Eyeballing Process Efficiency Isn't Enough

I know of many organizational leaders (managers, department heads, etc.) who use a gut feel to ascertain if their service-based operation is productive and running efficiently.  Sure, they may capture a few metrics, like tickets solved or time-to-complete an activity, but by and large, it's a SWAG regarding efficiency and productivity.  These same leaders will also balk at the idea of committing resources to analyze the process because they "see" no place where it could be improved.  The fact of the matter is, there is a ton of inefficiency that can be eradicated which will make a process faster, smoother, and will make downstream customers happier.  Do you know folks like this?

This is where Lean Six Sigma comes into play.  A good starting point might be to capture who are the processes suppliers, what input they provide, what process is done with that input, what the output is, and who the customer would be in order to create a SIPOC diagram.  Now, determine what is critical to the quality of the service to be provided, such as throughput time and processing time (duration and effort respectively). 

Take random measurements of the process.  The data obtained speaks loudly with little manipulation.  It will state whether the process is in statistical process control (SPC).  In other words, it will indicate whether the output is indiscernible from random variation.  Think of random variation as background noise.  Every process has it to some extent.  People call in sick, take a vacation, are in meetings, etc. and cannot focus on the process.  At the other end is special-cause variation, like a network outage or server crash.  Bottom line is knowing whether the process is in control will guide what actions should be taken to improve the performance of the process.

So, with data in hand, you might learn that it's taking 10 days to perform one hours' worth of work (sound familiar?).  In order to gain an understanding of why it's taking 10 days to do one hour of work, build a process map that documents every step of the process, the time that it takes for each step, and the wait time between steps.  Do this by actually observing every step of the process and taking notes.

Now you can begin to question why a part of the process sits in someone's inbox or on their desk and begin to strategize how this wait time can be avoided.  Or maybe it's because four approvals need to be acquired.  Whatever the reason, chances are that the Pareto Principle will apply - that 80 percent of the output comes from 20 percent of the input.  Uncover the biggest culprits in the process, correct them, and there will substantial gains.

It's truly amazing that all of this can usually be done in a few hours to a couple of days.  There is a lot of low hanging fruit that can be picked and once company staff sees that they can really make a difference in company operations, more staff want in on the action.