We want processes to be faster, service times to be shorter, effective health care processes and improved supply chains. Many companies are studying and mapping their business processes. But how? With post-it notes?
Team Empowerment
Employees are increasingly getting involved in mapping and exploring business processes. They have the know how of existing methods and procedures, good suggestions for improvements, and their consent is essential for any implementation. All concepts and theories of process improvement agree: Team Empowerment is rule number 1 for exploring and improving processes. But how? Brainstorm sessions with post-its can be a good start. But what next?
Brown paper sessions – A complex route
One of our business contact recently presented the current methods of mapping processes in their business, a hospital. First, a meeting was organized in which all actors of the process, the representing roles, participated. After a while the actors, not yet acquainted with one another, got started mapping the process with post-its. The session was good and it was great to discuss a cross departmental process. A clear process was created with post-its on brown paper. Consensus was reached about the current process map. Then, a follow on meeting was schedules and most participants planned to attend to second meeting. So far, so good.
Several weeks later the team met again. The facilitator brought the roles of brown paper, including the post-its, and had also mapped the process nicely in Visio or PowerPoint. Well, that’s when it started. Is that the process we created? Hold on, that decision is wrongly places; I’d intended it to be at that spot!
Brown paper session are great in creating team spirit. But how do you get results from that? Team spirit is not the only goal!
What’s wrong with Brown Paper sessions.
The method used must not only result in team empowerment, but you must also capture ideas about how to improve the process along the goals that were given by management or by the market. Time and effectiveness are of the essence.
Ideas lead to ideas lead to even more ideas……
The great value of ideas is that they always initiate more and often better ideas. (remember, there is a copyright on this article…). In addition, you want to know the value added of ideas to the business process you are studying. Preferably you instantly see what the impact of the idea is. Gee look, the service time of our process is shortened by 10% if we combine these two tasks or move this decision over to there…. Now wait, someone else says, we can also apply your suggestion over here and over here!
How do you do this in brown paper session? Move whole process branches around, reprogram your Visio and recalculate your Excel model? And again if needed?
The cycle between post-it’s, Visio, suggestions, recalculations, and again new ideas is too complex and too long for an interactive team session. The team will loose it and conclude it after only one suggestion!
Statement: The brown paper cycle is too long for a good process discussion.
The process improvement cycle – from idea to process model
In process mapping or process improvement is it essential to immediately place suggestions in the context of the process and to immediately visualize the impact of suggestions. The ideas of participants will encourage others to come with ideas as well.
- Team empowerment
- Map a process interactively
- Gather improvement suggestions
- Place suggestions into the model
- What is the impact?
- And again, with the next idea
|  |
Conclusion
The method that you select is essential for success. A tool might support you as enabling technology, leading you to success that otherwise might be absent.
© Engage! Software bv, Zandsteen 29a, 2132MZ Hoofddorp (NL)