Step Change in Performance Adds Value

In today's rapidly changing environment, managers need to think differently about the problems they face, and the way they manage their organisations.  Understanding how every activity within your organisation adds value is key to making a step change in performance.  At the core of this understanding are the operational and managerial processes that cut across departments to deliver value to your customer.

Oakland helps managers across the world to understand and manage their processes, building the foundations for sustained business improvement.

The key steps in process management are:

Process Selection

• Align all activities with the organisation's goals.
• Use Oakland's simple operating matrix to relate core process activity (hows) to top level goals (whats).
• Select the priority areas for change, ensuring your people work on those issues that really matter.

Process Understanding

• Map your top level processes using a practical approach.
• Cascade process understanding to all levels in your organisation.
• Set benchmarks and aspirations for the performance of the process.

Process Performance

• Measure performance using appropriate metrics
• Collect and analyse the right process data

Process Review

• Conduct systems analysis to ensure the links between key processes are sound and operating instructions are complete.
• Stand back and review the effectiveness of existing processes
• Understand causes of variation
• Decide appropriate incremental improvement techniques or re-design activities

Process Change

• Control and reduce variation
• Incrementally improve processes using tried and tested approaches
• Re-design processes involving the people, their knowledge and their creativity
• Use benchmarking techniques and identify actions to achieve a step change in process performance.

Capturing the Changes

• Continuous improvement is essential for growth, but re-inventing the wheel needs to be avoided.
• Oakland will help you capture the changed process in simple and manageable systems and procedures that meet the requirements of all national and international standards.