Process improvement isn’t just about continuous improvement, quality, six sigma, lean, etc. The reality is that process improvement is identifying and implementing improvement, big and small, that isn’t based on measurable metrics, but on what can be improved. It combines not only an understanding as to what inefficient processes look like, but it should also incorporate what others have identified within an organization as well. Hearing and seeing is critical to process improvement. (Lesson #1 – hear and see what is going on within an organization).
Listed below are a handful of examples that relate to this concept. The 17 lessons highlighted can be used to help implement improvement within any organization, as long as you apply them correctly. Far too often, improvements don’t occur, either because of lack of support, or because the outcome cannot be measured in any meaningful way. What I can tell you is that in many cases, the improvements that I have made have had a real impact, even if they were unmeasurable initially.
Always keep in mind, an improvement is an improvement, whether it is big or small, a process change, or a different way of looking at something. After all, the ultimate objective of an improvement is to make a positive impact. The quantification of the impact isn’t what is important. Alone, an improvement may be small, but as a whole, the combined result of these improvements can be dramatic for an organization.
Individually, I have always had the gift of being able to identify inefficiency very quickly. I tend to be more intrinsic; I see things very black and white, and I quickly pick up on issues and problems within a company.
In college, I worked in the freight industry. I had three jobs to pay my way through school, and in each case, I identified different ways to cut back the processing time required, while still accomplishing each defined role. (Lesson #2 – be quick, efficient and don’t cut corners).
As a janitor, I earned money on the weekends by emptying out the dormitory trash receptacles in each dorm. It is amazing our much you can smell after a few hours of throwing out college student trash receptacles, but I figured out a way to get the process down to just a few hours, because I wanted to get done as quickly as I could. (Lesson #3 – have a desire to make an impact). That experience taught me to respect what janitors do. So much so in fact, that the gift cards that I would hand out to team members at years end, I would always include the company janitor. Why? Because when they weren’t there, the bathrooms were horrific. I have never taken that role for granted. (Lesson #4 – never take other people for granted no matter what their role within an organization is).
At the same time, I was a forklift operator at a warehouse where they were closing the facility down. They hired me to come on board and empty the facility out in 6 months. 6 weeks later, I had not only trained another non-operator to work with me on making this happen, (lesson #5 – create a high-performing team), but we successfully completed our job and ultimately, worked ourselves out of work. Should I have slowed down? Many would have, but that isn’t me. I will always put my all into something, even if I get myself into a position where I am no longer needed, (see lesson #2).
The third job was as a 40,000Lbs forklift operator on a flight line at a local international airport. We would offload the large containers from the aircraft each night, but then at the end of the evening, and after the planes had departed, we would have to take 3 to 4 hours to load the trucks up. Going to bed at 1am, and going to university the next morning was tough, especially as I was also in ROTC and in the honor guard at the same time.
The solution for my partner and I, was to work together to structure the offload process in such a way that we could get the freight loaded, and the trucks off the ramp as quickly as possible. We used the forklift, a tug and dolly that could be spared, and an old loader that was in the back of the complex. (Lesson #6 – use what you have available to you.) By combining these assets, along with restructuring the offload process from the aircraft, we easily ensured that we could get to the correct dollies and roller beds in a much shorter time frame. Because of this process change, we were able to complete the task within half the original time.
Once I joined the military, I was told not to suggest any improvements or changes until I had been in the service for some time. Two weeks in, (lesson #7 – there is never a bad time to identify and implement improvements), I approached my superior officer and requested that I take a 30 day paper process and try to cut it down using the Microsoft Access software package (see lesson #6) that we had access to. Fortunately for me, my superior let me try it out, (lesson #8 – Have the courage as a manager to let your subordinates try something different), and in less than a year, not only had I cut processing down to less than 1hr in a majority of cases, but I also received an Achievement Medal for my efforts.
Fast forward to the defense industry, and I very early on got the chance to lead my first turnaround program. These are programs that are over budget, and behind schedule. These aren’t easy programs to manage, and they quite often need someone to be able to take the team that is already in place, and help turn these programs back around (see lesson #6). The key with turnaround programs is a need to view your projects in a different light. (Lesson #9 – patience, perseverance, focus, and vision). This turnaround opportunity taught me not only the importance of creating a high-performing team, (see lesson #5), but also one where I needed to develop other key skills in order to create a successful turnaround. (Lesson #10 – develop leadership, emotional intelligence, empowerment, soft skills and the ability to listen.)
By working with the team directly, and applying these skills, I was able to identify opportunities to implement changes in the various programs. Over time, the development of these skills, helped me to learn the importance of flexibility. (Lesson #11 – be flexible, be able to adapt, and look for what is different). By implementing lesson #11, you can determine what has already been tried, what remains on the project to complete, and what you can do, based on team feedback, to identify an improvement plan going forward.
I then had the opportunity to be part of a video panel, which lead to me becoming a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the development of a new self-paced project management course for a top university. (Lesson #12 – don’t be afraid to try something different). Ultimately, this led me to teaching project management courses for this same university to industry professionals. This opportunity also gave me the chance to give back. (Lesson #13 – make a difference and an impact.)
As part of teaching and never being too far away from my process improvement background, I have not only updated course materials a few times, but I have also adapted the courses for real world application. In essence, I try to make each class as real world as possible, such that, if I teach a student about a specific template that night, the next day they should be able to use it in the workplace. (Lesson #14 – ensure that the changes you make have both a positive and a beneficial workplace impact.)
Over time, you will learn that process improvement is not only about incorporating the above lessons, but also about being creative in your thought process. (Lesson #15 – to always look outside the box, be creative, innovative, and think differently). As such, process improvement can also spread to identifying issues with documentation, process problems, listening to employees who see what is going on, but no one listens to, (see lesson #4), and a multitude of other areas that can easily be improved, but that are often neglected.
Process improvement is also not about making an organization so lean that you have one person doing the work of three. Nor is it forcing people to follow strict processes that are clearly out of date. Bottom line, the key to successful change is including those who will be impacted by the change the most, so that they can be part of the improvement. (Lesson #16 – involve those with whom the change will impact in the future). The more you create an open, collaborative environment where all can be heard, the more likely your changes will take hold. (Lesson #17 – collaboration).
Always remember, before a change will create improvement, it quite often will result in an initial decline in processing time at first (see lesson #9). Once the improvement has been fully implemented, and has taken hold, only at that time will the change start to result in an improvement in efficiency.
One final thought, process improvement isn’t about large, grandiose improvements. Quite often they can be small improvements that don’t initially benefit anyone but you. However, as these improvements take hold, other people will start to see the benefit of what it is you have implemented. I have always implemented improvements because they have benefited me in some way. However, the subsequent result, has been that these improvements will quite often improve other areas of an organization as well. It may not have started out this way, but the result of the cumulative effect of these changes is what will create the larger organizational impact.
