It would be helpful if a loud bell would ring when it’s time for your company to embrace process improvement. Since that’s unlikely to happen, you’ll need to be on the lookout for indicators that tell you when it’s time.
There’s no one size fits all rule for this, but the indicators below can help you decide.
Any endeavor that impacts how your company functions should have a “C” level executive who owns it. You can’t get the attention and resources you need without a commitment from the top. This person needs to be excited about the change and one who sees how the company will benefit from the investment required to make necessary changes.
In addition to having a top leader committed, a core team should be formed to guide the effort. Members of this team should be representative of functions across the company. The last thing you want to do is have a team leading the effort who doesn’t even understand the issues. Your line of business staff will be valuable members for this team.
Before the team gets started, it’s important they know what problem they’re tackling and why they’re tackling it. Here are three key questions that should be addressed before they even begin.
The main thing to remember is – don’t start unless you’re willing to take action. There are a lot of good changes that will come out of this effort, but if they never get implemented it will be a total waste of time and money.
And remember, making process improvement changes can cause your company to initially take a big hit in productivity. There’s always a dip before the payoff as people in your company get on board. Plus the change process itself requires dedicated resources of people who are normally doing other jobs. It would be tempting to put the brakes on as soon as a productivity dip occurs, but that would be a big mistake.
From the outset, monitor and manage the process. There should be regular communication and reporting to the “C” level. And, if possible, set up a progress dashboard so every employee in the company can see what’s happening.