Process Improvement Planning
When it comes to improving operations, companies often jump in with both feet before they have developed a strategic process improvement plan. Someone reads about a methodology that claims can solve all of their company’s problems and they attempt implementation, often experiencing little to no success.
The downside of this approach is that it focuses only on improving processes and doesn’t consider the opportunity and importance to improve the business as a whole and often leads to internal stress on the business and its stakeholders.
To ensure sustainability and future proofing of the improvement efforts, leadership must set the stage through strategic improvement planning, that identifies the company’s current state, its desired future state and how they plan to get there. Successful strategic improvement planning includes a solid structure that requires continuous improvement; combine with business growth tools like the one’s Assured Strategy uses to help their clients and incorporating quality system requirements.
Many process improvement methodologies can be overly complicated, but they don’t have to be. Ask your strategic improvement planning team these questions.
- Where are we now (Current State)?
- Where do we want to be (Desired Future State)?
- How will we get there (The Plan)?
- How do we measure our results (Data Collection)?
If you don’t have a strategic improvement planning team, reach out and I will help you get started [email protected]
The best strategy for reaching operational excellence starts with top management creating a robust strategic improvement plan, staying involved through its progression, recognizing that there will be failures along the path, and celebrating the wins.
Cindy Klingler
