To strive for operational excellence, your organisation must be a constant work in progress.
The clue is in the name – ‘continuous’ improvement! Attention shouldn’t dwindle once a process change has been implemented, even if you believe the initial results will succeed.
So, how do you monitor progress?
Measure Success
How do you know your process improvements are working if you don’t measure the results? You must establish your means to evaluate the process. There are a few ways to do this, including;
- KPI’s (key performance indicators)
The key targets you should track to make the most impact on your strategic business outcomes.
- Metrics
These measure the success of everyday business activities that support your KPIs.
Tools for Measuring Success
- Documentation checklists.
- Control charts.
- Response plans.
- Process maps.
- Process dashboards.
Look for Signs of Improvement
If successful, the following organisational improvements may occur;
- Increased Net Promoter Scores.
- Reduced opex costs (call volumes, customer acquisition cost, customer churn).
- Increase in the number of ‘Refer a Friend’ customers.
- Increased opportunity for cross-selling.
- Increased employee engagement because they are connecting with the purpose of delivering an excellent customer experience.
Establish a Process Management Plan
Once a new process is in place, it’s vital to build a process management plan that lets the team transition the improvement to the process manager.
Select a Process Owner
Decide who will be responsible for the process going forward and make this transparent. Create a Handover Plan for them.
The handover plan should:
- Identify the owner of the process.
- Brief the owner on progress made.
- Pass on further improvement ideas.
- Agree on measures of success.
A review is necessary after the changes have been made to
- Rate against measures of success.
- Gather feedback from customers.
- Gather feedback from process users.
- Update the process owner.
Leaders can’t simply pass on the responsibility for the process and then forget all about it. They will request updates from the relevant managers/owners to inform them of the current situation and will regularly review the metrics. The focus is on ensuring continuous improvement. Otherwise, all the endeavours will have been for nothing.
If you want to learn more about this topic or wish to speak to one of our team members, please visit our website, www.mastersinminds.com.
