GD Barkwell & Associates Inc.

• Warning - you must have Javascript enabled to use this site properly •

Home

The Road to Improvement - People and Processes

"The decision that you make today will decide the direction you take tomorrow"

On the road to organizational improvement many organizations are perplexed when trying to implement change to improve effectiveness. When working with our clients we begin the process by asking the following questions:

Where is your organization now?

Where does your organization need to be?

How will you get there?

Once you’ve answered the first two questions, our organizational effectiveness model suggests starting with the heart of any organization – the critical ‘performance link’ between people and processes - to answer the third question.

Let’s look at processes. Eighty-five percent of an organization’s problems and inefficiencies lie in its processes – only fifteen percent lie in its workers. Accordingly, it makes sense to put a lot of resources and energy into improving internal systems. A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process. It is helpful to think of processes as the map people follow on the road to improvement. A lot of time and energy needs to be spent on the map to ensure that it is correct and provides efficient direction.

However, an organization that tries to implement new processes and ignores its people is destined to fail. To achieve any improvement it is important to look at the way people actually perform their work, including the influences on individual performance. Using the map analogy, the people must be trained to read the map and feel confident that it provides the best direction to obtain the desired result.

While we can start with any component of our Organizational Effectiveness Model, we’ve had great success by starting with the ‘performance link’, which focuses on people and processes. Here is one recent example:

A client recently asked us to develop a Parts Supply Tracking System to help them improve their processes. The client is upgrading their ISO registration to the 2000 standard and the database is an integral part of their Business Management System.

The database is used to track all requested part quotations for customers, all requested quotations from suppliers and features many reports and forms to help the company manage its day to day operations.

We employ a holistic approach in our engagements because we’ve found that in a dynamic organization, any improvement in one area has the potential to improve another area of the business. We call this the ‘positive ripple effect’. In this example, we not only have an improvement in technology, we also achieved the following measurable results:

Customer relations improved because the technology allowed the team to track orders in all phases.

Operations/facilities were improved because the database helped track inventories.
Finances were improved because the database allows the company to better manage their profit margins.

The use of the Tracking System is helping this client and its people be more effective, efficient and most importantly more profitable.

Look for future articles to learn more about our approach to Organizational Improvement.