Start with outlining what/how to improve your processes after identifying and analysing them. In short, how can you get better at what you do that saves time and project costs?
Plan your process improvements in such a way that it helps/guides your team on how to analyse the project processes and outlines where there’s room for measurable improvements. It’s an iterative process that occurs throughout the project’s life cycle.
The point of a process improvement plan is to find weak links in the process chain or bottlenecks that are impeding work and then figure out ways to rectify those inefficiencies.
This leads to processes being completed faster, more efficiently and with a greater quality of deliverables.
A process improvement plan will also help to reduce wasted efforts and keep teams working more productively. It helps to reduce any friction that exists in the processes and ensures processes meet regulatory compliance standards when required.
Steps to build a Process Improvement Plan
1. Process mapping- Identify the process that needs improvements. Break and build it down into maps. This will help you get an idea of where the weaknesses are in the process.
2. Analyse- Analyse the process to see where the issues might be. Identify the steps that has a problem, such as delays, over-allocation of resources, too much money spent, idle team members and so on. After problem spot identification, trace back the issue to its origin in order to address its cause and how to avoid it in the future.
3. Redesign- Redesign the process to improve it and avoid the issue when next using it. At this point, involve the whole project team to ensure there are no stones left unturned and everything has been documented in the process. Get their ideas on how to redesign the process and brainstorm with them for more solutions. Then analyse all the solutions offered and figure out which one is the best and most likely to improve the process. Now you’ll want to think about the schedule and whatever risks might be inherent in the redesign.
4. Assign- The go-to people would be the team members who are impacted by this process and its change. However, you might need to reach out beyond that sphere to other people in the organisation with the skill sets required. Once you’ve assembled a team, give them detailed instructions on how to redesign the process and why it’s important. You can use the map you created earlier in the plan to help with this step.
5. Implementation- Create a detailed task list and assignments. This part of the process is just as you would create any project plan, breaking down the deliverables into tasks and assigning each team member those tasks. Create a schedule with a timeline and add tasks, their duration, and any dependencies.
6. Communication- The better your communication, the better the project. Therefore, take the time to communicate your plan to the team and make sure they fully understand their part. Listen, be open to feedback, and make sure the team understands that they’re going to be kept in the loop throughout the whole process. This creates buy-in and helps them embrace the new process.
7. Monitor- Once the team is executing the project, it’s important to track their progress. It provides a window into the project and allows for any tweaks to keep it moving as scheduled. As problems arise, the process starts again.
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