Office procedure mapping
Discussion
Out of the Blue I got a call from our sales director this morning to say he had been chatting with his brother over the weekend.His brother is the MD of a mid sized successful UK company and apparently their discussion turned to work and the brother told our SD about how they had smoothed their office procedures by mapping the processes.His feeling is that we should focus on the manual procedures to see if we can automate them.He finished by saying if you think its a waste of time just tell me.Im guessing he knew I would not reject the idea.
We are a small company with 3-4 staff in the office and we have like a lot of companies had to take several measures to ride out the storm including salary cuts.
I guess you all know where Im going with this and perhaps part of it is my own struggle with self worth but I cant help feeling suspicious.
Our MD is a transparent guy who I like & respect Im toying with the idea of asking him why our SD is making this suggestion.
Just venting a little and interested in your thoughts.
We are a small company with 3-4 staff in the office and we have like a lot of companies had to take several measures to ride out the storm including salary cuts.
I guess you all know where Im going with this and perhaps part of it is my own struggle with self worth but I cant help feeling suspicious.
Our MD is a transparent guy who I like & respect Im toying with the idea of asking him why our SD is making this suggestion.
Just venting a little and interested in your thoughts.
rich1231 said:
Id sack you for being a tool.
You do know that its good to be more efficient dont you?
Depends what methods they intend to use to become more efficientYou do know that its good to be more efficient dont you?
Go round the office using common sense to figure out how to make things more efficient - Excellent idea
Get some lean thinking karate black belt sigma alpha t
t in to go round charging a fortune to spout their bullst all day - Bad idea, and expensive.It's probably worth looking at, but with two caveats:
Odds are there are some significant improvements you can make, but they are likeely to be small actions (a ticket/kan-ban, job sheet to run through the system, centralised live documents on the computer that everyone can dip into) that lead to better processes. Look for best practice (who's doing it better in the department), and work through the "problem":
- Automation does not necessarily mean better
- Focus on quality (and the savings through doing it right first time) rather than cost savings through reduced workloads.
Odds are there are some significant improvements you can make, but they are likeely to be small actions (a ticket/kan-ban, job sheet to run through the system, centralised live documents on the computer that everyone can dip into) that lead to better processes. Look for best practice (who's doing it better in the department), and work through the "problem":
- What exactly are the problems all functions have with a particular system?
- Set objectives
- Design a system that works (and doesn't introduce new constraints)
- Test it
- Fix & launch.
rich1231 said:
Id sack you for being a tool.
You do know that its good to be more efficient dont you?
You are entitled to your opinion of course and I guess my post does come across as if I dont support the idea.I helped setup this business right from the beginning and I am always very interested in progress and anything that makes the company more efficient.You do know that its good to be more efficient dont you?
Thanks all for the comments.
Edited by macp on Monday 30th November 13:12
Hi, it may actually help you to find out what happens.
I did a similar exercise for a company I worked for, a good starting point is to get a management commitment to have a 'no redundancy'deal. If you don't get that then think again!
In our case it helped identify wasted effort, where people were looking for information that with a bit of work could be added to the computer system to automatically fill in - things like item weights and pack sizes.
Automation needs mega input and maintenance so isn't the answer to everything.
Done properly such an exercise can show where things aren't flowing smoothly, and it give people a chance to get involved and maybe get rid of some frustrations. (And it might actually make the office more productive, freeing up time for Sales calls or proactive 'how can we serve you better' type calls to clients.
This is the guy we used as facilitator until we got up to speed, he has some guides on his website.
http://leankaizen.com/
I did a similar exercise for a company I worked for, a good starting point is to get a management commitment to have a 'no redundancy'deal. If you don't get that then think again!
In our case it helped identify wasted effort, where people were looking for information that with a bit of work could be added to the computer system to automatically fill in - things like item weights and pack sizes.
Automation needs mega input and maintenance so isn't the answer to everything.
Done properly such an exercise can show where things aren't flowing smoothly, and it give people a chance to get involved and maybe get rid of some frustrations. (And it might actually make the office more productive, freeing up time for Sales calls or proactive 'how can we serve you better' type calls to clients.
