Business Process Improvement Methodologies to Smoothen the Workflow

Business Process Improvement Methodologies Overview: BPI (business process improvement) may be extremely beneficial to an organisation. BPI, for example, reduces the quantity of emails transferred between people and departments in order to improve communication inside a business, with interactive software accessible for all sectors.

Thus, everyone can see and share information, and be sure that it is not lost in the mailbox. It is capable of streamlining any process within an organization. But the only condition that the process improvement methodologies need to be specific and targeted to cater to the process needs.

This is the reason you should understand what business process improvement is and the methodologies that work best for your process improvement.

What is Business Process Improvement (BPI)?

Business Process Improvement (BPI) is the process of creating the business processes that work more efficiently to take your company to achieve higher outcomesIt encompasses all techniques for analysing, identifying, and improving processes in order to improve a company’s overall quality. A variety of systematic approaches, methodologies, and tools are available for supporting the process improvements.
Let’s take a look at some of the many process optimization approaches that might help you optimise your workflow.

What are the Top 10 Business Process Improvement Methodologies to Smoothen the Workflow?

1. Model-Based Integrated Process Improvement Methodology (MIPI).

MIPI explains precisely what has to be done to increase process efficiency. It entails addressing all of the “Hows” in order to enhance a certain process.

There are seven phases in this methodology. These phases are as follows:

1. Understanding and knowing your business needs.
2. Be aware of the existing processes.
3. Business Process mapping and redesigning.
4. modelling process and analysis.
5. Implementation of the new process.
6. Assessment of the new process and methodology.
7. Reviewing the new process.

MIPI highlights the problems that prevent the business from reaching its vision and mission and aligns an organization’s business needs with them.

• Super Methodology.

The goal of this technique is to increase the overall productivity of the operations. A five-step improvement plan guides the super technique.

You can witness better results combining two or more methodologies with it. A small or medium-sized company can effectively benefit from this methodology. The 5 steps for Super Methodology are as follows:

1. Selecting the right process – the one with the potential loopholes and bottlenecks.
2. Understanding the processing system and its various components.
3. Performance measurement through measurement of the current KPIs and other aggregated data for the process.
4. Execution of a new process based on the findings.
5. Reviewing and analyzing the collected data from the new process and comparing it with the previous one.

• Benchmarking Methodology.

The benchmarking methodology’s aim is to encourage adapting workable ideas and strategies, processes, and products or services, from successful organizations (generally from the same industry as yours). And, making suitable comparisons with your business strategies.

The adoption of modifications in the manufacturing process, which was done in the 1980s with a manufacturing shift in the United States, is a successful example of this practise. When Japanese automakers like Honda and Toyota filled the market with reliable, and fuel-efficient cars, Ford and GM adopted the technologies and processes into their own cars to adapt to the new market changes.

•  PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) Methodology

PDCA methodology which was developed at Western Electric by Walter Shewhart involved continuous improvements in the PDCA cycles for improving productivity. The PDCA cycles encourage the accuracy of the planning and effective measurement methods through feedback technology.

The steps of the PDCA cycle:

• Plan: Identify opportunities for change and action plan on ways to implement the changes.
• Do: Apply the changes proposed to the process. Always start with a restricted scope, so you can change the course of action anytime.
• Check Analysis of the results and understanding of the experiment worked using the data-driven metrics.
• Act: Apply everything you learned from the previous steps. If your plan doesn’t yield desired outcomes, then you must adapt and tweak if necessary. If your experiment is a success, then you are ready to incorporate it in the system to get the desired results.
•  Six-Sigma Methodology

Six Sigma is a data-driven management approach that encompasses a set of techniques and tools for business process improvement. Bill Smith, an engineer in Motorola, developed Six Sigma in 1986.

It has garnered a lot of traction and acceptability in the business. It seeks to improve quality by measuring and eliminating defects systematically until the defect number goes to zero.

It works on a five-stage DMAIC framework. The stages namely:

• Define.
• Measure.
• Analyze.
• Improve.
• Control.

