PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Program Development

University of Massachusetts at Boston

©2007 William Holmes

METHODS OF PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Total Quality Management

Six Sigma

Process Re-engineering

Using Best Practices

Sociotechnical Systems

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Philosophy of Change

Seven-step approach

Long-term approach

Evolutionary approach

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT:SEVEN STEPS

Define systemAssess situationAnalyze causesTry out improvement theoryStudy resultsStandardize improvementsPlan continuous revisions

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT:ISSUES

Slowness of change

Use of invalid data

Some actions not possible

Results may overshadow process

SIX SIGMA

Philosophy of change

Use of customer expectations

Quantitative criteria

Focus on predictable processes

SIX SIGMA:PROCEDURES

Describing process

Quantifying process

Variance identification

Variance reduction

Stabilization of process

PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING

Philosophy of change, downsizing

Seven steps for re-engineering

Integrate and centralize processes

Decentralize decisions

PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING:SEVEN STEPS

Organize around outcomes, not tasks

Prioritize processes

Integrate information into processes

Treat dispersed resources as centralized

Link parallel activities

Put decision points where work performed

Capture information once at source

PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING:ISSUES

Impatient for results

Downsizing wrong people

Assumes dispersed parts will function together

“Carry the wounded, but shoot the stragglers!”

USING BEST PRACTICES

Philosophy of professionalism

Assumption of comparability of programs

Assumption of shared expectations

Sharing of professional assessments

Discussion of professional assessments

USING BEST PRACTICES:ISSUES

Difficulty linking inputs, process, and results

Difficulty agreeing upon what is best

Difficulty agreeing upon benchmarks

Measurement invalidity and unreliability

SOCIOTECHNICAL SYSTEMS

Philosophy of balancing social needs with technical needs in processes

Use of autonomous teams

Use of multidisciplinary teams

Priority of local decisions over administrative control

SOCIOTECHNICAL SYSTEMS:ISSUES

Assumes shared social needs

Allows conflicting authority between administrators and local teams

Effective action may violate org policy

Requires commitment to core principles