How do you evaluate and prioritize process improvement initiatives and projects?

I agree to having clear scope and objectives and an important step. Instead of Strategy being a part of the scope and objectives, it should be the other way round. There should be a Global / Region specific strategy which includes objectives and that is where a scope statement can originate. Top down Sponsorship and visibility of board members into the initiatives and it’s achievements are also crucial not just for monitoring but also for personal growth and development of people involved. Cheers!

Come?ar um projeto de BPM sem escopo definido é como pegar um carro na estrada sem saber para onde vai. Sempre come?o com a identifica??o das grandes dores do processo e a proje??o de ganhos para conseguir definir um escopo de entrega mais assertada possível. Quando tenho uma Cadeia de valor em m?os, este processo de prioriza??o se torna ainda mais fácil, pois já conseguimos visualizar as possíveis fragilidades e quais processos est?o mais críticos e principalmente quais s?o as interfaces entre processos que precisaremos observar durante o projeto.

Before sitting to define the scope and objective, I normally need to spend time weighing known problems and gaps, intuit with their benefits, feasibility/solutions and probable cost first to clearly bound the scope aligned with the vision/strategy and can get the buy-in of stakeholders.

A good way to scope your process improvement effort is to look at the company strategy and then identify obstacles to implementing this. Behind some obstacles there will be a poorly performing process. If you start with such processes then you can clearly relate your effort to the company strategy and your initiative is more likely to get 'lift-off' as the contribution and objective becomes clear. Clearing obstacles such as 'Poor employee retention' through process improvement will show the value of taking processes seriously.

Our goal in a prior position was to lower the number of workplace accidents. Our goal was to make the workplace safer, and we covered all departments and locations.

Esta etapa costuma ser muito demorada; ent?o optamos por fazer via facilita??o de grupos, o que reduziu muito o nosso tempo de AS IS. Hoje mapeamos o processo em 1 dia com a participa??o e valida??o de todos os envolvidos no processo. Depois disso identificamos os problemas utilizando a facilita??o de grupos e priorizamos com uma matriz GUT; o que nos permite maior clareza quanto aos problemas e viabiliza uma identifica??o de a??es de melhoria mais assertadas.

O "como" dessa etapa depende muito do contexto, seja pelo problema, tempo disponível, ou cultura da empresa. Busco ter algumas op??es para escolher a melhor para cada ocasi?o: - Entrevistas: "me fale o que você faz!". ótimo para iniciar, pois te dá uma vis?o macro, facilitando as dinamicas seguintes; - Workshops de mapeamento e análise: exige maior habilidade de condu??o e envolvimento de todos, mas esse método é mais rápido, pois minimiza os retrabalhos; - Observa??es in loco: Leva mais tempo, mas pode ser necessário caso a iniciativa exija um maior nível de detalhe, como mapeamento de intera??es sistêmicas. Escolher as pessoas certas é fundamental; - Outros: CANVAS do processo, dinamicas de brainstorming, análise de causas e prioriza??es.

Most important here I believe is to have the detail list of processes working well, processes need some improvements and processes need to be replaced.

The principal concern that I have when I do an assessment of a process, is to avoid overthinking; and start the "As Is" view already thinking in the "To Be" version or "what could be done to change this?". No. You have to be focus on a good assessment, to have a really good "As Is" mapping of the process, this will be essencial for the next phases.

Integrate a "Customer Journey Mapping" exercise to gain a holistic view of the user experience within your processes. This visual representation not only highlights pain points and areas of improvement but also fosters empathy, ensuring that process enhancements are aligned with the end-users' needs and expectations. This user-centric approach enhances the accuracy and relevance of your current state assessment.

More often this step is to answer the question 'What is available out there that can best deliver the improvements?' Whether the technology exists, human resources to build the solution, existing off-the-shelf software/module, etc.

In the evaluations of the solutions , often these are actions that address the triggering problems, make it also a point that such solutions are followed by dots "...", change will drive your solutions short-live...need to be flexible and yet firm to its core.

Implement a "Solution Matrix" to systematically assess potential solutions across various criteria, such as feasibility, scalability, and alignment with strategic goals. This structured approach facilitates informed decision-making, ensuring that selected solutions not only address current challenges but also contribute to the long-term success of your process improvement initiatives.

Before you think about solutions you need to understand the problem you're trying to solve. Lean tools such as asking 'why' five times and creating an A3 canvas can help to get to the level of understanding before you go to solution mode.

