Streamlined Process Improvement Book

Acknowledgments xi

1 Introduction to Streamlined Process Improvement (SPI) 1

Introduction 1

Streamlining Fundamentals 4

Technology Warning 6

Employment Security 6

2 What Is Streamlined Process Improvement? 11

Introduction 11

What Are Business Processes? 14

Why Use SPI? 16

How Management Has Been Misled 18

Breakthrough versus Continuous Improvement 18

What SPI Is Not 21

Why Improve Your Business Processes? 21

How to Improve Your Business Processes 22

Phase I Planning for Improvement 23

Phase II Analyzing the Process 25

Phase III Streamlining the Process 25

Phase IV Implementing the New Process 32

Phase V Continuous Improvement 32

Summary 34

3 Phase I: Planning for Improvement 37

Introduction 37

Planning Phase 38

Activity 1 Define Critical Business Processes 38

Activity 2 Select Process Owners 49

Activity 3 Define Preliminary Boundaries 52

Activity 4 Form and Train the PIT 53

Activity 5 Box in the Process 60

Activity 6 Establish Measurements and Goals 62

Activity 7 Develop Project and Change Management Plans 74

Activity 8 Conduct Phase I Tollgate 87

Summary 88

4 Phase II: Analyzing the Process 91

Introduction 91

Analyze Phase 92

Activity 1 Flowchart the Process 92

Activity 2 Conduct a Benchmark Study 118

Activity 3 Conduct a Process Walk-Through 121

Activity 4 Perform a Process Cost, Cycle Time, and Output Analysis 131

Activity 5 Prepare the Simulation Model 166

Activity 6 Implement Quick Fixes 187

Activity 7 Develop a Current Culture Model 188

Activity 8 Conduct Phase II Tollgate 189

Summary 190

5 Phase III: Streamlining the Process 191

Introduction 191

Streamlining Phase 194

Activity 1 Apply Streamlining Approaches 194

Activity 2 Conduct a Benchmarking Study 292

Activity 3 Prepare an Improvement, Cost, and Risk Analysis 293

Activity 4 Select a Preferred Process 295

Activity 5 Prepare a Preliminary Implementation Plan 296

Activity 6 Conduct Phase III Tollgate 298

Summary 298

6 Phase IV: Implementing the New Process and Phase V: Continuous Improvement 301

Introduction 301

Phase IV: Implementing the New Process 301

Activity 1 Prepare the Final Implementation Plan 302

Activity 2 Install the New Process 306

Activity 3 Install In-Process Measurement Systems 306

Activity 4 Install Feedback Data Systems 309

Activity 5 Transfer the Project 309

Activity 6 Conduct Phase IV Tollgate 312

Phase V: Continuous Improvement 313

Activity 1 Maintain the Gains 315

Activity 2 Implement Area Activity Analysis 316

Activity 3 Qualify the Process 317

Does SPI Work? 322

Summary 324

Appendix A Typical Business Processes Where SPI Can Be Applied 327

Appendix B Process Walk-Through Questionnaire 331

Appendix C Some Process Simulation Tool Suppliers 343

Appendix D Definitions 345

Appendix E Other Simulation Symbols 353

Appendix F Typical Government Processes 355

Appendix G Nonmanufacturing Typical Processes Measurements 358

Appendix H HU Diagrams 373

References 391

Bibliography 395

Index 397