SMS has applied lean and agile thinking to develop a three-year improvement programme which will transform process effectiveness by a factor of x 4
The SMS Lean and Agile Method for Improvement Teams (SLAMit!) begins by defining your starting point and your destination. The route by which you plan to get there is developed iteratively in a series of “sprints”, run every 2-4 weeks. At the start of each sprint, the improvement priorities are reconsidered, enabling the improvement programme to adapt to changing business circumstances. Commitments of effort and expenditure can be similarly reviewed each sprint and varied as the client thinks is desirable.
In this way, an improvement programme maintains a high output of value and a low cost profile. If budgets are very tight and cost reduction is a priority, improvement may be self-funding, paying for further improvement from savings already realised.
In this way, the client’s management team always remain in control of the risks, the budget, and the objective and direction of the work.
Fig 1 Kotter’s Model – based on a Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle
Kotter’s Model suggests organisational change & improvement is created and sustained by work in 8 strategic focus areas.
The SLAMit approach addresses all the 8 focus areas in setting up and running the Sprints. This includes maintaining the engagement and commitment of senior management (“Create a guiding coalition”) and using integrated teams to create a sustainable culture of change.
Rather than being something imposed on a busy team from the outside, process improvement then becomes integral to the way the project team – and the business – operates. Each section and indeed each individual is aware of the overall value stream and the impact of their activity on other parts of the end-to-end process. This encourages an outcome-focused problem-solving approach to resolving the inevitable issues and difficulties which arise.
Appraisal
Periodic use of the Symptomatic Diagnostic to position the organisation on the 5-point scale of effectiveness provide an audit trail of demonstrable improvement in value delivered.
If CMMI accreditation is required, a full-scale SCAMPI® Class-A appraisal can be performed at a suitable time to assess maturity level. The set of activities for this are typically scheduled over 12 weeks and include:
* appointment and training of the Appraisal Team Members
* preparation of the Practice Performance Implementation Database
* the Document Review
* Initial Briefing
* On-Site Period & Final Findings Presentation.
Benefits of the SLAMit approach
* Everyone in the organisation is engaged and provided with necessary training early in the programme
* The client organisation receives a return on investment at the end of each sprint
* Waste and rework is minimised
* Improvement opportunities are prioritised each sprint so the focus is always on the single useful next step
* Changes to business goals and constraints can be accommodated flexibly without wasteful replanning
* The programme transfers knowledge to client staff and develops a culture of continuous improvement
You can read the principles of successful process improvement implementation for yourself. Delivering a successful implementation in the context of existing company culture and history requires an expert guide with experience of negotiating and overcoming the various problems and barriers that will inevitably arise.
SMS Improvement Coaches have supported numerous organisations through various stages of their journey to the “desired state”. We guarantee you will achieve your goal more quickly, more harmoniously, and more cost-effectively, by applying SMS know-how.
When you are investing in process improvement, invest in a little insurance to keep you on course. Contact the SMS Insight Team insight@smsexemplar.com