Structured Process Design

The purpose of this segment is to define the key steps which are involved in designing and implementing effective processes.
Each key step is described in outline below.

Step 1 - Select a process

The first step is to identify a process which is core to the business and is in need of definition, re-alignment or improvement. This normally involves analysing the Business Model, identify core processes and selecting the one which requires highest priority attention. Once one is selected, a Process Owner must be nominated and senior sponsorship obtained in order to solicit buy-in from the stakeholders affected.

Step 2 - Map the process

Once a process has been selected for attention, this step puts it in context by defining:

• the objectives of the process.
• the customers of the process.
• the process stakeholders
• the key process inputs, outputs and steps
• the flow of activity across the Stakeholder base at a macro level.

This step involves extensive consultation with stakeholders in order to clarify products, interfaces and scope of activities performed.

Step 3 - Define the process

This step further defines the activity contained in the process map at a more detailed level, and builds in to the process definition the controls necessary to manage process efficiency and effectiveness and drive continual improvement. It involves customers and all other stakeholders quite extensively. This step involves:

• identifying customer requirements and validating them to ensure they are realistic and achievable (may involve negotiation and expectation setting);
• defining activities, interfaces, inputs, outputs, business rules and decision criteria in more detail than that contained in the Process Map;
• defining quality indicators in order to assess process capability success criteria (i.e. whether or not process outputs meet validated customer requirements.);
• defining process indicators in order to assess process stability (i.e.that the volumes of work handled by the process are within expected limits, and that each Stakeholder has set targets for performance within their own area);
• defining how to identify non conformances based on process indicators, and specifying the corrective action that must be taken to prevent impact on output quality;
• defining how periodic reviews of process efficiency and effectiveness are conducted, and how to underpin performance shortfalls with improvement plans.

Step 4 - Implement the process

This step involves planning and carrying out the work required to implement the process defined in Step 3. It involves customers and all other stakeholders quite extensively. This step involves:

• Planning the steps involved in implementation, including setting acceptance criteria and timescales for Step 5 - Run and Verify the Process
• Communicating the new process definition and implementation intention widely to all stakeholders affected
• Assessing requirements for detailed Work Instructions, supporting documentation and ISO 9001 implications
• Defining Work Instructions and supporting documentation
• Defining requirements for additional or modified support systems
• Developing, testing and populating the new or modified support systems; and On-The-Job Training & Integration

Step 5 - Run And Verify The Process

Once the process has been implemented, a period of Active Commissioning is required in order to stabilise the process, ensure it is capable of meeting valid customer requirements, and is ISO9001 compliant. The key activities involved are:

Assess Stability

This focuses on making sure the process is stable and is consistently meeting the process performance measures within the supply chain (including supply contracts). Control charts may need to be created, used and interpreted in order to identify and resolve inconsistencies.

Process stability should be achieved before moving on to assess Capability, as an unstable process is unlikely to produce products that are capable of meeting valid customer requirements.

Assess Capability

Once process stability is achieved it will be possible to verify that products consistently meet valid customer requirements. Histograms may need to be created, used and interpreted in order to identify and resolve inconsistencies.

Assess ISO Compliance

Once the process is capable, the process documentation produced can be assessed to verify that it conforms to the yardstick for process documentation as outlined in the next section of this document.

An ISO 9001 internal health check can also be conducted to ensure that ISO compliance is maintained. The documentation set produced would include the elements defined in the table below.

Step 6 - Move Into Continual Improvement

At this point, the project can end and the mode of continual improvement entered into.