Nothing is indeed perfect. But, business processes can get better and better over time, given the right approach. By being able to define process improvement and proactively practice it, you can help to enhance your organisation’s productivity and meet the best quality standards possible. Show
Here, we will outline everything you need to know about what process improvement means. We’ll move from a clear definition to popular techniques and all the reasons why it’s so important to do. What is Process Improvement?When we define Process improvement (or business process improvement, BPI), it’s the method of identifying, analysing and improving business processes already in existence. There are a variety of approaches to fulfil process improvement, but overall, the methodology is meant to lead to optimisation. The systematic approach is a methodology that is intended to be performed iteratively rather than a one-and-done deal. This is because processes may run into different forms of inefficiency or issues along the way. When you can find aspects to improve upon, then business process improvement gives you the steps to do so successfully. Business process improvement is also referred to as: business process management and continual improvement or continuous process improvement, to name a few. Benefits of Process ImprovementIf the word “improvement” exists in the name of the approach, then you already know it should make your business better. But, when you understand how many benefits process improvement can provide, then it is even more clear why you should adopt one of the techniques for your organisation. Let’s take a look at what Business Process Improvement means for your organisation:
What Process Improvement Does & Key ConceptsProcess improvement varies depending on your technique and needs. Yet, regardless of how you approach making your processes better, a lot can come from the practice. The core of process improvement works to meet market demands and achieve business goals (while minimising waste). Process improvement does this by helping leaders recognise inefficiency and make adjustments that align with desired outcomes. Here are some improvements you can expect to see:
To drive results forward, process improvement relies on a clear direction and management. It’s time to get to the juicy details and dive into various process improvement techniques. Process Improvement TechniquesThe moment you’ve been waiting for - we are going to dish some details about some of the most popular process improvement techniques. Each methodology is aimed towards a different need. Some set the focus of process improvement on your organisation’s culture and open-mindedness to change. Others focus more on visualising process through flowcharts and process mapping. While there isn’t just one method that will work for each process, you’ll likely find yourself drawn to one over the other depending on the inefficiency you are looking to reduce. Let’s get to it!
Getting Started with Process ImprovementOnce you’ve chosen your methodology, you’ll be ready to get started with process improvement. Keep in mind these best practices and steps:
Process Improvement Tips & StrategyWhile it’s true, there is a lot to take in and decide when to implement process improvement; there are ways to break it down into areas of focus. Keep in mind these essential tips and strategic tidbits of advice:
Process Improvement StepsWith any technique you choose to approach process improvement, you’ll follow this blueprint of steps:
Automation and Process ImprovementYou are likely already aware of how automation software can help to make your processes run as efficiently as possible. Along with running processes for you and decreasing human error, automation and process improvement go hand-in-hand. Through the use of robotic process automation (RPA), processes can be improved to help streamline tasks and prevent issues before they occur. Some examples of how RPA can aid process improvement include: automated email processing, categorising help desk tickets, data transformation between systems, and online order processing. Automation solutions like SolveXia can help your team maximise productivity ten-fold. By reducing manual labour and critical person dependencies, processes can run seamlessly. SolveXia can piece together information from various systems and store data in a centralised location. Furthermore, besides running and improving processes, automation tools can help to track and analyse progress. You can even forecast what outcome is likely based on tweaks to a process today. That way, you can make better decisions while performing process improvement to optimise your success rates. Automation tools exist to manage the day-to-day repetitive tasks so that your employees can focus their time on high-level tasks like analytical thinking and decision-making. Process Improvement TrainingIt’s best to have someone on your team who is certified in process improvement. This is doable through online courses that teach whatever methodology you’re interested in applying. Some examples of resources to find process improvement training include Learning Tree International, Udemy, Watermark Learning and Coursera. Furthermore, you can always rely on support teams from your chosen automation solution. To illustrate, SolveXia’s team is here to help you design, test and roll out efficient processes. We offer resources, including our blog, support team, FAQs, whitepapers, videos, webinars and more. The TakeawayOnce you fully understand what process improvement means for your business, as you go forward, it is essential to choose processes wisely, involve your team, test potential solutions and analyse outcomes. Automation solutions should be utilised to maximise process improvement and add a data-backed layer to verify that your efforts are worthwhile. |