u> be a process which is working well \u2013 or well designed \u2013 but could be tweaked or managed better.<\/p>\n The reason for treating this like a \u201creal\u201d project is simple: This is a \u201creal\u201d project. It has real project needs: sponsorship, resource allocation, visibility, active management. At this stage, a detailed plan is difficult \u2013 without knowing the extent of bre Even at this early stage, a detailed plan \u2013 including roles and expectations \u2013 for Current State documentation, analysis, and scoping of Future State facilitation should be created and approved.<\/p>\n This is where Black Belts can let their methodology flags fly. Six Sigma, Lean, whatever \u2013 this is the stage where it\u2019s important to know what tools are being used, when.<\/p>\n Understanding the Current State requires an honest assessment; people tend to be less-than-honest if there is the potential for retribution. Promise (and deliver) anonymity.<\/p>\n Schedule time \u2013 and set expectations \u2013 to verify discoveries (e.g., reviewing maps and interview notes with the sources).<\/p>\n It is vital to document the Current State as it is actually performing<\/u>, not<\/u><\/strong> how it \u201cshould\u201d be, or what the standards\/rules say. <\/em><\/p>\n Here is the opportunity for a deep data dive. Quantative information to gather includes: auditing quality and its costs; benchmarking (against other sites, the competition); time distributions; cycle-time analysis; ide Overlaying this information with the first-person observations provides a rich, layered portrait of performance \u2013 between what is actually happening and what is expected, but also between what is actually happening and what is possible. Look for nonvalue added activities (now is not the time to figure out how to eliminate them \u00a0– that comes during Future State Facilitation – but to understand their impact).<\/p>\n \u201cAnalysis\u201d includes understanding the cause of these disconnects \u2013 is the process poorly designed? Or just poorly executed? Or poorly managed? Calculate the impact of these gaps \u2013 in terms of cost, wasted hours, missed market opportunities\u2013 and prioritize where the solutions should focus.<\/p>\n The last part of \u201cAnalysis\u201d is figuring out what to do about it. Base These first-pass solutions likely will need to be presented and approved. To gain buy-in and preserve political momentum, focus on the highest-priority objectives, and include what areas are working well. Build a \u201cburning platform\u201d, but don\u2019t portray current activities as a dumpster fire. Most importantly, maintain the anonymity of all who provided information<\/u>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scoping an improvement initiative takes effort, but that work is not<\/u> dependent on any one specific set of tools. There is a time and a place for individual methodologies, and knowing when and where is key, but there is no need to get wrapped up in philosophical arguments. This model helps structure the project and understand where to improve, while allowing any and all methods to contribute.<\/p>\n As President Bartlet might say<\/a>, \u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/full-model1.png?w=720\")
<\/a>It may seem obvious, but without knowing how things are performing (and why), it\u2019s awfully difficult to fix them.<\/p>\nIdentify, Prioritize Key Processes<\/h4>\n
Build a Project Plan<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/project-plan1.png?w=720\")
<\/a>akage, predicting the effort to fix it is tough. The improvement manager, though, can structure a plan with three major deliverables (hint: they correspond with the three phases of the model) including a fairly-accurate straw man for Phase 2. Phase 3 \u2013 \u201cExecute\u201d \u2013 will be vague, as the decisions that impact its scope aren\u2019t even known. That said, it is critical to lay out the plan now, to make visible to all stakeholders what will be required (in terms of effort and resources) to achieve the organization\u2019s goals.<\/p>\nDocument the Current State<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/nik-macmillan-280300.jpg?w=300\")
Focus on first-person data gathering \u2013 stakeholder interviews (including customers and suppliers), Value Stream maps, process maps (\u201cswim lanes\u201d), reviews of existing documentation and tools. Essentially a series of snapshots, these efforts provide a deep, cultural understanding of how![\"\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/img_1012.jpg?w=150\")
work \u201cgets done\u201d.<\/p>\nAnalyze the Current State<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/startup-photos.jpg?w=150\")
ntification of Seven Wastes; compliance audits (to internal standards, legal requirements, etc.). It can be interesting to conduct differential diagnoses between shifts, departments, products, even days of the week.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/results1.png?w=300\")
<\/a>Common disconnects\/areas of waste include: quality checks; sequential process flows (where steps could be done in parallel); manual work that could be easily automated; lack of (or inappropriate) metrics. Anything that hints of bureaucracy (approvals, excessive documentation, over-involvement) should be targeted.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/process-disconnects.png?w=300\")
d on strategic and improvement project objectives, and the highest-priority disconnects, brainstorm what possible solutions could<\/u> look like. These can be high-level and hare-brained; the idea is to generate a directional vision.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/b-spoke.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/phase-1-model.png?w=720\")
<\/a><\/p>\n