In Section 5 we listed several questions to ask in order to identify and analyze improvements in a process. Can you think of others?
The questions listed in the chapter, Section 5 include:
• Are the steps in the process arranged in logical sequence?
• Do all steps add value? Can some steps be eliminated and should others be added in order to improve quality or operational performance? Can some be combined? Should some be reordered?
• Are capacities of each step in balance; that is, do bottlenecks exist for which customers will incur excessive waiting time?
• What skills, equipment, and tools are required at each step of the process? Should some steps be automated?
• At which points in the system (sometimes called process fail points) might errors occur that would result in customer dissatisfaction, and how might these errors be corrected?
• At which point or points in the process should performance be measured? What are appropriate measures?
• Where interaction with the customer occurs, what procedures, behaviors and guidelines should employees follow that will present a positive image?
• What is the impact of the process on sustainability? Can we quantify the carbon footprint of the current process?