What Is Process Improvement?

Process improvement involves examining the efficiency of business systems and finding ways to optimise them to align with your company’s goals. This continuous improvement approach is commonly used with Lean methodology, which focuses on eliminating waste and increasing efficiency. 

4 steps for process improvement

Implement the following steps to begin process improvement for your business.

1. Understand the current challenges.

The first step to improving your business processes is understanding how they operate. Visually mapping out your business processes will help you understand how each step builds on the next. You’ll also want to identify the business goals and challenges you face, such as improving delivery times while having a limited number of vehicles in your fleet.

2. Analyse and determine areas for improvement.

Gather data on how your process is currently working. In the Lean process, any challenge you face will be linked to some form of waste. When analysing the gathered data, identify areas with waste, like inefficient scheduling or unused space in delivery trucks. Once you understand the root cause of the problem, examine why it occurs to design a solution for it.

3. Explore solutions and redesign the process.

Engage your stakeholders to explore potential solutions. Identify an action plan, then design a new process that considers all the data you gathered. Map the new process to make sure you’ve included every step. It’s also important to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success after implementing your changes. 

4. Change your process.

Implement your redesigned process and announce it to your stakeholders and each department affected. Ensure everyone is on board before rolling out the changes.

Process improvement techniques

Adapt the basic steps for process improvement using different project management techniques, including: 

• Six Sigma

• DMAIC (define, measure, analyse, improve, control)

• Kaizen

• Lean manufacturing

• PDCA (plan, do, check, act)

• Kanban

• TQM (total quality management)

Related terms

• Continuous improvement

• Change management

• Schedule plan

• Fishbone diagram

• Milestone

Learn more about project management.

Process improvement is a method for analysing and optimising business workflows to better achieve company goals. It often involves identifying and eliminating waste. The four-step approach to process improvement includes understanding challenges, analysing data, designing solutions, and implementing changes. Several project management techniques, such as Lean and Six Sigma, can be used within this framework.

Consider earning the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate on Coursera to learn more about project management. This six-course, beginner-level series can be completed in as little as six months, helping you learn skills in career development, strategic thinking, change management, and more.