Part I: A Modular Concept for Process Development

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By Thomas T. Fields, Jr.

Process development utilizes a variety of methods to obtain a final process or procedure. Methods range from an authoritarian edict to a participative well-coordinated and documented team approach utilizing current process tools. Versions of each style exist between the two distinct methods.

Regardless of which method is selected, process development is affected by the constraints of cost, schedule and quality. Each constraint impacts upon the others and is intertwined in process development and a company's cognitive ability to prepare the best processes in the least amount of time with the best-cost impact.

Process Development Constraints

Cost is a constraint to process development. Rarely will an organization have the financial resources to arbitrarily assign to a new process. There are two options: 

• Design the perfect process, identify all resource requirements and then coordinate methods to obtain these resources. Include staff reassignment, additional manpower and changes to existing systems that require programming resources. If resources cannot be obtained, adjust the process prior to implementation. This method requires additional time to develop the process.
• Acknowledge that there are no additional funds and staffing levels will remain the same. This is the most efficient method from a duration-to-deploy standpoint; however, until a detailed analysis is performed the costs benefits could be suspect.

Profit and loss is the mechanism in the market economy that equates success to failure or establishes a relationship between the two. Various financial evaluation methods are used to determine if a project should be undertaken. Once this front-end evaluation has been performed, the individual increments in a developing process are not reviewed. As processes are developed it is important to perform financial analysis on the current impact to the company and the potential future impact. This future impact could be outside the scope of the current process, or it could have a small impact to the process but might allow the organization to expand the way it operates in the future.

The process developer must continually monitor the process, develop current requirements and understand their potential impact on future processes. This forward-looking approach to process development must be identified in financial justifications for modifications to existing operating system, manpower modifications and expanded training requirements.

Timing

Timing becomes an issue in process development. Two time-related options exist when process development begins.

1. The development phase and adjunct upgrades dictate when the process will be executed. The upgrades often consist of system changes or enhancements, human resource constraints that require additional personnel, and training requirements or expertise to implement the new process. Additional constraints are discovered as process development begins and become discipline specific to the process.
2. The second time-determinant option is encountered in a fast paced, open market organization that is feeling the effects of technology deployment and advancements. In this type of organization a process completion date is dictated by various factors that do not allow the luxury of a perfect process at the scheduled implementation date. This date is given to the process developer and the challenge then becomes providing the best process within the given timeframe.

Scheduling process development into a project is crucial to the success of the project implementation date, the project efficiency and the process' success to the organization.

A process designer should begin designing the process during the conceptual phase of a project. The process should be organized in a logical manner and communication with all diverse organizations should begin when the project scoping paper or product description is prepared. The longer this is delayed the greater the possibility that potential assumptions and arbitrary decisions may be injected into the process. Longer development time leads to better process description, cost/benefits analysis and ancillary support system modifications. This also allows for enhanced training documentation.

If operational processes are allowed the maximum time available for development, the process team can perform progressive elaboration on individual process increments. This leads to a more scrutinized process broken into smaller components and a more refined process that has been evaluated in relation to field efficiency, cost and operability.

Quality

When quality is ignored the overall process is suspect. Quality is interdependent on the cost and scheduling of a project. The quality of the process development team impacts the final product. This team will view the process within its operability constraints as well as the financial impact on the organization. The team will also examine how the current processes developed could be inserted into future processes. This approach will provide easier field implementation due to similar work patterns, and it will reduce future development costs and process time. This modular approach to process development lends itself to progressive elaboration and supports Six Sigma methodology.

Conclusion

Regardless of the process development methodology selected it is imperative to recognize and manage the constraints associated with change. The constraints of cost, scheduling and quality can be effectively managed to ensure quality changes occur within the organization as a result of the process development.

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