Cost Reduction Through Process Mapping - Evidence Based Activities

Process reengineering exercises are often treateddollars per year in lost productivity and time of others
with skepticism. They are seen as expensiverunning around attempting to get computer network
documentation exercises that do not add tangibleaccess regranted to the contractors.
business benefits. Unfortunately this negative view ofThis is a perfect evidence based example for a
process mapping has some justification in that teamsProcess Improvement initiative; it would be simple to
of process specialists are frequently employed tocalculate the benefit of replacing the current process
document what happens or should happen and thewith one that addresses the constraint (the Theory of
benefit of the mapping activities are either notConstraints can certainly be used to good affect here
communicated or are inadequately justified (or, a littlein identifying the bottleneck in the process). Some
too frequently, results just aren't forthcoming).effort in mapping the 'as is' and 'to be' processes and
Towards Evidence Based Process Mappinginitiating activities to reach the 'to be' process will likely
Process improvement exercises, if performed for therealize significant cost savings and productivity
correct reasons, can be substantially beneficial inincreases. What is stopping this process improvement
meeting organizational goals. The key to successfulactivity taking place however is that either the process
process enhancement, from a strategic perspective, isowner is unaware of the need to improve the process
to aim for high performance and tangible business(this is hard to believe) or the benefits of a process
benefits. The objectives of any process mapping, asengineering exercise hasn't been calculated. The result
well as expected results, must be communicated atof not reengineering this particular process is that
project initiation. Subsequent to the new processmoney continues to be needlessly spent whilst
implementation actual results must be communicated.contractors remain unproductive!
The justifying of process improvement initiatives aimsRecommendations
to align tangible business benefits with any processProcess Mapping and reengineering can realize cost
improvement work.savings, productivity improvements and income
Process Examplegeneration. The key to process improvement buy-in
The most effective means of conveying the necessityremains in the focusing and communicating of benefits
of evidence based Process Mapping is demonstratedto be attained by Process Mapping initiatives. Here are
via an example:the key recommendations:
I have worked occasionally for a certain large
organization. This organization employs several1. Ensure that all processes have an Owner.
thousand time based contractors whose contracts are2. Process Owners must be held accountable for
often extended beyond the usual six month contractcontinuous process improvement.
term. The organization is very good at disabling3. Process improvement initiatives must be evidence
computer network accounts of the contractors whenbased and aligned to organizational objectives.
their contracts expiration dates are realized. The4. Communication of process improvement successes
problem arises in that if the contract is renewed thenmust be communicated.
the expiration date is not amended timeously to matchAs in the example, process improvement can work
the new expiration date. This results in thousands ofsignificantly towards organizational objectives. The
contractors being unable to login to the computercost spent on Process Mapping and Improvement, if
network for up to a few days each per year. At abased on evidence, will be money very well spent!
very rough guess this would cost well over a million