Process design: where to start?

Process design is the stage of process management that is generated after the analysis of the current process. It represents the act of transforming the vision, objectives, and available resources into an accessible and measurable means to achieve the vision of the company.

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A successful process design must take into account the suitability of the process to the overall goal of the organization. Process design requires a broad view of the entire organization and should not be short-sighted. And the process must deliver value to the customer with ongoing management involvement at various stages.

Achieving good process design requires an effective process strategy that addresses the unique line items needed to make the final product. Effective process strategy deals with procurement of raw materials, customer involvement, investment in technology, etc.

In this article, we explain what process design is all about, what are the principles, and the main implementation steps that will help you achieve success in your company.

Principles of process design

Over some time, process design has undergone changes and new concepts such as flexible manufacturing systems have been developed, offering efficient and effective production analysis and design. Next, we share the general principles that govern the design of processes.

1. Integration with customers.

It aims at interactions between the company and customers. The first moment that the company has contact with the potential customer is very important since the sales representatives and the operations team will have to ensure that they provide the best solutions to the customers' needs.

Process management aims at making the added-value chain so valuable for customers that they decide to pay large sums of money for the services that will provide a solution to their problems. When it comes to services, this concept is even more important because contact with people, potential customers, and loyal customers, promotes lasting relationships.

2. Activities that add value.

As we mentioned in the first principle, potential customers are looking to pay for a service that adds value and convinces them to re-invest in the company. Now, if there is any activity within the business process that does not add value, it should be eliminated by the design of the new process because it is not adding value.

3. Reduction of errors in transfers.

It refers to risky activities subject to malfunctions or errors, which can pose a danger during the process. The best possible scenario would be to reduce these errors as much as possible when developing a new process design.

Implementing some technological tool can mean a relevant resource to eliminate manual and repetitive tasks, which are subject to error, as long as process automation is not abused.

4. Keep automation at bay.

As we said in the previous section, although implementing a technological tool can be an important help to improve processes and make them more agile, when used in an unlimited way it can generate counterproductive results, especially due to cost overruns in technological implementations. But in addition, value is subtracted from the activity of people, since not everything can be automated.

5. Standardization of processes.

Every company has an extensive network of processes, many of them interconnected. Standardization implies that all processes speak the same language so that the tasks that make up each one are carried out with a greater degree of efficiency and effectiveness.

6. Business rules.

In process management, rules must be drawn up to be applied in business and decision-making. A business rule will seek to reduce the range of speculations and fluctuating alternatives in the market, "refining the aim" to point to the domain of knowledge that is relevant to growing your business based on processes.

7. Compliance.

Apply the most implemented standards in the market segment to which your company belongs. Check the national and international standards to find out which one best suits the requirements of your business.

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Key steps to perform a process design

1. Process requirement.

The first step is to gather information to structure the final goal. That is making a process requirements document that highlights various stages, risks, and stakeholders for production. This will include evaluation of available technology, raw material requirements, factory/plant layout, and demand forecasting.

2. Team building.

Once the process requirements are over, for each goal, a team is chosen based on skill level and experience. The role of the team is to become familiar with the entire process.

3. Planning and implementation.

The process planning team will develop the required module, policies, and procedures for production, which are implemented after required internal and external approval.

4. Audit.

A regular audit is carried out to ensure that the process thus implemented is in line and provides value to customers.

5. End of its use.

Over time there may be an improvement in the product or the product may be discontinued. In these circumstances, the process thus developed is suspended.

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In short, process design consists of the improvement and transformation of existing processes to optimize results and make the tasks and activities that comprise them more efficient. Lay the foundations for process standardization and reengineering, preparing the ground for considering process automation, as a measure of workload agility and efficiency, but not the automated replacement of human functions.