A decent workflow analysis/task mining tool used here can provide objective data driven solutions to identified problems, whether this be by changing the way a process is executed or via automation. A before and after analysis of a process will clearly show if an implemented improvement initiative is successful. These platforms often provide functionality calculating savings in time and money when highlighted improvements are actioned.

One way to score improvements is to put number rankings behind the low, medium, and high. For example: Low score: 2 Medium score: 5 High Score: 9 Using these numbers in the category columns will allow you to create a prioritization matrix quickly. It is all about taking qualitative data or feelings and turning them into quantitative data.

What's important here is to have the overall picture of the project, resource constraints and dependency of each solutions but have flexibility (plan A, B, etc) at each decision junctions during actual executions

A business case review with an impact-effort matrix, will provide a qualitative means of analyzing the ROI and payback period for the various options. By doing this, you can empirically identify which solutions to tackle first. This practical approach ensures you focus on the most beneficial and profitable solutions, making your process improvement projects more effective and manageable.

One often overlooked aspect of prioritizing and ranking solutions is WHO is taking charge of assessing these solutions? Are we beta-testing these? Decisions made behind closed doors that do not involve doer-stakeholders lead not just to buy-in issues and issues with change management, they can be more theoretical than practical. The doers would know the difference. No tool can replace that.

Os projetos podem ser classificados por prioridade da seguinte forma: P1 - Muito relevante e deve ser executado na data prevista no planejamento P2 - Relevante, porém executado mediante aprova??o do or?amento P3 - Pouco relevante e n?o será executado no momento. O método para classificar a relevancia pode ser uma matriz de prioriza??o considerando critérios como: posicionamento estratégico, ROI, cumprimento de obriga??es legais, entre outros.

A well-defined plan ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, timelines are realistic, and objectives are clearly outlined. Secondly, executing the solutions requires effective coordination among various stakeholders, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Moreover, the execution phase allows for the implementation of innovative solutions and the testing of hypotheses generated during the evaluation process. Additionally, proper execution ensures that the identified improvements are translated into tangible results, contributing to enhanced efficiency and organizational performance. Overall, meticulous planning and execution are imperative for the successful implementation of process improvement initiatives and projects.

Simply put, procure necessary resources and manage activities within timelines and budget, clearly communication goal and accountabilities and perform periodic progress and quality check.

Uma forma simples de calcular o valor do objetivo é o método da Lacuna utilizando a fórmula: O = M+(MV*L) em que: O: Valor esperado com a execu??o do projeto (objetivo) M: Média dos resultados obtidos com os processos em um determinado período de tempo. MV: O melhor valor obtido no mesmo período de tempo (excluindo outliers). L: Uma constante com valor entre 0 e 1 que indicará o qu?o próximo do melhor valor a média deverá ser ajustada com a execu??o do projeto. Essa constante depende da complexidade da solu??o: quanto mais complexa, mais próxima de zero. Em projetos de redu??o, essa constante será negativa. Em projetos de aumento, essa constante será positiva.

A Six Sigma approach can be useful as all process improvement initiatives/ projects can be summarised in form of charter which has below basic elements 1. Problem statement 2. Business Case 3. Goal Statement 4. Potential benefits in $ terms Basis above summary can be provided to necessary sponsor/stakeholders and projects can be prioritized..

It's an interesting point, we humans seem to realize that going for a regular health check is important to ensure our bodies are maintained and operate as efficiently as possible. It seems sensible that businesses have the same mindset. The myriad of available process analytic tools offer viable, accurate, easily deployed and used, affordable solutions to monitor business processes. With ever evolving IT landscapes this would seem to be a vital initiative in any business to ensure efficient, uninterrupted operations.

Measure the variances of actual benefit and cost parameters from pre- and post- implementation to projected benefit and budgeted cost. Re-evaluate the outcome for continuous improvement. This is a feedback loop going back to first step.

Antes de iniciar a implementa??o, ou mesmo antes de iniciar a fase de aprova??o/planejamento, é indispensável identificar quais s?o os objetivos da melhoria e quais indicadores ser?o utilizados para apresentar esses resultados. Os valores Antes x Depois devem ser comparados.

Thorough evaluation enables organizations to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of implemented changes, identifying areas of improvement and validating the achievement of desired outcomes. Moreover, sustained results ensure that the benefits realized from process improvements are enduring, contributing to long-term organizational performance and competitiveness. By prioritizing initiatives based on their potential for sustained impact and alignment with strategic objectives, organizations can optimize resource allocation and maximize the return on investment in process improvement efforts. This iterative approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement and drives ongoing organizational excellence.