Managing the Redesign of Processes Key to Its Success

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Driven by technology and global competition, most effective organizations today routinely redesign processes. But effective changes cannot happen without strong leadership and management of the redesign processes. Senior management must be committed to operate more efficiently and to better serve customers. Company leadership also must be aware that process redesign does not just happen, it must be managed.

Managing redesign efforts involves factors both internal and external to the business. It requires the establishment of a system supporting the redesign activities. Internally, establishing priorities, managing the tasks associated with the work, communicating progress, and securing the commitment of all employees is the work of management. Externally, keeping suppliers and customers informed of the progress and the new processes helps to ease any “pain” of transition. As an organization commits to changing its business processes, putting the systems in place to manage this change is vital.

Top management’s role includes articulating the need for change, the vision of the future and the reasons behind the work. These will help secure the commitment of employees. It is very easy to get distracted with routine business, responding to a crisis or the immediate needs of the customer. Of course, this aspect of the business must continue, but keeping the focus on the redesign work requires the diligent attention of managers. Often the redesign effort is not view as an urgent task, rather it is something that can continually be delayed while team members focus on more urgent and immediate activities. However, for many businesses, there is nothing more urgent than the redesign of processes to ensure continued success.

Employees must be engaged in the process. This requires the explanation of why the redesign effort is so important for the company. Employees should know how redesigned processes relate to changes taking place in the industry, to minimizing the company’s cost of operations and to benefiting customers. The vision of the change must energize and motivate employees gaining their commitment to the work. Employees look to the CEO and other managers for clues on how importance the work is to the future of the company.

A common approach to initiating the redesign effort is to create a steering committee to coordinate the work. This committee, made up of managers and other key players, should be created early in the process. This early involvement of others in the planning of the effort will help to educate and secure the buy-in needed to make the work successful. Steering committee members require a level of training and discussion to prepare them for their work.

The initial work of the steering committee involves the identification and prioritizing of redesign projects. The choice of projects should be driven by opportunities for greatest efficiency improvement, greatest cost savings and greatest benefit to customers. The steering committee also should designate a project owner and a steering committee owner for the redesign project. The project owner leads the team in its work, involving and regularly reporting to the steering committee owner who will keep the full committee informed of the progress. The steering committee also should initially designate the project team. Membership of the team can be changed with the addition or removal of members as needed. Reaching out to “experts” within the company and with other partners to enlist their help with the work adds value. People who work with the process every day are the employees who know best what needs to be changed. The project owner oversees the specific process redesign and facilitates the involvement of the team in the work.

Providing training to the teams on the redesign approach is important – everyone must be on the same page. Teams should establish their charter with the approval of the steering committee and identify resources needed to make the work successful. Managerial support of the needs of the team and assistance in expanding the vision is essential. Team owners should be required to keep the steering committee owner and other managers aware of the progress through regular reporting. This provides the full steering committee with an opportunity to provide input and advance the work of the team. Team members need to feel confident that their work will be rewarded in some form – recognition, security or compensation.

Communications is important throughout the work. Teams, employees, suppliers and customers benefit from information provided. Good communications creates additional opportunities for generating new ideas and approaches, secures a commitment company-wide to the work and helps key partners to adjust to the upcoming changes. Communications helps everyone to feel comfortable.

In summary, the following elements form a course for senior management in any strategy for redesigning processes:

• Lead the management of the redesign process. Leadership and management are the keys to the success. People look to top management for clues of acceptable behavior.
• Communicate a clear vision and purpose for the redesign process, linking the importance to the vision of the future company.
• Create a steering committee consisting of managers and other key employees, and provide the necessary training and support for their work.
• Prioritize projects focusing on the processes which offer the greatest potential of improving efficiency and customer service.
• Designate a project owner and steering committee owner who will work together to support the work of the team and the company.
• Support teams in their work by providing training, time and other resources to facilitate the work.
• Monitor the progress through regular reporting providing the involvement of the steering committee owner and the full Steering Committee.
• Reward behavior by providing recognition and compensation for the work of the team members.
• Communicate, communicate and communicate! Communications will keep employees and other key partners informed, providing the motivation and the commitment to redesign.

Management of the redesign of business processes is a key determinant in it success. Top management must set the stage for change and provide the focus and the motivation to make it happen.