100-Metodos-de-Qualidade-Total

204 100 METHODS FOR TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Method 89
Process analysis
Purpose
Enables a group to look for opportunities to improve processes. It can also
be used to identify standards and measures for critical parts of processes.
When to use
A problem-solving team would use process analysis to discover gaps, dead
ends or duplications in business processes and to show where improvements
can be made.
How to use
This simple technique involves examining all the steps in a process and
evaluating each of them critically.
1 Draw an outline flowchart of the process. This should be done by all
members of the group who must be representative of the departments
through which the process passes.
2 Each team member then draws a detailed flowchart for his or her own
part of the process. This should then be agreed by other members of his
or her department.
3 Analyse the flowcharts to look for dead ends, duplications and parts of
the process that are missing. It is often neglected detail, such as
standard instructions, that leads to excess process variability.
4 Plan to change the process according to the findings in 3.
5 Use the flowchart to identify what to measure and where to measure it.
These measures can be fed back and used to improve the process.
Benefits
Often people in the same department believe that they are carrying out
tasks in the same way but when the process is examined in detail it can be
seen that there are critical differences.
An additional benefit is that many processes are not designed but
develop with people's jobs. Frequently, no one challenges whether the
process itself is still necessary or whether the steps give the best way to
achieve the desired result.