Process Variation

Continuous improvement is built on the goal of first developing a process that is reliable. A reliable process is one that produces the desired output each time without variation. Once this goal has been met, the next goal is to redesign the process to produce output that is even better able to meet customer requirements.

To meet the second goal, management should recognize that variations in production or quality within manufacturing or service processes can be viewed as "special cause" variations, which are best removed by team members operating the process and "common cause" variations, which require management action to change some inherent feature of the process.

Process can be managed not unlike projects are managed. Components of process management include strategy and objectives, roles and responsibilities, skill sets and core compentencies, reward systems, information system flow, and supporting technologies. Process management builds a set of structured methods, tools, and techniques on top of a continuous improvement methodology.

Contrast Process management with re-engineering. Re-engineering is necesary when the desired output is not obtained each time without variations.

For more information see wwwiinformationweek.com/801.process.htm

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http://www.eskimo.com/~mighetto/lsproc.htm - last update September 1, 2000.

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