Process Improvement
Organisations seeking real process improvement can make use of either ISO 9001 or the Excellence Model as the means to aid reviews of internal business processes in order to help improve their effectiveness and efficiency.

ISO 9001, process review, and re-engineering
Although ISO 9001 can be implemented more or less based on existing business processes if the organisation is already very well managed, the majority, if not all, businesses that adopt ISO 9001 should really be using it as a basis for further improvements, and in fact the the standard requires this. The majority of businesses, and especially those that have experienced rapid growth or change say, will almost certainly benefit anyway from this approach.

Using the Excellence Model
Whereas implementation of ISO 9001 may not actually require a full-blown process re-engineering exercise, adoption of the Excellence Model essentially demands what is virtually a continuous review of business processes and the means of measuring their effectiveness. As there is no certification to be gained, as with ISO 9001, the sole driver for any organisation using The Model is simply that of wanting to improve - or to achieve "business excellence".

Take a Step Back....
Whichever of the above models you are using, the approach to reviewing and improving business processes is much the same. It can be almost boiled down to looking again at the inputs and outputs of a given process, then at how those outputs are actually achieved. This is admittedly an oversimplification, but the best approach is often the simplest. The following points are worth considering when reviewing existing business processes:

• Firstly, does the process actually serve any useful purpose?
• Are there existing outcomes that are not intended, or undesirable?
• What is the desired or expected outcome?
• What are the inputs and are they managed?
• What is simplest means of generating the desired outputs from the inputs?
• How does the process relate to, or impinge on others?
• Is the process over-documented?

There are many ways of undertaking process re-engineering, but the best approach is simply to try to keep the primary objectives or outcomes in mind, and focus on the most effective and efficient means of reaching them.

If you want to just ask a question or two, or wish to discuss further how either ISO 9001 or The Excellence Model can help improve your business, then do call or email.

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Brian Mead, Business Improvement Services
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Email: bis@brianmead.com

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