Process Redesign (Engineering Process Improvement Series): The Implementation Guide for Managers / Edition 1

by Authur R. Tenner, Irving J. DeToro, Thomas A. Stewart, Robert C. Camp, John W. Wesner

Overview

Reengineering and Total Quality Management promised dramatic improvements in profit, efficiency, and quality, but a number of TQM initiatives ended in failure as a result of an incorrect or incomplete implementation process. Here is a book that will help put the odds on your side by giving you specific skills and experience-based advice for successfully planning and implementing process design.

Comprehensive in scope, this book integrates the three major approaches to process redesign -- benchmarking, continuous improvement, and reengineering -- showing how to combine them for maximum effectiveness. It explains the circumstances for which each approach is appropriate and describes how to apply each specific technique effectively. The book also points out the many potential pitfalls that can impede even the most well thought out program.

You will find detailed and methodical coverage of such topics as defining processes, measuring performance, reducing cycle times, team building, benchmarking, the critical success factors for reengineering, and much more. Numerous examples from many different industries demonstrate concepts and techniques in action, illustrate common mistakes, and provide a model for successful implementation that you can apply to your own organization.

The information is presented in an accessible format, with guidelines, checklists, worksheets, discussion questions, and clear graphics to help you absorb essential information quickly and apply it successfully.

0201633914B04062001

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780201633917
Publisher:	Prentice Hall
Publication date:	09/05/1996
Series:	Engineering Process Improvement Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	332
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.93(d)

About the Author

Arthur R. Tenner is Engineering Practices Coordinator for the Exxon Research and Engineering Company, where he contributes to improving quality, productivity, and reliability of Exxon's operations worldwide. Mr. Tenner graduated from Cornell University with B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering.

Irving J. DeToro is President of The Quality Network, Ltd., a consulting firm specializing in process management issues. Previously, he spent 23 years at Xerox Corporation, during which time he visited some of Japan's most successful businesses and helped develop Xerox's Leadership Through Quality initiative. He holds a B.S. in economics from The Wharton School and an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester.

0201633914AB04062001

Read an Excerpt

Total quality management was the dominant business strategy of the 1980s and reshaped many corporations around the world. In spite of the successes achieved by some, it eluded just as many, mostly because these companies were unable to tie quality to results like increased revenues, profits, or market share. The road to total quality management became littered with the companies that gave up or got lost along the way.

Similarly, reengineering, a technique for achieving quantum leaps in performance, became one of the hottest business topics of the early 1990s. But what are the results? Michael Hammer and James Champy, authors of the best-selling Reengineering the Corporation, estimated in early 1994 that well over half of the radical change programs they advocated faded into oblivion (Stewart, Thomas A. 1994. "Rate Your Readiness to Change." Fortune, February 7, 106.). Yet numerous CEOs continue to hoist the reengineering banner in campaigns to achieve radical improvement.

In recognition of the difficulty of leading an effective change effort, we've written a book to help increase the chances of success in improving organization-wide performance. This book is built on our experience, first as practitioners and then as consultants. It is designed for leaders at any level who are committed to drastically improving their organization's performance through redesigning its processes. This book goes beyond "the quick-read books" on total quality management and reengineering by providing a step-by-step guide on what to do.

Our principal objective is to offer specific and comprehensive guidance on how to achieve world-class performance by systematically improving processes. We set the stage with fundamental information to help you understand the concepts. We then provide details on specific techniques and share our experience with a variety of companies through extensive examples.

Part I describes the organizational culture, leadership, and strategic elements that serve as the foundation for improvement. This section is organized as a brief text on the fundamental principles of process management and direction setting.

Part II provides guidance on how to analyze performance. This section presents instructions and worksheets for identifying core processes and for prioritizing changes required in products, services, and processes. Tools and techniques are explained for documenting processes and measuring performance.

Part III is the heart of the book. It describes how to improve processes, beginning with chartering improvement teams. This section details continuous improvement and two more aggressive approaches: benchmarking and reengineering. We build on our earlier book, Total Quality Management: Three Steps to Continuous Improvement, and explain benchmarking in accordance with that subject's leading authority and a valued associate, Robert C. Camp.

The book features extensive checklists and graphics to clarify key points. Discussion questions are offered at the end of each chapter to stimulate reader's thinking about the possible application of the tools, techniques, and approaches to their own organization.

Table of Contents

Foreword.

Preface.

I: CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS.

1. Quick Reference Guide to Process Redesign.

Cultural Requirements. Process Analysis. Process Improvement.

2. Process Management.

Traditional View of Organizations. Process View. Summary. Discussion Questions.

3. Leadership.

Role of Leaders. Setting a Direction. Goals and Objectives. Deployment. Summary. Discussion Questions.

4. Organizational Assessment.

Using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria as an Assessment Tool. MBNQA Performance Categories. Overall Assessment. Summary. Discussion Questions.

