Why does process optimisation matter? Process optimisation is important to businesses because it helps them meet their strategic objectives more efficiently. In turn, customers benefit by receiving better products, delivered faster and usually at a lower price.
Identify a clear start and finish for the process optimisation project
It’s important to define what you want to accomplish before you begin, or you won’t know when — or if — you’ve reached your goals. Make sure your goals are SMART:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Timely
Begin with a short-term, initial project
Process improvement initiatives must deliver measurable achievements or stakeholder commitment and project funding can dry up. By starting with a manageable project, and SMART goals you can develop your process improvement skills, and quickly deliver value to the business. This method will go a long way to ensuring ongoing commitment and the funding of subsequent projects.
Specify the business value you intend to achieve
Successful process improvement initiatives must support the organisation’s strategic objectives. Set realistic, measurable goals that benefit the business and deliver a meaningful return on investment.
For example - The changes to this business process will…
- Reduce the overall cost of the process by __________
- Increase production time by __________
- Cut down on repetitive work by __________
Secure executive buy-in and support throughout the organisation
Before starting any business transformation initiative, ensure that you have executive buy-in and that the proposed changes align with the organisation’s broader strategic goals. Restructuring how employees work can be a significant shift, and many people resist change due to fear of the unknown. Without executive support, the initiative is likely to struggle.
Extend process improvements across the business
Once you’ve completed an initial project successfully, you can expand to additional initiatives. Leveraging and sharing your expertise helps establish a process improvement programme across the organisation.
To achieve full business transformation, process management must move beyond being an IT function and become embedded in how the organisation operates. Aligning your process optimisation efforts with core business strategies enables you to scale improvements across the enterprise and foster sustainable transformation.
Download our helpful template and start optimising your business processes.
