Process change is inevitable and necessary for any organization that wants to adapt, improve, and innovate. However, leading process change in a complex environment can be challenging and risky. How can you navigate the uncertainty, resistance, and interdependencies that come with changing how things are done? Here are some tips and tools to help you lead process change effectively.
Before you initiate any process change, you need to understand the system that you are working in and how it operates. A system is a set of interrelated elements that interact to produce outcomes. Systems thinking is a way of analyzing and designing systems that considers the whole, the parts, and the relationships among them. By using systems thinking, you can identify the root causes of problems, the leverage points for change, and the potential impacts of your actions. You can also avoid unintended consequences and optimize the benefits of your process change.
Sometime the whole system is obviously not meeting requirements or a radical better alternative has been identified. Then it is best to create new and identify why the new is better.
The following knowledge must be acquired for one to lead Process Change in a Complex Environment. 1.Good understanding of Process Technology and its philosophy. 2. A sound knowledge of Process Safety. 3.Operational experience will be an added advantage. He must check the feasibility of proposal and preparation of all process/engineering changes that are necessary to effect the modification/change. Where the change requires changes in the original philosophy/design, third party may be engaged i.e. engineering contractor to do further study and detailed engineering of the modification. He reviews and as well recommends whether HAZOP study is required. He ensures that PSUSR is conducted at the commissioning of the implemented proposed change.
Assess the current processes, identify pain points , the gaps opportunities and understand the organisational culture. This helps in identifying what needs change and why.
Hilfreich ist es eine einfache Darstellung des aktuellen Zustandes zu w?hlen. Dabei hat es sich gezeigt, dass folgende Punkte wichtig sind. - Die Streuung von Prozesskennzahlen, da diese viel über die Qualit?t aussagen - Die Prozessschritte und wie diese auf das gesamte System einwirken. - Orientiert sich das Prozessmodell an einer vorgegebenen Strategie, wie z.B Pull, One piece flow, just in time.
You definitely need to know the current process and the stakeholders it’s impacting: 1. Draw out a clear as is process flow 2. Understand the change impact it will have on the stakeholders 3. Quantify the impact of change 4. Design the process with scalability in perspective. 5. Deployment is key, as new process takes time to get implemented.
Process change affects not only the people who perform the tasks, but also the people who depend on, support, or influence the process. Therefore, you need to engage the stakeholders throughout the process change journey. Stakeholders are the individuals or groups who have a stake or interest in the process and its outcomes. By engaging them, you can gain their input, feedback, buy-in, and ownership. You can also address their needs, expectations, and concerns, and reduce their resistance or opposition. To engage the stakeholders effectively, you need to identify who they are, what they care about, how they can contribute, and how they can be involved.
Es muy importante el apoyo de las partes interesadas en todos los niveles, los cambios a procesos que se ejecutan por a?os de la misma forma no siempre son bien vistos, es por eso que es necesario que las partes interesadas se vean involucradas en el cambio y crean que los resultados serán beneficiosos.
Debemos involucrar a las partes que están interesadas, para que compartan, los cambios objetivos que se requieren. Si consideramos las necesidades y expectativas, de nuestros grupos de interés, nuestras mejoras trascenderán.
Top management needs to come up with a reward structure for stakeholders to implement updated processes because sometimes one or more stakeholders has to do more so that all the others can do less.
The team must use institutional memory of what processes went wrong, what processes were prevented from going wrong. The feedback from stake holders, including customers/ end users would, also, be critical.
Binden Sie die Stakeholder ein: Beziehen Sie diejenigen ein, die den Prozess ausführen, unterstützen oder beeinflussen. Gewinnen Sie Input, Feedback, Zustimmung und Eigenverantwortung der Stakeholder.
Process change can be overwhelming and ambiguous if you don't have a clear scope and goals. The scope defines the boundaries and limits of the process change, such as what is included and excluded, what is in scope and out of scope, and what are the assumptions and constraints. The goals define the desired outcomes and benefits of the process change, such as what you want to achieve, improve, or solve, and how you will measure success. By defining the scope and goals, you can focus your efforts, align your actions, and communicate your vision.
