Driving high quality consistency is all about the everyday process

Whether your organisation is a manufacturer, offers a tradable service, or exists within the public sector, processes play a crucial role in your organisation’s ability to consistently deliver a high quality standard of product/service.

Processes take place every day and take place all around us. In some cases, we play a role in an organisations process, and we may not know it!

So, why are processes important?

We use processes to enable us to achieve a specific known outcome, result, or goal repeatedly e.g., the creation of a quote, the sale of a product/service; the issuing of an invoice; the creation of a new product; the creation of a strategy; the decision on an investment.

If we did not utilise processes, could we honestly say that we would successfully and consistently achieve our desired outcomes, results or goals? Documenting processes and the various stages, steps, and activities associated with them, removes ambiguity, and reduces the likelihood of incorrect decisions being made or incorrect steps taken.

When developing a process, you need to consider that you might not get it right first time; however, that’s OK! The important part is that you recognised you needed a process. You can then work on process refinement until its ready. You must also consider who is/are the right person(s) to create a process? You may think you are the best person; however, in reality there may be someone better suited within your team. It’s important to recognise this and give that person a key role in the development of the process.

Depending on the nature and scale of your organisation you could have tens and even upwards of hundreds of processes. Therefore, it is important that you accurately document (printed and/or digitally) your processes and make them available for reference, in particular for new starts as it can be daunting arriving into a new organisation, and you are the only one who doesn’t know what to do. Having a library/database of the processes needed to support a role is an invaluable resource; however, this is something that can take substantial time to put in place but is an investment that will generate recurring returns.

As your organisation grows and evolves, you will have to develop and upgrade your processes. Ensure you involve the right people and inform everyone who will be engaged in the process. You should also replace (at point of use) any process documentation with new updated versions.

Continuing with the aspect of process upgrading, there will be times when you reach a point where you need to consider transitioning from manual to automated processes, especially as your organisation grows and scales. This can be a daunting and expensive investment. However, take a

step back and look at the benefits of automation (at the right time and place) vs manual.

Remember, no matter your organisation, processes play a crucial role in consistently delivering a high quality standard of product or service. Make the time to map out your processes and invest in their development, your organisation and your customers will reap the rewards.

Dr Scott King is co-founder of Pinnacle Growth Group, a business advisory firm based in Lisburn. Scott is experienced in advising organisations in logistics, aerospace and aviation, tourism and agri to food and drink, construction, renewables and defence.

If you would like to talk about transforming your business for the future in more detail, email Scott at: [email protected]