30 Dec 08 “So, where do I begin?”
Launching a new initiative aimed at improving the quality of business processes within your organization may appear to be a daunting task at first. The obvious question that confronts each of us is, “Where do I begin?”
Earlier in my career, my tendency would be to begin a quality improvement initiative by trying to determine where the “problems” were located and then setting out to fix them. While this may seem quite reasonable on the surface, I have learned that this strategy will inevitably prove to be lacking in two key areas.
First, it is essential that an organization be able to objectively assess the effectiveness of its business processes. In short, the organization must be able to measure and monitor the results of its key processes on an on-going basis. To do this, Key Process Indicators (KPIs) must be established. This can be a painstaking effort, but has the potential to help the organization achieve dramatic improvements in quality. The old saying is as true as ever, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”
Another critical ingredient for an effective quality improvement program is establishing SMART goals for KPIs. SMART is an acronym that is intended to convey the following attributes: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and within a specific Timeframe.
When properly developed, SMART goals are powerful catalysts for change. Goals allow staff members to assess key business process results and personal performance within the appropriate context. SMART goals also challenge staff members to perform at a higher level. Furthermore, goals allow management to appropriately assess business results in an objective manner. Simply put, assessing business performance against SMART goals allows staff and management to know where they stand.
Tags: KPI, Quality improvement, SMART goals
