Every organisation runs on processes, whether or not they are written down. Orders are taken, goods are purchased, invoices are issued, approvals are granted and customers are served. When these processes work well, the business feels calm and predictable. When they do not, the symptoms are familiar: rework, delays, errors, frustrated customers and managers spending their time fighting fires.
Business process improvement is the disciplined practice of understanding how work actually gets done and making it better — faster, more reliable, less costly and easier to control. This article outlines a practical approach that organisations of any size can apply.
Why processes deteriorate
Few processes are designed badly from the outset. More often, they drift. A workaround introduced during a busy period becomes permanent. A new system is added without retiring the old spreadsheet. An approval step created for one exceptional case is applied to every transaction. Over time, layers accumulate and nobody has a complete view of the end-to-end flow.
Growth accelerates this drift. Processes that worked for ten people and fifty transactions a week may not work for fifty people and five hundred.
Foundations: established frameworks
Process improvement is not a new discipline, and businesses benefit from building on recognised methods rather than inventing their own.
- The process approach and PDCA. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) describes quality management in terms of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle: planning what to do, doing what was planned, checking the outcomes, and acting on those findings to improve further. The "process approach" and "improvement" are among ISO's seven quality management principles, alongside customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, evidence-based decision-making and relationship management.
- DMAIC. Drawn from Six Sigma, Define–Measure–Analyse–Improve–Control is presented in Project Management Institute (PMI) literature as a practical structure for moving from current results to improved performance.
- Lean thinking. As PMI material on lean project delivery explains, Lean aims to improve process velocity by reducing non-value-added time — what practitioners call waste.
These frameworks share a common logic: understand the current state with evidence, change deliberately, and lock in the gains.
A practical five-step approach
1. Define the scope and the outcome
Start by choosing a process that matters — one that affects customers, cash flow, compliance or capacity. Define clearly where the process starts and ends, who owns it and what "better" means. Typical objectives include shorter cycle times, fewer errors, lower cost per transaction or improved customer experience.
2. Map the current state
Walk the process with the people who perform it. Document each step, decision point, hand-off, system and document involved. Visual tools such as swim-lane diagrams make hand-offs between teams visible — and hand-offs are where delays and errors most often occur.
Resist the temptation to map the process as it is supposed to work. The value lies in capturing what really happens, including workarounds.
3. Measure and analyse
Evidence turns opinions into decisions. Useful measures include:
- Cycle time — how long the process takes from start to finish.
- Touch time versus waiting time — how much of that duration involves actual work.
- Error and rework rates.
- Volume and variation — how demand fluctuates.
- Cost per transaction, where it can be estimated.
Analysis then looks for root causes rather than symptoms. Common culprits include unclear responsibilities, duplicate data entry, unnecessary approvals, poor-quality inputs and systems that do not communicate.
4. Design and implement improvements
Improvement options typically fall into a few categories:
- Eliminate steps that add no value for the customer or for control.
- Simplify forms, approvals and decision rules.
- Standardise how work is done, with clear procedures and templates.
- Integrate systems to remove re-keying.
- Automate repetitive, rules-based tasks — but only after the process has been simplified, so that inefficiency is not simply made faster.
Test changes on a small scale before rolling them out. A pilot reveals practical issues and builds confidence among the people affected.
As PMI literature on business process optimisation emphasises, efficiency gains should not come at the expense of the quality of the product or service the process delivers. Controls that protect the business — segregation of duties, approval limits, compliance checks — should be redesigned thoughtfully, not removed.
5. Control and sustain
The final step is where many improvement efforts fail. Without deliberate reinforcement, processes tend to drift back to old habits. Sustaining the gains requires:
- A named process owner with authority and accountability.
- Updated procedures and training.
- A small set of performance indicators reviewed regularly.
- A simple mechanism for staff to raise issues and suggest further improvements.
The human side of improvement
Processes are performed by people, and lasting improvement depends on them. McKinsey's work on change management points to employee resistance and management behaviours that do not support the intended changes as major reasons why change efforts fall short.
Practical implications include involving front-line staff in mapping and redesign, explaining the reasons for change clearly, ensuring leaders model the new ways of working, and recognising early wins. People are far more likely to sustain a process they helped to design.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Starting with technology. Software can enable a better process; it rarely creates one.
- Trying to fix everything at once. Focused, sequenced improvements are easier to deliver and sustain.
- Measuring too much, or too little. A handful of meaningful indicators is better than a crowded dashboard.
- Ignoring controls and compliance. A faster process that weakens governance creates new risks.
- Declaring victory too early. Improvements need time and monitoring to embed.
Where to begin
For most organisations, the best starting point is a single, high-impact process — order-to-cash, procure-to-pay or customer onboarding are common candidates. A focused review over a few weeks can clarify where time and effort are being lost and build momentum for wider improvement.
Discuss your requirements
SOMAK Global Solutions provides management consultancy and project management services for business and operational processes. If you are looking to review how work flows through your organisation, or to plan and implement improvements in a structured way, we would be pleased to discuss your requirements. Results depend on each organisation's circumstances and commitment, and our services do not include legal advice.