Six Sigma methodology is used to improve the business processes, products, or services. Hundreds of businesses have embraced this problem-solving method, saving millions of dollars in the process.

6. Lean Thinking.

The term ‘Lean’ is taken from the Japanese manufacturing industries though it has its roots in the Toyota Production System. Lean thinking allows organizations to become more sustainable.

This methodology’s primary purpose is to provide maximum value to consumers by minimizing or removing superfluous processes in a process.

It means that any step which doesn’t add value to the process is eliminated systematically. The lean methodology helps in the removal of the following types of waste:

• Transportation.
• Inventory
• Motion
• Waiting Time
• Overproduction
• Over-processing
• Defects
• Unutilized talent.

   7. Kaizen Methodology.

Kaizen means, continuous improvement in Japanese. It shows how to improve in a slow, continual, and progressive manner.

The goal of this practise is to achieve a huge change by making tiny, progressive modifications. In Kaizen, there’s a cherished of employee-manager relationships, and employees are highly encouraged to share feedback and suggest ideas.

  8. Total Quality Management (TQM).

Total Quality Management (TQM) methodology is best for companies where cultures keep changing. The goal of TQM is to establish a system of practises, training approaches, and instruments to respond to client expectations.

It encourages teamwork, obligation-based continuous improvement, and improvement ownership driven by the need to keep up with customer needs.

  9. DMADV.

DMADV, commonly known as Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), is a Six Sigma quality process that produces new processes. DMADV does a revolutionary job of transforming the quality levels within the system. Simply put, it creates new and better processes.

Useful for:

• Developing a new process/ product.
• Reducing the errors in a product line.
• Improving customer satisfaction.
• Increasing profits.

 10. SIPOC analysis.

SIPOC analysis is a method for organizing data about the people and objects engaged in your business processes.

Identifying all of the necessary components for a process improvement project. Define complicated undertakings that aren’t well-scoped. During the DMAIC define step, understand the process.

You’ll be listing data under each of the following categories in the SIPOC analysis, so you’ll need information on them.

• Supplier: the people, departments, organizations etc. provides you the input needed to carry out a process.
• Input: raw material, equipment, forms or information and even people that are needed to carry out a process.
• Process: a graphic of the process steps.
• Output: a list of things the process provides to the internal and external customer.
• Customer: a list of internal and external customers who will be receiving your outputs.

Conclusion

Business is no more mere commerce between two enterprises but has become a science and subject of study. A lot of thought and research goes into developing a good business trait and efficient business processes.

Business process improvement is responsible for examining and identifying all the individual structural parts. Using suitable BPI techniques, you can make your process more efficient.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: What is Business Process Improvement (BPI)?

Ans: Business Process Improvement (BPI) is the process of creating the business processes that work more efficiently to take your company to achieve higher outcomes.
It involves all the procedures for analysis, identification, and improvement of the processes to enhance the overall quality within a business. A variety of systematic approaches, methodologies and tools are available for supporting the process improvements.

Q2: What are the top business process improvement methodologies that streamlines the workflow?

Ans: The top 10 business process improvement methodologies that streamline the workflow:
1. Model-Based Integrated Process Improvement Methodology (MIPI).
2. Super Methodology.
3. Benchmarking Methodology.
4. PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) Methodology
5. Six-Sigma Methodology
6. Lean Thinking.
7.Kaizen Methodology.
8. Total Quality Management (TQM).
9. DMADV.
10. SIPOC analysis.

Q3: What is Six-Sigma Methodology?

Ans: Six Sigma is a data-driven management approach that encompasses a set of techniques and tools for business process improvement. Bill Smith, an engineer in Motorola, developed Six Sigma in 1986. It has gained tremendous momentum and acceptance throughout the industry. It seeks to improve quality by measuring and eliminating defects systematically until the defect number goes to zero.

Key Highlights

Business process reengineering

Robotic process automation

Business process transformation

Business process analysis