The most difficult step in business process improvement is the development of the future state. It requires an understanding of the weaknesses in the current process, and an understanding of what is possible with improved technology. Ultra facilitates a BPI workshop with the key stakeholders of the business process. Let’s recap how we got to this point:
- We established a BPI team
- We examined current processes
- We documented current processes
- We educated the team on “what is possible” with process improvements
In the workshop, the existing processes are reviewed and the facilitator leads the team through a re-design of the business process. These sessions can parallel process re-design activities in Kaizen events or Six Sigma projects. The output of the session is a detail process map and a definition of the process steps. Multiple levels of process maps are created similar to the maps used in the documentation of the current processes:
- Level 1 – Enterprise
- Level 2 – Department
- Level 3 – Process
- Level 4 – Sub Process
As the team develops the new process map, they determine if the process can be implemented with current technology or requires new technology.
If the process requires new technology, the future state documentation becomes input to new technology requirements and to the design phase of the implementation of new technology. If the process can be implemented with current technology, the future state documentation becomes input to a BPI project that implements the new process. This project will include training users on the new process, and change management activities.