Improving Process Improvement

A great mentor of mine used to tell me, “Releasing an Engineerng Change Order (ECO) is easy, it’s making sure the ECO gets implemented that’s tough.” Now, years later, I find that’s often still true.  

Why does this problem persist for so many companies?  

Maybe it has to do with how most companies approach business process development and improvement. Maybe we need to improve process improvement before we can improve our business processes. 

Where do we start? Typically, we start at the beginning.  

It’s easy to understand what information needs to be collected at the beginning of the ECO process. A new part wants to be released. Or, a change needs to be made to an existing item. You’ll need an attribute to provide the description of the change. And, if you want the change order to actually be signed off, it’s good to include an attribute to explain the reason for the change order. A list of affected items is needed, along with their new revisions. 

Understanding the needs and goals of the originator is easy. But will starting your analysis at the beginning of the process provide an adequate focus on the consumers of the information at the end of the process? This includes the implementers, anyone who reports on the process, and possibly other stakeholders according to your corporate needs. 

I suggest you start your analysis at the end of the process. Usually, this means talking to whoever receives the ECO process reports when the final metrics are done. What do they think about the data they receive on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis? Is the information helpful? Or does it simply check off a box for compliance to ISO review requirements? Do the reports provide clear directions or areas for improvements in efficiency, cost, or customer satisfaction? If not, why are the reports being generated? What kind of actionable data would align with the corporate goals and roadmap? 

These questions may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often they aren’t asked during the investigation phase of improving any business process, including the ECO workflow and form. Once you have these answers you can begin to build a process that will provide the information executives and other stakeholders actually want to see. 

When you start your analysis at the end of the process, you’ll know what information needs to be collected at the beginning of the process. You’re in a much better position to design data collection that will serve the needs of the people who need to act on it. In fact, the same can be said for most business processes managed by your PLM system. 

 A strong understanding of the final output and desired results for any process will provide the guidepost needed to reach your ultimate goal. Instead of asking “What happens first?” try asking “What happens last?” It could just change your entire approach to business process improvement.