Optimize your performance with Process Improvement
Partner with us to improve existing business processes to reduce waste, ensure quality, and improve stakeholder experience.
How do you grow your company and still provide meaningful solutions to your customers, without sacrificing quality? For organizations that are trying to go from $1M+ to $10M in revenue, this is literally The 10 Million Dollar Question. And what is it that $10M companies have, that smaller companies do not?
As a small business owner, you've likely encountered many obstacles in pursuit of sustainable $10M revenue growth. It can be quite demoralizing... you work hard, you put in the extra hours outside of the office, and yet somehow (to this point), you haven't been able to reach this milestone.
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First, let's acknowledge that this is not an easy feat. In fact, less than 1% of businesses surpass the $10M mark. Do not despair, there's a silver lining here... If your business is generating at least $1M per year, you've already beaten out 95% of all businesses in the US. That's right, $1M in annual revenue puts your company in the top 5%.
This means you're not trying to climb a long steep hill from the bottom to reach the top 1%. In reality, you're not all that far from the summit. We're talking about edging out only 4 more measly percentage points to get into the top 1% from where you are. Sound doable? That's because it is! Process Improvement is a crucial step that must be taken to get you to $10M!
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“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”
-Mark Twain
About this Service
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Our Process Improvement services are designed to help you reduce waste, ensure quality, and improve stakeholder experience. We do this by mapping value streams and identifying your core processes, working with your team to document them through Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and instilling continuous improvement techniques. In doing so, your company will be able to save time, save money, reduce risk, and increase employee satisfaction. We want to enable you to take your small or medium-sized business to $10M, and beyond. Your decision to pursue Process Improvement is a step in the right direction to get you there.
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Whatever you've got going on, the odds are, we can help. Here are some of the Core Processes and Value Stream categories in which we specialize:
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Human Resources
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Recruiting
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Customer Service
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Accounting
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Sales to cash
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Procurement
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Inventory
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Manufacturing of consumer products
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Quality
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eCommerce fulfillment
Process Improvement is a key element of Doxazo's Combined Energy Approach™. We use Process Improvement as an opportunity to maximize productivity through enhanced Teamwork, Communication, Effectiveness, and Alignment.
This approach allows us to get everyone on the same page about each of your organization's most crucial processes. We'll help leverage the technology and systems you have in place to automate processes where possible.
For Process Improvement to take root, we believe creating team understanding is an absolute must, but we don't stop there. Our goal is to take the team beyond simple understanding to having confidence and discipline in the execution each of the processes for which they are accountable.
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Further, we do not believe in single points of failure. For each core process, it is not enough to designate an owner and call it a day. We advocate for Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency redundancies to ensure core processes do not fail due to employee absences. With PACE in place, calling people for help while they're sick or on vacation will no longer be necessary.
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Perhaps the best feature of Process Improvement is that it is not a temporary solution. An organizations needs change over time and it must be able to adapt. Ingraining Continuous Improvement techniques into each of your core processes will ensure they change as needed without external assistance.
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What our In-person Process Improvement services entail:
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Core Process Identification
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Define
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Roles
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Tools
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Training
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Process Mapping
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Flow Charts​
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Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Drafts
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Process Analysis
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Delays
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Costs
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Manual Touches
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Stakeholder Complaints
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8 Wastes
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Process Redesign
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Improvement Opportunities
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Design Future State
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SOP Revision Process
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Creation​
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Training
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Process Testing
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Continuous Improvement
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Training
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Evaluation and Optimization
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Key Performance Indicators​
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Stakeholder Engagement
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Approve Versions of SOPs​
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Process Accountability
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PACE Redundancy Chart​
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Centralized Information
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Access Permissions​
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Process Implementation​
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​Organizational Level
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Group Level
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Individual Level
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*if you’re interested in Process Improvement, be sure to check out our Gold Package to experience unbelievable savings!. You can also view our other offerings by clicking here.
