The Power of Business Process Improvement

Step 6: Apply Improvement Techniques

Process Mapping Tools

The Eight Sections of the Scope Definition Document

Documenting the Process

evaluation, recall Pete Hodges, the regional sales manager

Figure 2-6 Process Prioritization Table Framework: Current State

Hoshin has two components based on two Chinese characters: ho, meaning method or form, and shin, meaning needle or compass.

Hoshin Kanri

This strategic planning approach, developed in Japan in the 1960s, uses the collective thinking power of every employee to assist a company in rising to the top of its field. The concept of including “all” is key to Hoshin Kanri, so companies focus on a shared goal.

Every method draws its basis from the total quality management movement, introduced in the 1950s, which continually grew in the 1980s as American companies competed against the quality of Japanese products. In 1987, the U.S. Congress announced the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, named for President Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Commerce, which recognizes companies for performance excellence.

As you read this book, notice that the steps follow a specific order because the result of one step assists in performing the next step. In process terminology, you hear this progression described in terms of inputs and outputs.