This is the guy we used as facilitator until we got up to speed, he has some guides on his website.
http://leankaizen.com/
munroman said:
Hi, it may actually help you to find out what happens.
I did a similar exercise for a company I worked for, a good starting point is to get a management commitment to have a 'no redundancy'deal. If you don't get that then think again!
In our case it helped identify wasted effort, where people were looking for information that with a bit of work could be added to the computer system to automatically fill in - things like item weights and pack sizes.
Automation needs mega input and maintenance so isn't the answer to everything.
Done properly such an exercise can show where things aren't flowing smoothly, and it give people a chance to get involved and maybe get rid of some frustrations. (And it might actually make the office more productive, freeing up time for Sales calls or proactive 'how can we serve you better' type calls to clients.
This is the guy we used as facilitator until we got up to speed, he has some guides on his website.
http://leankaizen.com/
You have really hit on something here particularly the weights & measures point above.Thankyou I did a similar exercise for a company I worked for, a good starting point is to get a management commitment to have a 'no redundancy'deal. If you don't get that then think again!
In our case it helped identify wasted effort, where people were looking for information that with a bit of work could be added to the computer system to automatically fill in - things like item weights and pack sizes.
Automation needs mega input and maintenance so isn't the answer to everything.
Done properly such an exercise can show where things aren't flowing smoothly, and it give people a chance to get involved and maybe get rid of some frustrations. (And it might actually make the office more productive, freeing up time for Sales calls or proactive 'how can we serve you better' type calls to clients.
This is the guy we used as facilitator until we got up to speed, he has some guides on his website.
http://leankaizen.com/
If you're in financial services and mean mapping out your sales process, investment process, etc., than that will soon be a regulatory requirement and I may be able to offer help or advice - PM me if that's the case.
If you mean general business processes then I've done some Six Sigma in the past and that's pretty good. Guess we need more info to make a valid comment though!
If you mean general business processes then I've done some Six Sigma in the past and that's pretty good. Guess we need more info to make a valid comment though!
The Fly Fisher said:
If you're in financial services and mean mapping out your sales process, investment process, etc., than that will soon be a regulatory requirement and I may be able to offer help or advice - PM me if that's the case.
If you mean general business processes then I've done some Six Sigma in the past and that's pretty good. Guess we need more info to make a valid comment though!
Thanks just to explain we are a small sales team selling a mostly customised product to original equipment manufacturers.We are frontline support for our customers.We also support a number of our engineers across the UK who try to sell the benefit of using our products against our competitors. If you mean general business processes then I've done some Six Sigma in the past and that's pretty good. Guess we need more info to make a valid comment though!
Going back to the mention of kaizen Im beginning to think that perhaps what I should really be doing is looking at what will improve the way we work.
macp said:
The Fly Fisher said:
If you're in financial services and mean mapping out your sales process, investment process, etc., than that will soon be a regulatory requirement and I may be able to offer help or advice - PM me if that's the case.
If you mean general business processes then I've done some Six Sigma in the past and that's pretty good. Guess we need more info to make a valid comment though!
Thanks just to explain we are a small sales team selling a mostly customised product to original equipment manufacturers.We are frontline support for our customers.We also support a number of our engineers across the UK who try to sell the benefit of using our products against our competitors. If you mean general business processes then I've done some Six Sigma in the past and that's pretty good. Guess we need more info to make a valid comment though!
Going back to the mention of kaizen Im beginning to think that perhaps what I should really be doing is looking at what will improve the way we work.
Taking time out to map out your business processes will always be useful though to document your operating model and root out inefficiencies. Give it a try!
Standardising working processes is never a bad thing.
Lean needs to be practised in this order:
First, 5 S (suggest you google it but basically put things in order, tidy up, minimalise workspaces)
Then linkage and flow (driving out inefficiencies)
Then standard work (standardising processes).
While it is not my area of expertise the company that I work for encourages a 'continuous improvement' philosophy.
I used to work for BAESYSTEMS who had nothing like this at all (surprising for such a big company, but maybe not given what you read in the news about them) so it was all new to me in the workplace when I joined current employer.