FAQs
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How do you grow your company and still provide meaningful solutions to your customers, without sacrificing quality?
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Partner with Doxazo to implement Process Improvement in your company. Together with your leadership team, we'll quickly identify, document, improve, and train on your core processes to help you reduce waste, ensure quality, and improve stakeholder experience.
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...even if you have a busy schedule?
There's no better time to implement Process Improvement than now. It doesn't matter if you have a full schedule or perhaps you're in the midst of your "busy season". If you think about it, you will always feel busy or have a full schedule (if your company is growing and succeeding the way you want it to). If you can conduct Process Improvement during the hectic times, it'll be all the more simple if things do calm down. It doesn't make sense to put off the implementation of this powerful solution that will so greatly help you and your stakeholders.
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...even if there doesn't seem to be any money in the budget?
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The savings and rewards of Process Improvement will far outweigh the costs. Organizations lose an incredible amount of time and money to waste like defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilized talent, transportation, inventory, motion, and extra-processing. When an organization conducts Process Improvement, it can reduce these wastes. This makes the company more productive, profitable, agile, and increases stakeholder happiness. We offer this premium service for a reasonable price, and over just a few quarters, it will have paid for itself many times over.
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...even if your company is unique from all other companies?
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Process Improvement by nature is not a "one-size-fits-all" solution. We'll take the time to gain insight into your company's strategy, structure, systems, values, leadership styles, workforce, and skill gaps. We diagnose problems, collect data, and custom tailor a plan of action for each organization no matter how unique. Lastly, we'll make any required adjustments to ensure design of the deliverables, implementation, training, evaluation, and optimization meet both our standards.
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...even if you have tried in the past and were unsuccessful?
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Doxazo's Process Improvement services include additional training designed to bridge the gap between intentions and actual results. Without proper buy-in from your team and commitment to change, you will not get the results you seek. For us, it's not enough to just "give you a fish to feed you for a day". We want to "teach you to fish to feed you for a lifetime" by guiding you through the process of understanding, to gain confidence, become disciplined, and generate excitement so you don't lose momentum as soon as we walk out the door.
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...even if you don't think it's possible?
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If you’re choosing not to engage in Process Improvement, it’s only a matter of time before you are left behind by your competition. Everyone needs Process Improvement to increase productivity and profitability. Taking a step towards implementing this solution will allow you to ensure your company's future, but only if you choose to act.
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...even if you think it would be better suited for down the road?
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There's no better time to implement Process Improvement than now. It doesn't matter if you have a full schedule or perhaps you're in the midst of your "busy season". If you think about it, you will always feel busy or have a full schedule (if your company is growing and succeeding the way you want it to). If you can conduct Process Improvement during the hectic times, it'll be all the more simple if things do calm down. It doesn't make sense to put off the implementation of this powerful solution that will so greatly help you and your stakeholders.
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Why Doxazo
Like many other firms, we utilize best practices for Process Improvement. We focus on increasing customer value through improving quality, enhancing service, reducing costs, and increasing productivity.
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With that said, not all Process Improvement services are created equal. While we utilize many of the same Process Improvement methodologies as the competition, we must emphasize that we are not all cut from the same cloth. We believe in "striking while the iron is hot". If you're interested in pulling the trigger, you shouldn't have to wait. We're committed to getting you rolling within 2 weeks of initial contact (if you so desire).
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Absolutely, we'll help you improve your current core processes to make an immediate impact. Our true goal however, is to impart the knowledge and practices that will allow you conduct Process Improvement on your own, unassisted in the future.
We include additional PACE redundancy and coverage planning in both documentation and implementation. This ensures your core processes will operate seamlessly in the event of employee vacancies. In our view, it doesn't make sense to improve processes if their execution hinges upon a single point of failure.
Processes are only as good as the people that execute them. By including this additional layer of process management, we are able to mitigate operational fires created by missing or departing personnel. In order to set your organization up for success, we don't just enact implementation at the organizational level, we also strive to create understanding, confidence, discipline, and excitement surrounding your core processes at the group and individual levels. At Doxazo, we care about delivering positive results, so if you're not happy, we're not happy.
