Andrew KazarinoffPrincipal| Qualytic ConsultingNew York, Ny, United States
I need to explain quality management and process improvement in writing to an audience of IT services salespeople. Using no specialized vocabulary, how do I concisely explain: 1)continuous improvement 2) repeatability 3)best practices 4)lessons learned. Is there an "Idiot's Guide to..."? Saving Changes...
Michael WoodProject Manager / Business Analyst / Business Process Improvement Guru| Independent ContractorGig Harbor, Wa, United States
Andrew, I suggest you keep things very simple. Think of Business Process Improvement (BPI) as the umbrella that encompasses reengineering, continuous improvement and quality management. BPI is the process of aligning operational outcomes with strategic objectives and stakeholder needs. It starts with finding where the value gaps exist. This frames the focus of the improvement effort. This is followed by identifying what end-to-end processes, what I call Value-added Delivery Systems (VADS)are falling short of delivering the right value to the right people. These VADS always cut across organizational boundaries. By mapping these VADS and where the short falls in value occur major opportunities for improvement can be discovered. By major I am talking about the kind that deliver 500% to 1,000% return on investment. Typically these kinds of projects fall under the banner of reengineering. Out of this improvement effort falls the metrics for measuring and managing quality. Once the new processes are in place you move into the mode of continuous improvement. Continuous improvement efforts are not nearly as dramatic in yield by do help to constantly re-calibrate the VADS as new and productive ideas are discovered. I suggest you search amazon or other sites for books on reengineering, process improvement and continuous improvement. Also look under topics like Six Sigma and Helix. Hope this helps Saving Changes...
