Copyright Dr. Thomas L. Franke, Ms. Candace F. Benson, and Ms. Dixie L. Lawson (2003). This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non- commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the authors. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the authors. This work also includes copyrighted material from A Practical Guide to Information Systems Process Improvements (2001) by Anita Cassidy and Keith Guggenberger, published by CRC Press which is included by permission of the publisher.

Steps in Process Improvement I.Getting Started II.Process Identification III.Process Selection IV.Current State V.Process Plan VI.Future State VII.Implementation The following content was taken from “A Practical Guide to Information Systems Process Improvement” by Anita Cassidy and Keith Guggenberger.

Getting Started Strategic Plan A strategic plan is a process that reflects dynamic changes to the business.strategic plan The strategic plan should be used when creating process objectives. If a strategic plan doesn’t currently exist, then work should begin on one.

Getting Started Project Goals and Metrics Develop process and project goals. Plan metrics to measure process progress. Metrics tell the organization how well it performs a process and how well it achieves specified goals.

Getting Started IS Environment Very important to fully understand the current environment. This can be accomplished by viewing documentation and conducting interviews. Be aware of any current issues that may exist.

Getting Started Project Team Establish a project team Size of team Identify member roles and responsibilities Determine tools to be used How will everything be documented Determine meeting places and times

Getting Started Project Plan A project plan should include the following: –Mission StatementMission Statement –Defined Scope of project –What the project should accomplish (goals) –Justification for the proposed changesJustification for the proposed changes –Designate team members –TasksTasks –Time schedulesTime schedules –Team Roles and ResponsibilitiesTeam Roles and Responsibilities –Training

Getting Started Training Team members must be trained on –Tools to be used for the project –Process fundamentals Training for other support personnel Training for end users

Things that may affect project success Delays in starting project Group cohesion Unclear or unrealistic project goals Undefined or unclear plan of action Not enough support from management Lack of proper resources Little or no training

Process Identification Identify and understand the current activities.Identify and understand the current activities. Are any of the current activities documented? Identify why the process is needed What are the benefits of the process? List any major issues that may currently exits with each process

Process Selection Rate the value and prioritize each process on a set criteria Identify processes to change

Current State Collect information for each process Flowchart the current processes Review flowcharts Make changes if necessary Approve process

Process Plan Review process goals Define the measures of the new processes (metrics)Define the measures of the new processes (metrics) Create the process plan

Future State Assign an owner to each process Schedule process redesign meetings Develop any new processes Documentation

Implement How will this process effect technology and people? How will the process be implemented? Are there any risks involved? Implement the new process. Monitor the process Can the process be improved?

Sample Processes Create a Remedy ticket Install software Change network password Other tasks performed by department

Conclusion & Discussion