None of this costs you anything if you don’t feel value was received. Our guarantee states: “If when the work is done, the client does not feel that the full value was received, then the client decides how much it was worth and how much to pay (if anything).” That is how confident we are that we can deliver positive results.
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Process Improvement​
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Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF):
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Business process improvement (BPI) is a systematic approach to identifying and analyzing business processes with the goal of making them more efficient and effective.
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BPI can be beneficial for a wide range of organizations and industries, regardless of size or industry, to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve performance.
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Symptoms that process improvement techniques are needed include high error rates, long processing times, high operational costs, low customer satisfaction, and difficulty in compliance.
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Process improvement should be an ongoing effort and it should be performed with a clear schedule, a process improvement plan, and a culture of continuous improvement.
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Partnering with a consultant for process improvement is beneficial for small businesses that want
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improved efficiency and cost savings
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improved compliance and risk management
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better scalability and adaptability
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better data analysis
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better decision-making
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improved employee engagement
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Contact us today if you want to experience the benefits of having everyone on the same page about each of your organization’s most crucial processes!
In This Article
What is Process Improvement?
Business process improvement (BPI) is a systematic approach to identifying and analyzing business processes with the goal of making them more efficient and effective. This can be done by analyzing data, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing changes to streamline processes and eliminate waste.
BPI can also help organizations to identify opportunities for automation and digitalization, which can lead to increased productivity and cost savings. Overall, BPI is a key aspect of process management, which is important for organizations to stay competitive in today's fast-paced business environment.
BPI involves using tools like process mapping, flowcharts, and process modeling to help organizations visualize and understand their business processes. There are a number of effective methodologies an organization can utilize for Process Improvement, some of which include:
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Six Sigma: Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology that aims to improve the quality of processes by identifying and removing the causes of defects and errors. It uses statistical methods to measure and analyze processes and then uses this information to make improvements.
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Lean: Lean is a methodology that focuses on eliminating waste and improving efficiency in processes. It is based on the idea that value is created by the customer and that anything else is wasted. Lean uses techniques such as value stream mapping and kanban to identify and remove waste from processes.
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Total Quality Management (TQM): TQM is a methodology that focuses on involving all employees in the process of improving quality. It emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. TQM uses tools such as Statistical Process Control and Customer Surveys to monitor and improve processes.
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Business Process Management (BPM): BPM is a methodology that focuses on the design, modeling, execution, monitoring, and optimization of business processes. It uses tools such as process modeling, simulation, and analysis to improve the performance of business processes.
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Agile: Agile is a methodology that emphasizes flexibility and rapid delivery. It is often used in software development and IT project management. Agile uses techniques such as Scrum, Kanban, and Lean to deliver products and services in small, incremental steps.
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Kaizen: Kaizen is a Japanese term that means "improvement" or "change for the better." It is a methodology that focuses on continuous improvement and encourages all employees to make small improvements to their work processes every day. It utilizes techniques such as brainstorming, root cause analysis, and 5S (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain)
Why is Process Improvement Important?
Business Process Improvement (BPI) is a vital aspect of any organization’s growth and success. BPI is important because it helps organizations increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve performance, and achieve their goals and objectives.
By continuously monitoring and improving their processes, organizations can adapt to new market conditions and customer needs, which is essential for long-term success. Overall, BPI needs to be a key aspect of any organization's strategy to improve performance, increase competitiveness and support sustainable growth.
Process Improvement can be immensely beneficial. Some of the ways in which Process Improvement can positively affect an organization include:
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Increased efficiency: By analyzing and streamlining business processes, organizations can reduce waste leading to increased productivity and cost savings.
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Improved customer service: By identifying and addressing issues in customer-facing processes, organizations can improve their customers’ experience and increase customer satisfaction.
