Process improvement

As many clients have had to down-size over the past few years, there is an appreciation that with a smaller workforce, it is about working smarter, not harder. Our process improvement practice is not just about process redesign; we work to find the true value that can come from eliminating waste, improving work-flow and understanding customer value.

Finding the right method is one of the most difficult parts of productivity improvement efforts. Broadly speaking there are three key approaches to process and structural problems in the current market and each has its own ideal context:

Six sigma

• Suitable when root cause is unknown
• Uses robust statistical analysis
• Can take longer to embed
• More expensive

Lean

• Suitable for projects where you want faster results
• Can quickly reduce costs
• Engages employees
• Cheaper to deploy in most cases

Process re-engineering

• Used to completely review and restructure processes
• Should be used alongside lean thinking

We will work with you to determine the most appropriate tools for the job from our extensive and unique toolkit. We are available not only to help you build the plan but to help you implement.

Our team has an exclusive relationship with Bevington Group (Melbourne, Australia) which offers a hybrid productivity improvement methodology. This technique combines the practical improvement focus of lean with some of the structural elements of process re-engineering to allow a more nimble and rapid approach to business improvement. It covers both structure & process solutions, is supportive of quick-wins and rapid implementation and provides detailed quantification capability.

From simple process re-design to a full Process Improvement methodology, we can help your organisation become more efficient and effective. The key benefits of applying lean thinking to any business are:

• decreased operating costs through productivity improvements (eliminating waste). This cost saving can be up to 30%
• increased staff morale and motivation (high employee engagement). Productivity has been shown to improve up to 50% with improvements in staff motivation
• improved customer service (by delivering to their expectations)
• increased management time spent on value activities as opposed to time spent dealing with noise. 

Our experience shows that 30-50 per cent or more of the activity in an organisation’s processes is simply noise (waste). We have found that we can rapidly identify where this noise is and turn it into productive capacity. Furthermore we can teach these methods to you. What would you do with 20% more productivity?

Key services

Process documentation/mapping/improvement

Process re-design comes in many forms, and sometimes the first steps are simply documenting the current process as a means to understand. Our experienced Associates can quickly assist your team to capture the process as we know it and produce easy to understand maps as a basis for action. We are skilled in using the major platforms such as XSOL and Visio.

Lean methods

Simply put, lean thinking maximises customer value by minimising waste. It is about expanding capacity by reducing costs and shortening cycle times while making sure all process steps are focused on adding value to the customer.

Bevington XeP3

Bevington Group have patented a tool (XeP3) to provide a hybrid of the lean and process re-engineering methodologies which has proven to be hugely powerful. In 2010, we signed an agreement with Bevington for the exclusive rights to practice this methodology in New Zealand. It is unique in that it focuses on interfacing activities – all those activities that have to be done, in order to achieve the functional activities associated with a role. Up to 50% of the work done in an organisation is interfacing and is not captured by conventional process improvement methods.