Process Problem Checklist

Many organizations have processes that “just grew” – they found a way it worked the first time they had to do it, and kept doing it that way.  And sometimes, that’s fine – if it works, go with it.

But how do you know if it works?  Or if it could work better?  Or what your organization might gain if it did?

So here’s a little definition and a few examples to consider (more about these next post!) before we get to the generic diagnostic questions

A process is some sequence of actions that an organization takes to turn some input into some output. Consider the table below for the variety and complexity of processes that an organization may have to do, and the difference that doing it well (smoothly, reliably, quickly) might make.

Input	Process(es)	Output
Customer inquiry	Response	Satisfied customer
Request for Bid	Response	No-Bid, Bid
Claim	Evaluate Pay	Check, Letter
Production emergency	Troubleshoot Fix, test	Production restored, minimized loss
Installation request	Coordinate resources Do installation	Satisfied customer
Employee quits	Exit interview Recruit replacement Train replacement	Productive new employee on board
Fire	Follow safety process Do disaster recovery Interim operations	Organization function restored

Processes might be unknown, unexamined, undefined, broken, redundant, wasteful, erratic, or a host of other conditions that can be really expensive and wasteful of time, reputation, and other resources.  The difference is often pretty big -- imagine the consequences if processes in the table above went badly wrong.

So here’s a quick process checklist to see if any particular process might need attention.

1)  Have you done it before?
2)  Who is responsible?  Who else is involved?
3)  Does everyone affected by this know who’s responsible for what?
4)  Did any of these happen the last time(s) the process was used?

• Confusion
• Delays
• Surprises
• Mistakes
• Rework
• Wasted time, materials, resources

5) Is the process documented?
6) Does everyone affected by this know how it’s supposed to work?
7) Is it clear how this process affects other processes?
 

So that’s the basic checklist.  If I’ve missed anything in this quick diagnostic, or if you’d like to suggest adding anything, please feel free to comment.

And next time, we’ll dig into the consequences of some process run amok from the table above, to explore just how costly it can be.