Process Triage™ Examinations (Partial List)

Purpose:
To identify symptoms of workflow dysfunction. A point-of-pain indicates an underinvestment in (e.g.) capital or labor, work procedure design, or process control.

Method:
Each participant identifies a specified number of pain points without discussing them with others. The total number of pain points will be statistically valid (i.e. > 30 samples, > 60 preferred). Pain points form a Paretto pattern for prioritizing follow-up analysis and action.

Workshop Time Requirement:
15-25 points of pain per hour ± 15 minutes, fully triaged.

Purpose:
To illustrate the required quantity of deliverables (demand). These measurements are the denominators of stepped and unit cost calculations, as well as symptoms of rework or abandoned work.

Method:
Participants who actually observe the work in their primary job estimate the demand quantity for an appropriate time period, for a specified scenario.

Workshop Time Requirement:
10 to 20 demand points per 30 minutes ± 10 minutes.

Purpose:
To identify time consumption, which triages into (1) valid uninterrupted work time, or delays related to (2) waiting for resources, (3) rework, or (4) waiting for management intervention. This triage examination is ideal for sizing LEAN projects.

Method:
Participants who actually observe the work in their primary job estimate the amount of time activities (the arrows) take, both total elapsed, and typical if working uninterrupted. Triage examines the reasons for interruptions.

Workshop Time Requirement:
15-30 minutes per workflow segment ± 10 minutes, per scenario.

Purpose:
To verify or assign roles and responsibilities for all workflow activities and deliverables. The RACI Matrix identifies who has P&L Responsibility, day-to-day management Accountability, contributing Consultants, and who must be Informed of workflow activity (for support and performance reporting).

Method:
Participants complete a draft RACI Matrix for selected deliverables, then verify the matrix with the responsible executive. This exam exposes unclear authority delegation.

Workshop Time Requirement:
5-10 minutes per matrix if an existing process, longer if workflow invention.

Purpose:
To determine how vulnerable a workflow is to the loss of a person in an assigned role. This exam is especially effective for planning job rotations and growing the talent pool, and identifying who must have locked-in contracts when buying or selling a business.

Method:
Executives, managers, and human resource planners complete this after the Process Triage™ Workflow Map has identified all milestone deliverables.

Workshop Time Requirement:
5 minutes per workflow milestone for existing processes, longer if inventing or negotiating.

Purpose:
To ensure workflow crosses major organizational (cost center or corporate) boundaries as desired. A Process Triage™ Workflow Map identifies externally produced deliverables that must be contracted for (blue circles). At a minimum, these hand-offs must be clear and have managerial ownership.

Method:
Participants identify these boundaries after the Process Triage™ Workflow Map draft is stable.

Workshop Time Requirement:
5-10 minutes per boundary if existing process, longer if workflow invention.

Purpose:
To understand what natural units of work (milestone deliverables) cost, assigning all resource costs to the activities where they are consumed. A workflow demand exam is pre-work for this cost analysis. This exam shows the workflow as a flow of money.

Method:
Participants collaborate with accounting specialists, often estimating or deriving them form general organizational costs.

Workshop Time Requirement:
10 minutes per milestone depending upon accounting system granularity.

Purpose:
To see the workflow as a flow of money at a specified volume of demand. Milestone deliverable unit costs (historical or estimated) are needed. This exam combined with the CEMMethod® Moments of Truth (MOT) exam reveals what budget for each customer touch (which is usually an eye-opener).

Method:
Participants collaborate with accounting specialists, often estimating or deriving them form general organizational costs.

Workshop Time Requirement:
10 minutes per milestone depending upon accounting system granularity.

Purpose:
To assess the disposition and performance of technologies (IT and other capital equipment). Look for duplicate systems and technologies. Look for an architecture plan that is consistent with the workflow's operational performance and financial objectives. Combine with a Process Data Flow Requirements exam to uncover human workarounds.

Method:
Participants or technology experts annotate the map and participate in follow-up action items and projects. Include a Data Flow Requirements.

Workshop Time Requirement:
Depends upon the level of detail and numbers of systems architecture.

Purpose:
To absolutely identify all facts, in plain language, a workflow must know and remember. These facts are itemized at the smallest unit of information work (its DNA) called CRUD Transactions. CRUD stands for Create, Retrieve, Update, or Delete. All business processes are CRUD Transaction Chains (like DNA), and all process failures are root-caused to a CRUD Transaction failure. The fastest method to create a process from scratch is build the CRUD Transaction Chain with the best process experts one can put in a room with a Process Triage facilitator.

Method:
Participants itemize the CRUD Transactions for each task (numbered arrow) after a Process Triage™ Workflow Map is sketched. Requires an expert facilitator.

Workshop Time Requirement:
CRUD Transaction definition takes 3x the time it takes to draft the map. 15 minutes ± 5 minutes per task (numbered arrow), longer if inventing a new process.

Purpose:
To ensure all workflow improvements are driven by what the customer wants first. Satisfying Customer Outcome (SCO) definition is the first step in the BPGroup® CEMMethod™ for Outside-In process design. An SCO includes the following:

1. Target Customer Identification
2. Current Customer Expectations
3. Customer Process Definition (their view)
4. Internal Impacts Definition
5. Customer Needs Identification

Method:
Participants craft the SCO as led by their facilitator.

Workshop Time Requirement:
60 minutes per SCO not including revisions. Depends upon brand maturity.

Purpose:
To identify where the business comes in contact with the customer and determine if that touch, that Moments of Truth (MOT) delivers the Successful Customer Outcome (SCO). Business processes should be designed around MOT. This is the first step in the BPGroup® CEMMethod™ for Outside-In process design

Method:
Participants identify Moments of Truth as led by their facilitator.

Workshop Time Requirement:
20 minutes per MOT ± 10 minutes initially, then additional follow-up time.

Purpose:
To size and scope work packages, in their earliest finish order, to ensure a project work breakdown structure (WBS) is not missing any work packages.

The Process Triage™ workflow mapping style is ideal for the first-draft WBS because the map is deliverable oriented, perfect for work package identification.

If a Data Flow Requirements (CRUD Transactions) exam is included, it is unlikely any important work package will be missed.

Method:
Participants, as a group, must represent the WBS scope. Map as a process invention (one cycle of a process = a project WBS).

Workshop Time Requirement:
20 to 25 work packages (deliverables) per workshop hour.

Purpose:
To understand the true scope of work of a new process or new venture value chain, for subsequent resource planning and budgeting.

Method:
Standard Process Triage™ Mapping, except participants may not be as knowledgeable unless they have performed similar work. Workflow conceptualization takes longer than mapping an existing process, as brainstorming is required.

Workshop Time Requirement:
15 to 20 deliverables (circles) per hour ± 15 minutes, based on participant familiarity with similar workflows.