II. PROCESS ANALYSIS.

5. Define and Classify Processes.

Defining Process. Distinguishing Between Processes and Outputs. Classifying Processes. Creating a Process Inventory.Summary. Discussion Questions.

6. Identify Core Processes.

A Rationale for Core Processes. Identifying Core Processes. Sample Core Processes. Summary. Discussion Questions.

7. Measure Performance.

Why Measure? Three Types of Measures. A Scoreboard to Improve Performance. Summary. Discussion Questions.

8. Measure Efficiency.

Cost. Variation. Cycle Time. Summary. Discussion Questions.

9. Understand the Customer.

Steps to Understanding Customers' Expectations. What Performance Attributes Do Customers Expect? What Performance Level Is Needed to Satisfy Expectations? What Is the Relative Importance of Each Attribute? Summary. Discussion Questions.

10. Document Processes.

How to Chart a Core Process. How to Create a Subprocess Flowchart. Summary. Discussion Questions.

11. Assess the Process.

Step 1: Qualitative Assessment. Step 2: Quantitative Assessment. Step 3: Setting Direction. Summary. Discussion Questions.

III: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.

12. Planning the Improvement.

Identify the Improvement Subject. Select Improvement Alternatives. Launch Improvement Teams. Summary. Discussion Questions.

13. Continuous Improvement.

Six-Step Improvement Model. Summary. Discussion Questions.

14. Process Benchmarking.

Benchmarking Origins. Planning. Analysis. Integration and Action: Steps 6 Through 10. Summary. Discussion Questions.

15. Reengineering.

Overview of Reengineering. Reengineering Model. Summary. Discussion Questions.

16. Installing the Improved Process.

Integration. Action. Evaluation. Summary. Discussion Questions.

APPENDIXES.

A: APQC Process Classification System.

B: Six-Sigma Analysis. C: Sample Project.

Description. D: The Benchmarking Code of Conduct. E: Texas Instruments Benchmarking Core Team. F: Process Redesign at Xerox Corporation. G: Reengineering the Commercialization Process at Praxair. H: Sample Best Practices Report.

Index.

Preface

Total quality management was the dominant business strategy of the 1980s and reshaped many corporations around the world. In spite of the successes achieved by some, it eluded just as many, mostly because these companies were unable to tie quality to results like increased revenues, profits, or market share. The road to total quality management became littered with the companies that gave up or got lost along the way.

Similarly, reengineering, a technique for achieving quantum leaps in performance, became one of the hottest business topics of the early 1990s. But what are the results? Michael Hammer and James Champy, authors of the best-selling Reengineering the Corporation, estimated in early 1994 that well over half of the radical change programs they advocated faded into oblivion (Stewart, Thomas A. 1994. "Rate Your Readiness to Change." Fortune, February 7, 106.). Yet numerous CEOs continue to hoist the reengineering banner in campaigns to achieve radical improvement.

In recognition of the difficulty of leading an effective change effort, we've written a book to help increase the chances of success in improving organization-wide performance. This book is built on our experience, first as practitioners and then as consultants. It is designed for leaders at any level who are committed to drastically improving their organization's performance through redesigning its processes. This book goes beyond "the quick-read books" on total quality management and reengineering by providing a step-by-step guide on what to do.

Our principal objective is to offer specific and comprehensive guidance on how to achieve world-class performance by systematically improving processes. We set the stage with fundamental information to help you understand the concepts. We then provide details on specific techniques and share our experience with a variety of companies through extensive examples.

Part I describes the organizational culture, leadership, and strategic elements that serve as the foundation for improvement. This section is organized as a brief text on the fundamental principles of process management and direction setting.

Part II provides guidance on how to analyze performance. This section presents instructions and worksheets for identifying core processes and for prioritizing changes required in products, services, and processes. Tools and techniques are explained for documenting processes and measuring performance.

Part III is the heart of the book. It describes how to improve processes, beginning with chartering improvement teams. This section details continuous improvement and two more aggressive approaches: benchmarking and reengineering. We build on our earlier book, Total Quality Management: Three Steps to Continuous Improvement, and explain benchmarking in accordance with that subject's leading authority and a valued associate, Robert C. Camp.

The book features extensive checklists and graphics to clarify key points. Discussion questions are offered at the end of each chapter to stimulate reader's thinking about the possible application of the tools, techniques, and approaches to their own organization.

0201633914P04062001

Editorial Reviews

DeToro (President, The Quality Network, Ltd.) and Tenner (Engineering Practices Coordinator, Exxon Research and Engineering Company) tell how to develop a program that achieves the goal of improvements in profit, efficiency, and quality. Part I examines cultural requirements, leadership, and understanding an organization's current situation. Part II explains defining and identifying core processes, measuring performance and efficiency, understanding the customer's needs, documenting the program, and setting appropriate goals. Part III details how to plan an improvement program, provides an explanation of benchmarking techniques, and discusses critical success factors. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews