A company performs various processes every day.

You may go through the same steps while reviewing a customer’s request, or always follow the same stages when manufacturing a product or even file a report in the same way constantly.

The results of process inefficiency are much known.

Unhappy customers stressed employees, rework, wastage and drop in productivity are just some of the ones we can mention.

It is crucial to optimize and improve the processes if you want your organization to grow, or even to survive in the competitive market that exists today.

Business process improvement – steps to take your company to the next level

Business process improvement is a concept that aims to improve a company by improving its processes.

There are innumerous benefits that come with the optimization of processes such as avoid errors, cut costs and wastage, increase profitability, better the communication between sectors and people, deliver value to customers and to be sure that the product or service is going to be delivered to the client with efficiency and efficacy.

Here we will list the business process improvement steps you need to follow to implement BPI in your organization

Step #1 – Map the process

Mapping is crucial.

We can only improve what we can understand.

Decide which process you want to improve and detail its stages by using a flow or diagram. Identify the areas that need improving, and prioritize.

Where are the bottlenecks?

Where does the client or employee get frustrated?

Where is rework happening?

Create clear and specific goals to achieve during the improvement, so that after you can measure the level of achievement. Be specific, but also realistic, set what you want to improve and when.

See also: Process Mapping As Is and To Be

Step #2 – Get the team on board

Always communicate with the people involved.

These are since the personal that deals with the process on a daily basis, until the ones that are affected by the process. Workshops and management meetings are a great way to prepare your staff for the changes that are coming.

Make sure that everybody understands their role in the project.

If everybody sees how these improvements will affect their work, the client’s satisfaction, the productivity, and profitability, it is easy to get excited and ready to work. For this, communicate clearly and set the example!

See also: Business Process Improvement Methodologies

Step #3 – Design the process

Now it is time to put together the information you gathered on the mapping stage with the people involved.

How are you going to implement the improvements desired?

A brainstorming meeting could be a good way to start since the people that handle the process will have a good idea about how the changes should be conducted.

Try to set scenarios, and see how the ideas will translate in a real life situation.

See also: The nine principles of Process Design

Step #4 – Implement the changes

This business process improvement step is the start of the actual change.

It is the moment when the new process is put into practice, and it has to be monitored from the beginning.

The employees, suppliers and managers involved must set the example and embrace the changes from the start.

Step #5 – Execute the process

Execute the new process on a daily basis, always checking for possible bottlenecks and improvement points.

Now we see if the changes visualized actually work in real life. It is important to get feedback from all people involved and gather data (numbers and facts).

Below, see an example of business process automation using HEFLO.

Also, you can execute processes using a smartphone:

Step #6 – Monitor

This is actually better if done through the entire project.

Monitoring is a key business process improvement step, since is by it that we can check what it works and does not work, what can be even more improved, what did not need change at the first time.

Monitoring involves data gathering, and it is crucial that the information is based on numbers and facts, because only that will give us a real vision of the company.

Watch the video below and find out how to create a management dashboard to monitor a business process.

See also: Business Process Lifecycle.

Step #7 – Optimize

Time to start all over again! After we execute and monitor, surely there will be new changes to implement, setting the start of a new project. There is always room for improvement within a process or organization.

If this is built into the company’s culture and valued by everybody, the benefits will appear, and the business will thrive.

As we saw, the business process improvement steps are cyclical, and must be done endlessly in order to work. Always look for a reliable software when implementing them, since the results are worthwhile. If you are in doubts about BPI and if it will work in your small company, click on the link and see that it will! To further know about continuous improvement, keep on our website.