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Increased competitiveness: By continuously improving business processes, organizations won’t fall behind in today’s fast-paced environment.
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Better decision-making: By having a clear understanding and confidence in their knowledge of their business processes, organizations can make better-informed decisions that leading to improved performance and growth.
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Better compliance and risk management: By identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in business processes, organizations can reduce the risk of non-compliance and mitigate potential hazards.
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Improved employee engagement: By involving employees in the BPI process, organizations can increase employee engagement, which can lead to improved performance, satisfaction, and retention.
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Better scalability and adaptability: By having a flexible and adaptable set of business processes, organizations can better scale and adapt to changing market conditions and stakeholder needs.
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Better data analysis: By having clear, well-defined, and effective business processes, organizations can have better data to analyze for enhanced data-driven decision-making.
Firms that do not practice Process Improvement on a continuous basis will eventually fall behind to organizations that reap the benefits of BPI. The costs of not having a BPI program and a culture of continuous improvement can prove to be enormous. As a company grows, new threats and weaknesses begin to emerge and without BPI to address them, the organization is incredibly vulnerable to risk.
Who needs Process Improvement?
Process improvement can be beneficial for all types of businesses, regardless of size. Every organization needs Process Improvement to succeed in the long run because they need the ability to identify and address inefficiencies, reduce costs, and improve performance.
In addition to a wide range of organizations, BPI can be found in industries of all types. The possibilities for the application of Process Improvement are virtually endless. Here are some of the most common industries which employ BPI practices:
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Manufacturing/production
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Healthcare
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Financial Services
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Retail
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Service-based industries
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Government organizations
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Non-profit organizations
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Digital-based businesses
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Other Small businesses
Aside from the benefits of BPI on organizations in industries at a macro level, Process Improvement is also for individual stakeholders. BPI leads to better communication, performance, satisfaction, compliance, value, relationships, and experience. Some of the stakeholders that benefit from Process Improvement include:
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Customers
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Employees
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Leadership/management
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Shareholders/investors
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Vendors/suppliers
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Regulators/Government
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Partners
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Community
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Future Generations
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When is it time to implement Process Improvement?
Sometimes, it may be difficult for an organization to identify when actions are needed to address issues and problems. This is not the case concerning Process Improvement. The signs are very obvious that change is needed. Issues and problems that require BPI present as:
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High error rates: A high rate of errors in processes can be a sign that they need to be re-evaluated and improved.
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Long processing times: Long processing times indicate bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the process that need to be addressed.
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High operational costs: High operational costs can reflect inefficiencies in processes that need to be addressed.
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Low customer satisfaction: Low customer satisfaction indicates there are issues in customer-facing processes that need to be addressed.
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High employee turnover: High employee turnover can be a sign that there are issues with processes that are causing dissatisfaction among employees.
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Difficulty in scaling: Difficulty in scaling reveals the business processes are not adaptable enough to the changing market conditions and stakeholder needs.
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Difficulty in achieving goals: Difficulty in achieving goals means the business processes are not efficient enough to support the organization's overall strategy.
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Difficulty in measuring performance: Difficulty in measuring performance can be a sign that the business processes are not clear enough and data is not captured in a consistent way.
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Difficulty in compliance: Difficulty in compliance likely means business processes are not executed in alignment with the regulations and standards.
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Difficulty in innovation: Difficulty in innovation can signify that the business processes are not flexible enough to support new ideas and ways of working.
Most organizations have some (or all) of the issues and problems listed above (at least to some extent). The ones practicing BPI experience these issues to a lesser degree than those that do not. BPI is a continuous process, regardless if there is a program in place or not, it’s always time to implement Process Improvement. If it can be measured, it can and should be improved.
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How to conduct Process Improvement
There are many methodologies for conducting Process Improvement. Using the appropriate methodology for your organization will depend upon the industry and the process itself. For example, you may conduct a common internet search which might direct you to a methodology like PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act). It is a popular methodology, but it may not be the best fit for your business.
