Defining (Identifiying) Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

T

TDSims67

#1
Hello all,

I am trying to identify all of our key processes for our company so that I can put them into a "key Process Master List" and I am not sure where to begin end. I guess what I am asking is can... anyone give me some advice on how to identify "key" processes for a company?

Thanks
 
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G

George Weiss

#2
Re: Defining Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

What do you do? list item #1
What things do you make? list of items #2
What process procedures do you have? #3
This link is a good process to do what you want, so I do not take the credit @
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:VRkmkh6WCKMJ:ir.butlercc.edu/parts/Improvement%2520Tool%2520Kit/How.doc+Key+Process&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgdSERTkXhFLGestl8hh-RHwlsj85VXqSY8i8C7zp0mgZ6eWKV4AxdSNMKqYhVzdsJgrs5J9QCkmiEd9eIFDTk_Jl1w8CeuDrzR7ETSCmCk96dHM2AfFhWeHALxSwlDWSYZlGZ6&sig=AHIEtbQ0tNmM-tFn-hyUqF3wgqACEIxYiw
.
 

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S

Sturmkind

#3
Re: Defining Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

A good place to start would be the beginning. What is the initial signal that drives your organization to produce the product or service? Example: Customer calls and places an order for 'X' to be delivered on 'Y-date'. Mapping from there should eventually encompass every process input/output that is key to recovering final payment.
 

Helmut Jilling

Auditor / Consultant
#5
Re: Defining Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

I like George's answer. Let me add a couple things. You are supposed to define all your processes and activities, not just key processes. The standard applies to support or administrative processes as well.

Don't think about flowcharts and process maps. Think about your company. You already have departments in your company. Many of them will be the same as processes. Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Shipping, Quality. Just begin with some Post-it-notes, and start from there. String them together, and it will begin to take shape. Some people also find it useful to separate the core processes that make product, from the supporting processes that do administrative things.
 
C

CATERAF

#6
Re: Defining Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

Don't think about flowcharts and process maps. Think about your company. You already have departments in your company. Many of them will be the same as processes. Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Shipping, Quality. Just begin with some Post-it-notes, and start from there. String them together, and it will begin to take shape. Some people also find it useful to separate the core processes that make product, from the supporting processes that do administrative things.
I've just been reading through this thread and another user has said that while the functional departments may be well-aligned to the processes, they are not the same.

Now I am very confused as to which way to go. I have defined the functional divisions - marketing, sales, project management, engineering, production, service support, IT, admin, HR, Quality and Top Management.
But now what?
I went through and detailed what happens in each of these.
e.g., I said in marketing we a). develop a marketing plan, b). create marketing documents, c). do market analysis/research.
For sales I said we a). identify customer needs, b). create a plan/quote, c). receive a contract from the customer and then later on, after the project has been made and sent sales we do d). invoicing and payment.
From sales it links to project management, who identify and plan the project, then delegate the project and then manage it throughout.

And on and on it goes through each department.. but are they functions or are they processes? E.g., the marketing process is planning, document creation and market analysis. To me the planning, the document creation and market analysis are all separate processes but within the main marketing process.
I do have other processes that occur in multiple departments though, such as non-conformance and procurement – they’re used by each of the departments/functions.
Ah, I’m so confused. They all seem like processes to me, but they’re also departments/functions.
Then I was told to have 4 to 9 main processes. But is non-conformance a main process? If so, then we need continuous improvement process and customer communication and then marketing and sales and engineering and production etc and soon we’re at well more than 9.
If anyone can decipher this and lend some insight that’d be fabulous. Thanks!
 

Peter Fraser

Trusted Information Resource
#7
Re: Defining Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

Departments are normally how budgets are allocated and expertise is managed. Processes are "how things are done", usually by people in a number of departments. Most processes are cross-functional.

As mentioned above, the AQPC PCF is a good reference.

How you deal with a non-conformance (for example) could well be a couple of steps in an existing process - it depends on your type of business. It does not need to be "a process" just because there is a section in a standard with that title.
 