Clear goals needs to be identified, this requires good process understanding, then every thing needs to be documented for future. This can be the initial part of the management of change process MOC.
Sensibilizar al equipo en el objetivo a cumplir; el identificar los resultados iniciales que se obtendrán antes de la mejora será clave para planificar y motivar el esfuerzo que se realizará.
Siempre es bueno delimitar en qué áreas se harán las mejoras para no implicar un gasto excesivo en el momento de hacer adecuaciones.
Clearly defining the scope and goals is crucial in designing systems or processes. A well-defined scope should outline time, end criteria, and cost. This clarity simplifies problem understanding, facilitating the identification of milestones with fewer assumptions and helps make informed decisions throughout the project.
Definieren Sie den Umfang und die Ziele: Kl?ren Sie den Umfang, Grenzen, Annahmen und Einschr?nkungen der Prozess?nderung. Setzen Sie klare Ziele, um die gewünschten Ergebnisse und Vorteile zu definieren.
Once you have a clear understanding of the system, the stakeholders, the scope, and the goals, you can design the new process that will deliver the desired outcomes. A process is a sequence of steps or activities that transform inputs into outputs. Process design is a way of creating or improving processes that considers the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of the process. By using process design tools, such as flowcharts, diagrams, maps, or models, you can visualize, document, and communicate the new process. You can also identify the inputs, outputs, resources, roles, responsibilities, rules, standards, and controls of the new process.
The process of designing must be iterative. It will be worthwhile to share drafts with stakeholders and others (example, the legal or compliance team).
creating or enhancing processes that meet the needs and goals a clear understanding of the system, the stakeholders, the scope, and the goals before designing the new process. Process design involves using tools to represent the new process and its components, such as steps, inputs, outputs, resources, roles, responsibilities, rules, standards, and controls. Process design aims to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of the process and its outcomes.
Menciona al equipo que nadie es due?o de la verdad y aunque esté re dise?o claramente busca lograr lo que no se ha logrado no está escrito en piedra. Se dará tiempo a prueba y est abierto a próximas aportaciones del mismo equipo mismas que se irán recabando durante esta ejecución. El nuevo proceso no funciona sin el nuevo cambio en la misma ejecución de los colaboradores.
Sería también retomar lo que se tiene en el proceso antiguo para no iniciar desde cero porque iniciar desde cero implicaría un nuevo gasto. Aquí podría ser en vez de dise?ar un nuevo proceso sería actualizar el proceso actual con las mejoras, por ejemplo, para reducción de gastos operacionales.
Entwerfen des neuen Prozesses: Visualisieren, dokumentieren und kommunizieren Sie den neuen Prozess mithilfe von Werkzeugen wie Flussdiagrammen. Identifizieren Sie Eingaben, Ausgaben, Ressourcen, Rollen, Verantwortlichkeiten und Kontrollen.
Designing the new process is not enough; you also need to implement the change and make it happen. Implementation is the stage where you execute, test, and monitor the new process. It is also the stage where you face the most challenges and risks, such as technical issues, operational disruptions, human errors, or stakeholder resistance. To implement the change successfully, you need to plan, prepare, and execute the change. You also need to communicate, train, and support the people who are affected by the change. Moreover, you need to evaluate, review, and adjust the change as needed.
Implementar cambios en cualquier organización puede ser una tarea desalentadora. Esto requiere una planificación cuidadosa y la consideración de varios factores. Uno de los retos es adaptarse a los nuevos desarrollos de la industria. A medida que la tecnología evoluciona y surgen nuevas tendencias, las organizaciones deben estar preparadas para aceptar estos cambios e incorporarlos a sus procesos. Esta puede ser una tarea desalentadora, ya que requiere aprender nuevas habilidades y adoptar nuevas herramientas o sistemas. Pero al hacerlo, las organizaciones pueden seguir siendo competitivas y asegurarse de estar a la vanguardia de la innovación.
The design element must also take in to account the disruption risk. There must be teams to handle disruptions and provide solutions.
Changes to any system or process must go through integrated change control. This ensures system stability, and changes are processed through proper channels and discussions, addressing issues at various levels such as cost, time, and resources.
