Why process improvement is a missed opportunity, go for process innovation.

25 Feb Why process improvement is a missed opportunity, go for process innovation.

Words limit expectations.  ‘Improvement’ is a word often used in business, however in such a way that it has set expectations to marginal improvements.  Words such as transformation, disruption, realignment and others are an attempt to break away from this operational view and look for strategic jumps.

So why are we still talking about process improvement when our experience of Business Process Management (BPM) indicates strategic jumps are the normal result for process projects?  Probably because many executives and managers whose careers are functionally based are used to improvement programs that drive towards functional improvements, often of relatively modest proportions. Transformation programs can take the enterprise view and higher goals, but they often still focus on functional improvements.

The point about processes are that they are cross-functional and focused on delivery to customers, they do not falter at functional boundaries.  Process programs and projects need to be sponsored at the top of the organisation in order to avoid falling foul of functional territoriality.  As they are enterprise-wide the view changes from operational improvements and creates the opportunity for complete redesign across the organisation, yielding strategic jumps in value delivery and efficiencies.

Process improvement is worthwhile ongoing operational work, but to talk about process improvement projects is to miss the opportunity for radical change and to miss the opportunity for strategic jumps.  So please, do not talk about process improvement when you are talking about process projects, talk about radical process change, talk about process innovation.  Setting expectations high will deliver surprising and gratifying results.