A systematic approach to optimizing business processes.

What is business process improvement? It is a systematic approach to optimizing business processes so that a business can run smoother, be more productive, and achieve more in less time.

If there is a term or description that can capture the essence of what DATAMARK does, business process improvement (BPI) should be that description.

BPI, a philosophy which seeks to bring radical change to the way companies do business, is an approach that continually seeks answers to the most basic, existential questions of an organization, such as:

"Why do we do business this way?" and "How can we do it better?"

BPI serves as a way of defining an organization's purpose and goals, identifying its customers and stakeholders, and aligning all business processes to achieve the organization's goals.

How Business Process Improvement Works

Regardless of the size of your business or in which industry it operates, there is no doubt about the fact that it stands to benefit from BPI. While we know that BPI obviously strives to improve processes and, in turn, company productivity, it needs to transform many other aspects of a business in order to do this. For example, BPI:

• Seeks to keep the possibility for human error to a minimum,
• Makes sure that work is completed quickly and efficiently – no shortcuts,
• Helps to ensure that employees operate at maximum capacity and are able to complete their tasks reliably,
• Streamlines operations by making certain that each employee knows exactly what to do and how to do it,
• Keeps costs low by optimizing processes and introducing new ones to replace those that are outdated,
• Introduces solutions that allow you to keep track of the performance of your employees across their various daily tasks,
• Enhances employee accountability,
• Sets out precisely what the goals of the business are, and
• Encourages employees to create their own goals to support this vision.

Business Process Improvement Methodologies That We Apply

•  Lean management

“Lean” is designed to do more with less while making continuous, incremental improvements, eliminating redundant activities to get closer to exactly what your customers want. This translates to the five key principles of Lean and focuses on the process:

1. Value - specify the value the customer wants
2. The Value Stream - a value-stream mapping for each product
3. Flow - analyzing each step to maximize efficiencies and reduce waste
4. Pull - using the customer’s needs to improve the process
5. Perfection - minimize the number of steps, time, and information needed

• Six sigma

Six Sigma measures process defects and inconsistencies to improve product quality. A common methodology is DMAIC:

1. Define the system and requirements
2. Measure key aspects of the process and relevant data
3. Analyze the data to identify the root cause of a defect under investigation
4. Improve or optimize the process based on the data analysis
5. Control the future state of the process to correct deviations before they can result in a defective product

• Agile management

Agile project management utilizes an iterative approach, comprised of many incremental steps throughout the life of a project. Often used in software development, Agile Management allows for adaptability.

1. Have a vision for where you want to go
2. Start in a broad direction to the target
3. Learn and adapt to conditions or target changes
4. Home in on the target incrementally

•  Total quality management (TQM)

TQM became popular in the 1980s and is defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as “a management approach of an organization centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction and benefits to all members of the organization and society.” (ISO 8402:1944). It focuses on the entire organization rather than on individual processes or products. All departments from marketing to research and personnel from the CEO to logistics personnel are involved.

• Kaizen

Kaizen is a BPI methodology that has been applied in areas such as healthcare, government, and banking. Kaizen is initiated using a PDCA cycle:

1. Plan
2. Do
3. Check
4. Act

Other techniques of BPI can be used in conjunction with the PDCA cycle such as the 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, and other forms of root cause analysis.

BPI Trends

DATAMARK keeps a finger on the pulse of worldwide BPI trends; however, we do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to outsourced business processes. We go the extra mile to implement BPI trends so far as it makes sense for each individual establishment, actively recommending process changes to suit the needs and expectations of each business. For instance, while the current driving BPI trend is to reduce costs, your business may be more interested in improving efficiency in order to enhance employee wellness. Either way, the bottom line is that we tailor-make a BPI solution to suit your establishment.

To learn more about DATAMARK's business process improvement services, please visit our page on Business Reengineering

Call Us: 855.383.1928