Making Process Improvement Work for Service Organizations: A Concise Action Guide

Process improvement too often reflects a significant disconnect between theory and practice. Making Process Improvement Work for Service Organizations bridges the gap–offering a straightforward, systematic approach to planning, implementing, and monitoring a process improvement program. Managers and practitioners will appreciate the book’s concise presentation style and will be able to apply its practical ideas immediately to real-life challenges.   With examples based on the authors’ own extensive experience, this book shows how to define goals that directly address the needs of your organization, use improvement models appropriately, and devise a pragmatic action plan. In addition, it reveals valuable strategies for deploying organizational change, and delineates essential metrics for tracking your progress. Appendices provide examples of an action plan, a risk management plan, and a mini-assessment process.   You will learn how to Scope and develop an improvement plan Identify and prioritize risks and mitigate anticipated difficulties Derive metrics that accurately measure progress toward business goals Sell your improvement program in house Initially target practitioners and teams most open to new approaches and techniques Stay focused on goals and problems Align the actions of managers and practitioners Delay major policy documents and edicts until solutions have been practiced and tested Use existing resources to speed deployment Incorporate improvement models, such as SEI CMMISM for Services, into your improvement program For those managers who are tired of chronic problems during service creation and delivery, constant new improvement schemes, and a lack of real progress, this easily digestible volume provides the real-world wisdom you need to realize positive change in your organization.

Table of Contents:
Foreword xi Preface xiii Acknowledgments xix   Chapter 1: Developing a Plan 1 Scope the Improvement 5 Develop an Action Plan 20 Determine Risks and Plan to Mitigate 36 Summary 45   Chapter 2: Implementing the Plan 47 Sell Solutions Based on Needs 48 Work with the Willing and Needy First 53 Overcoming Resistance 61 Keep Focused on the Goals and Problems 67 Align the Behaviors of Managers and Practitioners 68 Summary 70   Chapter 3: Checking Progress 73 Are We Making Progress Toward Our Goals? 74 Are We Making Progress on Our Improvement Plan? 82 Are We Making Progress on the Improvement Framework? 83 What Lessons Have We Learned So Far? 94 Summary 105   Conclusion 107   Appendix A: Mapping Goals and Problems to CMMI 109 Definitions of CMMI Level 2 Practices Used in Mapping 111 Definitions of CMMI Level 3 Practices Used in Mapping 113   Appendix B: Action Plan Example 117   Appendix C: Risk Management Plan Example 123   Appendix D: Mini-Assessment Process 127 Step 1: Plan the Assessment 128 Step 2: Meet with the Interviewees to Explain What Will Be Checked and How 129 Step 3: Perform the Mini-Assessment Interview 130 Step 4: Communicate the Results 130 Step 5: Debrief on the Mini-Assessment Process 133 Step 6: Improve the Questionnaire 134 Step 7: Taking Corrective Action 135   References 139

About the Author :
Neil S. Potter and Mary E. Sakry are cofounders of The Process Group, a company that consults in process improvement. They have been working in service delivery and product development organizations since 1985 and 1976, respectively. They are both SEI-certified Lead Appraisers.