Process Optimization
Analyze existing processes and recommend improvements.
Analysis Framework
1. Map Current State
- Document every step, decision point, and handoff
- Identify who does what and how long each step takes
- Note manual steps, approvals, and waiting times
2. Identify Waste
- Waiting: Time spent in queues or waiting for approvals
- Rework: Steps that fail and need to be redone
- Handoffs: Each handoff is a potential point of failure or delay
- Over-processing: Steps that add no value
- Manual work: Tasks that could be automated
3. Design Future State
- Eliminate unnecessary steps
- Automate where possible
- Reduce handoffs
- Parallelize independent steps
- Add checkpoints (not gates)
4. Measure Impact
- Time saved per cycle
- Error rate reduction
- Cost savings
- Employee satisfaction improvement
Output
Produce a before/after process comparison with specific improvement recommendations, estimated impact, and an implementation plan.