C

Chance

#8
Re: Defining Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

Read this http://www.kcggroup.com/BestPracticesforPPP
Link said:
Review the Best Practices before writing Polices, Processes and Procedures.

The content and documentation of Policies and Procedures must be researched, analyzed, compiled and tested before moving to a Content Management system.

The following is a sampling of Best Practices when developing and implementing Business Processes, Policies, and Procedures.

  1. Establish format, content, and writing standards.
  2. Evaluate body of work to be documented. With Business Processes, determine a breakdown of the functions and tasks within the Process.
  3. Identify development team, content developers, writers, and reviewers. Keep the functions separate (although the same person may perform multiple functions).
  4. Do not combine a Policy, Process, and Procedure in one document. There may definitely be a one-to-many relationship. They should be three separate documents, with references to the other.
  5. Do not write everything in one document. This will cause the author to automatically break the document into objects. Limit the size of a single document to a specific number of pages.
  6. Set up templates to be used by authors to ensure consistency of design and format.
  7. Set up a vocabulary to ensure consistency of terms. This step encompasses many purposes, from user understanding to keyword search results. Multiple definitions for a single term can cause a great deal of confusion to a user.
  8. Use Version Controls. It is important to set up a method for version controls, even if you don’t have a CM system.
  9. Set up a preliminary Taxonomy. Much user documentation is unstructured content. Therefore, must apply some structure to make use of documentation easy to access, use, and update. Taxonomy information, categories, and keywords should be assigned to documents.
  10. Test all documentation for correctness and application. Documentation will not be used, if it is incorrect. As with product documentation, internal system and process documentation should carry the same rigid controls.
In my case, I sit up a meeting with every department manager and learn what they do from start to finish. I then created a flowchart (yes I love flowcharts) and identify how many processes needs to be develop in order for one department to produce what is expected from them.
Just create a work instruction or SOP that you think necessary to run/operate your company's business. Don't think too much, its easier than you think.
 

Helmut Jilling

Auditor / Consultant
#9
Re: Defining Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

I've just been reading through this thread and another user has said that while the functional departments may be well-aligned to the processes, they are not the same.

Now I am very confused as to which way to go. I have defined the functional divisions - marketing, sales, project management, engineering, production, service support, IT, admin, HR, Quality and Top Management.
But now what?
I went through and detailed what happens in each of these.
e.g., I said in marketing we a). develop a marketing plan, b). create marketing documents, c). do market analysis/research.
For sales I said we a). identify customer needs, b). create a plan/quote, c). receive a contract from the customer and then later on, after the project has been made and sent sales we do d). invoicing and payment.
From sales it links to project management, who identify and plan the project, then delegate the project and then manage it throughout.

And on and on it goes through each department.. but are they functions or are they processes? E.g., the marketing process is planning, document creation and market analysis. To me the planning, the document creation and market analysis are all separate processes but within the main marketing process.
I do have other processes that occur in multiple departments though, such as non-conformance and procurement ? they?re used by each of the departments/functions.
Ah, I?m so confused. They all seem like processes to me, but they?re also departments/functions.
Then I was told to have 4 to 9 main processes. But is non-conformance a main process? If so, then we need continuous improvement process and customer communication and then marketing and sales and engineering and production etc and soon we?re at well more than 9.
If anyone can decipher this and lend some insight that?d be fabulous. Thanks!
Have you solved your confusion, yet, CATERAF?

Processes and departments CAN align, but they are not always the same. For example, the Purchasing and Engineering departments could be processes by the same name. But, the Engineering Dept. might be called the Design process. Either would be OK.

I recommend don't make it too complicated, and don't overthink it. Make it simple, and make it so it makes sense for you.
 
T

thira7

#10
Re: Defining Key Processes in a Company - "Key Process Master List"

I have a question for you. We are trying to implement a QMS in a small NGO with 20 employees but with a huge network of partners. Our activities are training the partners, provide them with books and organizing meetings with them or help them organize a meeting. Can i assume that our key processes are finding new partners, training, meeting organize, book development and purchase, or those are just our products and i am using a wrong approach?
 
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