Lean needs to be practised in this order:
First, 5 S (suggest you google it but basically put things in order, tidy up, minimalise workspaces)
Then linkage and flow (driving out inefficiencies)
Then standard work (standardising processes).
While it is not my area of expertise the company that I work for encourages a 'continuous improvement' philosophy.
I used to work for BAESYSTEMS who had nothing like this at all (surprising for such a big company, but maybe not given what you read in the news about them) so it was all new to me in the workplace when I joined current employer.
Business process mapping is fairly straightforward in and of itself. The benefit of literally 'mapping out' exactly how you do things from start to finish is it really throws up the small details (or niggles!) that are obstructing the flow of work and thus causes delays, errors etc.
Seeing where these problems lie allows you to address them
Usually it is the employees themselves who have the best suggestions for improvement - they do the work day in, day out and are more than aware of the blockages and often the best source of inspiration on how to overcome them. In my experience it is vital to get the input of the workers themsleves rather than some pretty consultancy report that supposedly tells you how to do your job.
There are many systems available (Lean, Six Sigma...) but my personal opinion is for a small organisation like yours just some straightforward Business Process Improvement would show good results. To adopt Lean or the like is about a whole management system and as Fly Fisher said, perhaps overkill for you guys.
If you wanted to PM for any ideas or advice or example maps I would be happy to chat, it is what I do for a living and I don't specialise in one particular method or have any particular axe to grind.
Seeing where these problems lie allows you to address them
Usually it is the employees themselves who have the best suggestions for improvement - they do the work day in, day out and are more than aware of the blockages and often the best source of inspiration on how to overcome them. In my experience it is vital to get the input of the workers themsleves rather than some pretty consultancy report that supposedly tells you how to do your job.There are many systems available (Lean, Six Sigma...) but my personal opinion is for a small organisation like yours just some straightforward Business Process Improvement would show good results. To adopt Lean or the like is about a whole management system and as Fly Fisher said, perhaps overkill for you guys.
If you wanted to PM for any ideas or advice or example maps I would be happy to chat, it is what I do for a living and I don't specialise in one particular method or have any particular axe to grind.
FastLaneGirl said:
Business process mapping is fairly straightforward in and of itself. The benefit of literally 'mapping out' exactly how you do things from start to finish is it really throws up the small details (or niggles!) that are obstructing the flow of work and thus causes delays, errors etc.
Seeing where these problems lie allows you to address them Usually it is the employees themselves who have the best suggestions for improvement - they do the work day in, day out and are more than aware of the blockages and often the best source of inspiration on how to overcome them. In my experience it is vital to get the input of the workers themsleves rather than some pretty consultancy report that supposedly tells you how to do your job.
There are many systems available (Lean, Six Sigma...) but my personal opinion is for a small organisation like yours just some straightforward Business Process Improvement would show good results. To adopt Lean or the like is about a whole management system and as Fly Fisher said, perhaps overkill for you guys.
If you wanted to PM for any ideas or advice or example maps I would be happy to chat, it is what I do for a living and I don't specialise in one particular method or have any particular axe to grind.
I agree 100% with Fast Lane Girl, in fact that's a great way of articulating it and is a great post!Seeing where these problems lie allows you to address them
Usually it is the employees themselves who have the best suggestions for improvement - they do the work day in, day out and are more than aware of the blockages and often the best source of inspiration on how to overcome them. In my experience it is vital to get the input of the workers themsleves rather than some pretty consultancy report that supposedly tells you how to do your job.There are many systems available (Lean, Six Sigma...) but my personal opinion is for a small organisation like yours just some straightforward Business Process Improvement would show good results. To adopt Lean or the like is about a whole management system and as Fly Fisher said, perhaps overkill for you guys.
If you wanted to PM for any ideas or advice or example maps I would be happy to chat, it is what I do for a living and I don't specialise in one particular method or have any particular axe to grind.
The Fly Fisher said:
I agree 100% with Fast Lane Girl, in fact that's a great way of articulating it and is a great post!