This is where experience and understanding come into play. Partnering with a consultant may prove beneficial as they are accustomed to using several methodologies and identifying which ones are most appropriate for your organization.
Not all Process Improvement programs are created equal. Whichever methodology you choose, be sure it incorporates continuous improvement. Comprehensive BPI includes the following steps:
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Define: Clearly define the process that needs to be improved, including its inputs, outputs, and key performance indicators.
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Map: Create a flowchart or process map to visually represent the process, including all the steps, decision points, and handoffs.
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Analyze: Collect data on the process, such as cycle time, error rates, and customer satisfaction, and analyze it to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
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Identify: Identify areas of the process that can be improved by eliminating waste, streamlining steps, and automating tasks.
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Develop: Develop and implement solutions to address the identified opportunities for improvement, such as process redesign, automation, or digitalization.
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Monitor: Monitor the process and measure its performance to ensure that the improvements have had the desired effect and to identify any additional opportunities for improvement.
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Improve: Continuously monitor, measure, and improve the process to maintain efficiency and adapt to the changing market conditions and customer needs.
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Train: Communicate the changes to the process to all the stakeholders and train the employees on the new process.
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Document: Create a clear and consistent documentation of the process to ensure that all the employees and stakeholders understand it, and use it as a reference for future improvements.
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Review: Regularly review and audit the process to ensure that it is still aligned with the overall strategy, regulations, and standards of the organization.
Putting all your organization’s processes through the above steps can seem a bit daunting, especially because Process Improvement never stops. BPI is intended to be a continuous process so having it down pact is of the utmost importance.
It may seem counterintuitive that Process Improvement would improve efficiency because it appears to be adding more work. This is a common misconception about BPI. When employed correctly, Process Improvement will reduce problems and issues resulting in time saved once in place.
It is true, the initial implementation of BPI can put a demand on company resources creating capacity challenges if conducted internally. Fortunately, there are professionals that can help implement BPI within your organization quickly and effectively. Consultants can facilitate Process Improvement efforts so your team members don’t risk neglecting their day-to-day responsibilities or negatively impacting customer experience.
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How often should Process Improvement take place?
If you’ve been reading this article, you know this point it’s been mentioned several times already: Process Improvement should take place continuously. What continuously means may vary from organization to organization, but the point is it should be an ongoing process.
Some organizations choose to conduct a formal process audit on a regular basis, such as every quarter or every year. Others may choose to conduct process improvement on an as-needed basis, such as when a particular process is causing problems or new regulations and standards come into effect.
In any case, it is important that organizations have a clear Process Improvement plan in place. It should have a schedule for monitoring and measuring processes, identifying opportunities for improvement, and implementing changes. This will help to ensure that process improvement is a regular and ongoing activity that supports the organization's goals and strategy.
Best practices dictate that processes should be continuously monitored using metrics and KPIs to better identify areas of improvement. In addition, the organization must adopt a culture of continuous improvement to have any chance at successful long-term BPI. All employees will have to feel as if they have a say when it comes to improvements and proposed solutions.
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Conclusion
Business process improvement (BPI) is a systematic approach to identifying and analyzing business processes with the goal of making them more efficient and effective. BPI can be beneficial for a wide range of organizations and industries, regardless of size or industry, by increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving performance.
There are several signs that suggest it is time to implement process improvement techniques, such as high error rates, long processing times, high operational costs, low customer satisfaction, and difficulty in compliance.
The steps for conducting process improvement at a business include defining the process, mapping the process, collecting and analyzing data, identifying opportunities for improvement, developing and implementing solutions, monitoring and measuring, continuously improving, communicating and training, documenting the process, and reviewing and auditing.
Process improvement should be an ongoing process and it should be performed with a clear schedule, a process improvement plan, and a culture of continuous improvement. Partnering with a consultant to implement Process Improvement within an organization can provide the expertise needed, objectivity, and effectiveness, saving both internal and external stakeholders time and frustration.
