Learn how to plan and execute a successful business process improvement project in six steps, using various tools and techniques to optimize your workflows and activities.

The importance of incorporating organizational change management best practices at the beginning of a business process improvement project cannot be emphasized enough. You must ensure that individuals within the affected business areas have been included and communicated to throughout the initiative such that they understand what is changing, why changes are happening, what the benefits of the changes are, and how the change will impact their specific business activities and tools.

How can you design a business process improvement project that meets your company's needs?

Business process improvement (BPI) is a systematic approach to identify, analyze, and optimize the workflows and activities that deliver value to your customers and stakeholders. BPI can help you reduce costs, improve quality, increase efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction. However, designing a BPI project that meets your company's needs can be challenging, especially if you have multiple or complex processes, diverse or conflicting goals, or limited resources. In this article, we will share some tips and best practices on how to plan and execute a successful BPI project in six steps.

1 Define the scope and objectives

The first step of any BPI project is to clearly define the scope and objectives of the project. What are the problems or opportunities that you want to address? Which processes are in scope and which are out of scope? What are the expected outcomes and benefits of the project? How will you measure and evaluate the results? These questions will help you establish the scope and objectives of the project, as well as the criteria and indicators for success.

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2 Map the current state

The next step is to map the current state of the processes that are in scope. This means documenting and visualizing how the processes are performed, who is involved, what are the inputs and outputs, what are the steps and tasks, and what are the pain points and inefficiencies. You can use various tools and techniques to map the current state, such as flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, value stream maps, or business process modeling notation (BPMN). The purpose of mapping the current state is to understand the existing situation and identify the gaps and areas for improvement.

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Phil Perry

Information Technology and Project Management Executive | Improve Technology Operations & Project Delivery to Enable Growth, Reduce Costs, & Mitigate Risks
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Carefully select the mapping technique most appropriate for the business processes and teams involved. Sometimes you may need more than one technique, and whenever possible, use tools to visualize your findings to make the information more digestible. To help make a selection, ask questions like: Is it important to know processing times, wait times, critical path, and dependencies? Are the technical systems, applications, networks, and interfaces used by the business impacting the process? What data is being collected, at what points in the process is that data being captured, and how does it changes as it moves through the workflow?

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3 Analyze the root causes

Once you have mapped the current state, you need to analyze the root causes of the problems or inefficiencies that you have identified. Why are these problems occurring? What are the factors or variables that influence them? How do they affect the performance and quality of the processes? You can use various methods and tools to analyze the root causes, such as the 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, Pareto charts, or cause-and-effect matrices. The purpose of analyzing the root causes is to find out the underlying reasons and drivers of the problems and prioritize the most critical ones.

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4 Design the future state

The next step is to design the future state of the processes that are in scope. This means creating and visualizing how the processes should be performed, who should be involved, what should be the inputs and outputs, what should be the steps and tasks, and what should be the improvements and enhancements. You can use the same tools and techniques that you used to map the current state, but with modifications and changes that reflect the desired situation. The purpose of designing the future state is to propose and illustrate the optimal solution and define the requirements and specifications for implementation.

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5 Implement the changes

The next step is to implement the changes that you have designed for the future state. This means executing and applying the modifications and improvements that you have proposed for the processes, people, systems, and resources. You can use various methods and tools to implement the changes, such as project management, change management, stakeholder engagement, training, communication, or testing. The purpose of implementing the changes is to realize and deliver the expected outcomes and benefits of the project and ensure the adoption and sustainability of the solution.

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Phil Perry

Information Technology and Project Management Executive | Improve Technology Operations & Project Delivery to Enable Growth, Reduce Costs, & Mitigate Risks
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The importance of incorporating organizational change management best practices at the beginning of a business process improvement project cannot be emphasized enough. You must ensure that individuals within the affected business areas have been included and communicated to throughout the initiative such that they understand what is changing, why changes are happening, what the benefits of the changes are, and how the change will impact their specific business activities and tools.

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6 Monitor and evaluate the results

The final step is to monitor and evaluate the results of the changes that you have implemented. This means measuring and assessing the performance and quality of the processes, comparing the actual results with the expected results, identifying the achievements and challenges, and collecting and analyzing the feedback and data. You can use various methods and tools to monitor and evaluate the results, such as key performance indicators (KPIs), surveys, interviews, dashboards, or reports. The purpose of monitoring and evaluating the results is to verify and validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the solution and identify the lessons learned and opportunities for further improvement.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Phil Perry

Information Technology and Project Management Executive | Improve Technology Operations & Project Delivery to Enable Growth, Reduce Costs, & Mitigate Risks
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The most streamlined processes and user-friendly tools will ultimately fail if the people using them are not properly aligned and invested. If some vocal stakeholders start to feel unheard or excluded or threatened or change adverse, even the most well-intentioned business process improvement projects with tangible benefits will struggle to finish successfully and realize their goals. Be as thorough as possible when analyzing the process information and data by not underestimating or forgetting the people component of any proposed improvements.

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How can you design a business process improvement project that meets your company's needs?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Define the scope and objectives

2 Map the current state

3 Analyze the root causes

4 Design the future state

5 Implement the changes

6 Monitor and evaluate the results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Information Systems

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How can you design a business process improvement project that meets your company's needs?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Define the scope and objectives

2 Map the current state

3 Analyze the root causes

4 Design the future state

5 Implement the changes

6 Monitor and evaluate the results

7 Here’s what else to consider

Information Systems

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