Lost in spaghetti-shaped processes

I hope someone can offer something helpful (I have no doubt)which I can absorb through my thick skull (more doubtful).

I have been banging my head on the desk trying to figure out how to make sense of our processes here so that I may map them and examine for needed changes. I am new to this group and to this industry. Typically, in my experience, Quality works the same for any industry/process...just minor tweaks here or there. But given the task to figure out these processes, I am completely overwhelmed. I started by looking at some Quality Plans (which are supposed to define for the customer what the processes are), but they are VERY general and vague. So I have been sifting through them looking for what has an input that it changes to an output. I knew I could take this job on and that it would be very labour intensive, however, I was a little shocked at the sense of urgency after I agreed! :mg:

So if any of you quality individuals (pun - take it or leave it) can offer any suggestions to get me pointed in the right direction, I would GREATLY appreciate it!
:truce:

Where's Mr. Stein when ya need him?!

Re: Lost in speghetti-shaped processes

What industry do you work in?

Are you trying to make a process flow chart?

A product flow chart?

The more details the better to understand what your trying to do.

Re: Lost in speghetti-shaped processes

Thanks for the quick response!

I am trying to map the different processes from the Customer Order to Shipping the product. I know there a few in between that I won't need to worry about (they belong to another group), but I am looking for a push in a direction of where (and how) to get started.

Brian



"Quality is a Dark Art" - unnamed manager

Re: Lost in speghetti-shaped processes

Make it as general as possible to begin with, kinda like a outline or table of contents. Name each step of the process, use as short as possible descriptions. Then maybe walk thru the process and see if any steps have been missed. Once you have the big picture then step back view it and see where the choices to continue or stop the process are located.

So big major steps then work down to the smaller ones.

Re: Lost in speghetti-shaped processes

I think expressing my thoughts is helping me think through this...in conjunction with the collective experience of "The Cove"...

I wish there were a way to explain in detail what I see here, but there is not enough space in the message nor time in the day.....I tell you what, I will look at one of the processes, try to map it, and post it here and let you take a look....just to get your input as to whether it looks like I have a clue or not...lol

Thanks for the input!

Re: Lost in speghetti-shaped processes

I know it can appear complex, but once you get thru the first steps it breaks down fast. Then you go back and expand the details.

Think of it as creating a painting, first you want the big sky background, so you use biggest brush in the box, then the next biggest brush to paint in the grass, then the next size brush for the trees, and so on.

You are creating a visual picture of a process, use the big brush first, then work in the details.

Just do not get bogged down in the details to fast.

gfreely said:

I hope someone can offer something helpful (I have no doubt)which I can absorb through my thick skull (more doubtful).

I have been banging my head on the desk trying to figure out how to make sense of our processes here so that I may map them and examine for needed changes. I am new to this group and to this industry. Typically, in my experience, Quality works the same for any industry/process...just minor tweaks here or there. But given the task to figure out these processes, I am completely overwhelmed. I started by looking at some Quality Plans (which are supposed to define for the customer what the processes are), but they are VERY general and vague. So I have been sifting through them looking for what has an input that it changes to an output. I knew I could take this job on and that it would be very labour intensive, however, I was a little shocked at the sense of urgency after I agreed! :mg:

So if any of you quality individuals (pun - take it or leave it) can offer any suggestions to get me pointed in the right direction, I would GREATLY appreciate it!
:truce:

Where's Mr. Stein when ya need him?!

Click to expand...

I think you're getting bogged down in the details. What may help is to develop an overal system map that shows how an order flows through the system. This map should show the main processes that make up your system.

Next, you want to develop a map for each main process. Then break that down into the necessary details. Too simple of an answer perhaps, but it never hurts to go back to basics.

Stijloor.

Stijloor, you typed what I was thinking when I got to your post!

First, greetings from a fellow Texan, and welcome to the Cove! We're sure glad to have you here.

I'm pretty sure you know this.. but.. remember the process map is for you.

Too, IMHO, a good process map is not a five minute process. So many well-intentioned people are busy with doing their job and don't necessarily spend hours thinking about the process. It may take some time to get out of everyone what the product actually goes through.

I greatly encourage you to post your process map here. I've been amazed at the level of expertise of many Covers here. Too, please don't forget to ask the people involved with the process.

I might do a fish diagram approach on this (obviously fish diagram is not a process map, but is a good way to visualize starting the process map). Start with the majors, as the others suggested. Get the main process movements of the product. That should minimize your anxiety a bit. Well, you've captured the obvious; now capture the minimals.

Take your process map to the shipping person. Ask them if everything is on there; red-line it. Then, take it to the next person on the floor and ask them if everything is on there, and so on.

If you find yourself beating your head against the wall, then maybe you should remind yourself there are others who can help you. They know the process; let them give you the correct information.

Hey, gfreely why don’t you attach whatever you have done here and let cove’s experts (& semi-experts like me ) members to evaluate it…

Gfreely,

Is it possible that your frustration, difficulty and sense of overwhelm are not symptoms of your inadequacy/inability, but of the actual situation, state of the processes currently and difficulty of the task? Signs that the processes and/or organisation are themselves in a state of confusion, thus causing it in you?

gfreely said:

I have been banging my head on the desk trying to figure out how to make sense of our processes here so that I may map them and examine for needed changes. I am new to this group and to this industry. Typically, in my experience, Quality works the same for any industry/process...just minor tweaks here or there.

Click to expand...

I've italicised key words above. Your assumption that it's the same everywhere? Not necessarily so. If, say, you're talking manufacturing 'widgets' as opposed to 'dooverlackies', then I'd probably broadly agree with you. But the 'typical process' in one field may either NOT appear in a completely different field, or be quite different. A QM coming from engineering/manufacturing, say, might be quite lost trying to analyse processes in a government department, a consulting firm, or a legal firm. And vice versa!!

gfreely said:

I started by looking at some Quality Plans (which are supposed to define for the customer what the processes are), but they are VERY general and vague.

Click to expand...

Good place to start - you'd expect clarity here. Glaring clue to me that the processes are confusing and ill-defined and vague in that case!!!

gfreely said:

I knew I could take this job on and that it would be very labour intensive, however, I was a little shocked at the sense of urgency after I agreed!

Click to expand...

Interesting - where's the urgency coming from? Them? What's driving it?

I would:
* Stand back and take a deep breath
* Think of the various occasions in the past when you have successfully analysed processes
* Remind yourself that you are in a completely different field (can you indicate briefly how different?)
* Take time to consider whether as suggested, the confusion and overwhelm are symptoms of the problem - and that it ain't you!

I've consulted to orgs of all types over many, many years, and analysed literally more processes than I can recall. It was a huge leap forward for me when I learned to pay attention to my own feelings and reactions. I learned that when I was feeling utterly confused and overwhelmed and 'I can't do this'... that this was a/ often typical in the first stage in the whole thing of coming to grips with a new field/organisation/set of processes and b/very often a symptom of the situation itself being confusing/muddy/ill-defined, etc..