Thanks 
In fact I am up in East Mids currently doing exactly what I have described above and struck again by how great it is when you actually empower the employees themselves to identify and make changes. So simple but so effective. We sorted about 2 years of grinding blockages in a few intense hours today
The Fly Fisher said:
FastLaneGirl said:
Business process mapping is fairly straightforward in and of itself. The benefit of literally 'mapping out' exactly how you do things from start to finish is it really throws up the small details (or niggles!) that are obstructing the flow of work and thus causes delays, errors etc.
Seeing where these problems lie allows you to address them Usually it is the employees themselves who have the best suggestions for improvement - they do the work day in, day out and are more than aware of the blockages and often the best source of inspiration on how to overcome them. In my experience it is vital to get the input of the workers themsleves rather than some pretty consultancy report that supposedly tells you how to do your job.
There are many systems available (Lean, Six Sigma...) but my personal opinion is for a small organisation like yours just some straightforward Business Process Improvement would show good results. To adopt Lean or the like is about a whole management system and as Fly Fisher said, perhaps overkill for you guys.
If you wanted to PM for any ideas or advice or example maps I would be happy to chat, it is what I do for a living and I don't specialise in one particular method or have any particular axe to grind.
I agree 100% with Fast Lane Girl, in fact that's a great way of articulating it and is a great post!Seeing where these problems lie allows you to address them
Usually it is the employees themselves who have the best suggestions for improvement - they do the work day in, day out and are more than aware of the blockages and often the best source of inspiration on how to overcome them. In my experience it is vital to get the input of the workers themsleves rather than some pretty consultancy report that supposedly tells you how to do your job.There are many systems available (Lean, Six Sigma...) but my personal opinion is for a small organisation like yours just some straightforward Business Process Improvement would show good results. To adopt Lean or the like is about a whole management system and as Fly Fisher said, perhaps overkill for you guys.
If you wanted to PM for any ideas or advice or example maps I would be happy to chat, it is what I do for a living and I don't specialise in one particular method or have any particular axe to grind.
t sensible answer for a change.Why cant they all be like her!
I would agree with quality and automation as those are included into most essential parts of a business. Additionally, teamwork makes it also effective as a company may not have achieved successful targets and faced challenges through drawn solutions without the help of each body. Also, it would be great that even though not all members would come under one category, helping each other is always a good motivational idea.
You can also see more ideas here: MassOutsource (dot) com/Report and I myself is been helped a lot.
You can also see more ideas here: MassOutsource (dot) com/Report and I myself is been helped a lot.
FastLaneGirl said:
Business process mapping is fairly straightforward in and of itself. The benefit of literally 'mapping out' exactly how you do things from start to finish is it really throws up the small details (or niggles!) that are obstructing the flow of work and thus causes delays, errors etc.
Seeing where these problems lie allows you to address them Usually it is the employees themselves who have the best suggestions for improvement - they do the work day in, day out and are more than aware of the blockages and often the best source of inspiration on how to overcome them. In my experience it is vital to get the input of the workers themsleves rather than some pretty consultancy report that supposedly tells you how to do your job.
There are many systems available (Lean, Six Sigma...) but my personal opinion is for a small organisation like yours just some straightforward Business Process Improvement would show good results. To adopt Lean or the like is about a whole management system and as Fly Fisher said, perhaps overkill for you guys.
If you wanted to PM for any ideas or advice or example maps I would be happy to chat, it is what I do for a living and I don't specialise in one particular method or have any particular axe to grind.
Thankyou FLG very useful and thanks for the offer of help I will PM you.I love how this thread has turned very much more positive.Thanks all.Seeing where these problems lie allows you to address them
Usually it is the employees themselves who have the best suggestions for improvement - they do the work day in, day out and are more than aware of the blockages and often the best source of inspiration on how to overcome them. In my experience it is vital to get the input of the workers themsleves rather than some pretty consultancy report that supposedly tells you how to do your job.There are many systems available (Lean, Six Sigma...) but my personal opinion is for a small organisation like yours just some straightforward Business Process Improvement would show good results. To adopt Lean or the like is about a whole management system and as Fly Fisher said, perhaps overkill for you guys.
If you wanted to PM for any ideas or advice or example maps I would be happy to chat, it is what I do for a living and I don't specialise in one particular method or have any particular axe to grind.
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