Process excellence is the capability to deliver what the customer (internal or external) requires, right first time, on time, every time, at the right cost. The ultimate aim is to build a process that can produce predictable and repeatable results. Process excellence is the bedrock on which the success of the business is built.
Processes include all aspects of business performance, from research and development, marketing, sales, supply chain and operations, to logistics and after-sales service. (A process is anything with a clear, desired output, inputs, and a series of steps that are followed in roughly the same sequence each time.)
And, since business success is not the result of mystical events but of process effectiveness, it is necessary to explicitly focus on process design, management and improvement as a matter of strategic importance.
Process excellence is an expansive topic, and in some businesses it is highly technical and specialised. These eight factors are relevant to most. An optimised process:
- Is aligned with the Voice of the Customer (VoC): It is understood who the customers are (internal or external), what they want, and (in the case of the paying customer) what they are prepared to pay for
- Flows: Work and information flow efficiently through the process without defects, delay or unnecessary effort
- Is balanced: Each stage of the process should run at the same speed (‘takt time’) as others, rather than some stages running faster or slower, causing work to build up in some places while others are underutilised
- Is even, and operates within capacity: Process capacity should be closely matched to demand and the process should be neither significantly underutilised, nor overburdened
- Is standardised: The best currently known approach to tasks should be captured, followed, and used as the baseline for further improvement
- Is properly resourced, organised and maintained: The process should be resourced with sufficient:
- People with the right skills, experience, attitudes and motivation
- Equipment, tools and space
- Raw materials and consumables
- Time
- Is error-proofed: The key stages of the process (particularly those that are easy to get wrong, and with serious consequences) are error-proofed
- Is pulled, not pushed: Activity is triggered only by a confirmed requirement, rather than in anticipation of demand that may not materialise
