Process Improvement

Process Improvement Plan

Sara Unes

University of Phoenix – Operations Management

Ray E. Mowery, Instructor

October 3, 2011

Many would agree that as humans, much time is spent performing various tasks that consume

more time than they would like. Often times a person lacks the knowledge of how to decrease the time spent on particular tasks. By designing and utilizing a process flowchart, metrics can be measured and analyzed to pinpoint where changes can be made to potentially decrease the amount of time spent performing a specific task.

For the purposes of this process, the particular task demanding an increasing amount of time on a daily basis is the task of dealing with, responding to and filing away work e-mails. On an average work day, approximately 30 to 35 e-mails are received and must be looked at, read, responded to or deleted. Not all need immediate attention but figuring out which e-mails need immediate attention and which can be filed away to be dealt with later or deleted upon receipt takes up the bulk of a work day while more time is needed to focus on the tasks that should receive more attention.

Factors affecting the process design

The main factor that affects the process design is ensuring that the sub-question is applicable and pertinent to the task at hand (University of Phoenix materials, 2011). The wrong questions at the beginning of the process may steer the study or process in an incorrect direction. Another factor that influences the process design is to define the purpose of the process. Is this to design a new process? Does the process need to be re-defined? Do current practices prevent process design? Following these questions, a process design needs to be chosen and designed. What specific metrics will be utilized to measure the process? How will those metrics be measured? Are they measurable? Attainable? Time-bound? Relevant?

Once the metrics are defined, options for improvement of the process must be analyzed and...