Implementieren der ?nderung: Planen, vorbereiten und führen Sie die ?nderung durch. Kommunizieren, schulen und unterstützen Sie die betroffenen Personen. Bewerten, überprüfen und passen Sie die ?nderung bei Bedarf an.
Implementar, no es por sí solo, la finalidad es concretar los cambios, se requiere seguimiento, controlar, evaluar y ajustar si es necesario. El compromiso y la colaboración son esencial en la implementación.
Process change is not a one-time event; it is a continuous improvement cycle. Sustaining the improvement means ensuring that the new process is maintained, followed, and improved over time. It also means ensuring that the benefits of the change are realized, measured, and communicated. To sustain the improvement, you need to embed the new process into the culture, systems, and practices of the organization. You also need to reinforce, reward, and recognize the behaviors and results that support the new process. Furthermore, you need to monitor, audit, and review the new process regularly and identify opportunities for further improvement.
The most impactful method I have found for sustaining improvement follows the initial stage of setting KPIs and subsequently holding Quarterly Performance Reviews. In my experience, this took place where I had the role as the customer in the category management function, and I tracked and measured the performance of the oil & gas service contractor. Some of the KPIs I set included cost avoidance and operational efficiencies. I focused on ensuring Non-Productive Time on the drilling rig was less than a set threshold, as the day rates for a rig could exceed $1M/day. Operational efficiencies were based on drilling more quickly than the predetermined KPI. I would review the performance quarterly against the set KPIs and report results.
La mejora de procesos es un aspecto crítico para el éxito de cualquier organización. Al evaluar y mejorar continuamente los procesos existentes, las empresas pueden alcanzar mayores niveles de eficiencia y eficacia. Esto se puede lograr a través de la investigación y el desarrollo, donde las organizaciones invierten tiempo y recursos en examinar los procesos actuales e identificar áreas de mejora. Al analizar datos, realizar experimentos y recopilar información, las empresas pueden identificar cuellos de botella, redundancias u otras ineficiencias que obstaculizan la productividad. Una vez identificadas estas áreas. se implementan nuevas tecnologías, redefinir roles y responsabilidades o redise?ar procesos de trabajo.
Halten Sie die Verbesserung aufrecht: Integrieren Sie den neuen Prozess in die Unternehmenskultur und -systeme. Verst?rken, belohnen und anerkennen Sie Verhaltensweisen und Ergebnisse, die den neuen Prozess unterstützen. überwachen, prüfen und identifizieren Sie M?glichkeiten für weitere Verbesserungen.
Una vez implementado un proceso, no debe ser olvidado, se debe mantener, verificar y actuar, podemos encontrar fallos u oportunidades. Factores externos e internos pueden detonar una necesidad, que implique una actualización. La mejora nace de una oportunidad, una necesidad o de una problemática e identificarlas depende de uno, contar con un plan de seguimiento, comunicación y acción facilita el camino a la mejora.
Evaluating the impact of decisions on system changes and new designs is also an important step. By considering potential unforeseen issues and conducting a comprehensive assessment of the overall system, you can prevent problems and ensure the success of the change. For example, a decision to add air preheater to recover heat in fired heaters can result in unforeseen issues. Hence the overall system shall be assessed for flame shape, flame interactions, NOx emissions, incident radiant flux profile, and temperature uniformity, Air distribution inside the new combustion air duct and APH bypass duct design to prevent acid dewpoint corrosion.
Searching all available competitive relevant process liscences worldwide to be able reaching an appropriate one. Also numbers of actual applications ending to success.
Process change & its stability must also get concluded in good time. An elongated timeline might cause frustration, cynicism and resistance to change.
Change is delivered cross functionally and lead through having a good reason to implement it i.e. burning platform. The important part in getting cross functional bought into change is to prepare well, start with understanding the “burning platform” and reasons for change supporting the business drivers. Follow the usual well documented change management steps already mentioned.
It’s always the usual way on how we must make changes in a certain process but mostly, we do not consider the people we need to implement and sustain this change. Usually, we have this very very good and SMART plan but we cannot make this into action. In my experience, it is important to consider the type of people, their culture, belief and mindset when you are planning for this change. Because a plan is just a plan if you did not successfully implemented and sustained it.