Whilst our formal business processes seldom change, our real life business processes can have a tendency to drift... ...what we understood about our processes when we documented them might not be the case today. Do you know if there is a gap in your business between what should happen and what actually does happen?

The word 'extraordinary' is a great word isn't it? It's even better when it is applied to a business process. But, how do we develop extraordinary business processes?

One of the main reasons people visit this blog is to get ideas on how to improve the on time delivery performance of their business. OTIF ( On Time In Full ) is one of the best metrics there is to evaluate a business' ability to meet the promises it makes to its customers. How can I help you create an effective plan via this blog?

Our business processes and systems drive our business. Occasionally talent will out perform processes, in the short term... So why do so many of us put up with poor systems and processes in our businesses?

I like the phrase 'hit it until you hit it'. It sits well in my mind about the practical usage of the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check and Act). Our improvements rarely work out the first time around and this mantra reminds me of this. What approach do you use?

Sometimes when we look at a process improvement opportunity we struggle to quickly identify the benefits that the business will receive. The idea might feel right, but the initial review of the benefits might come up short. What do you do in this situation?

Many businesses have continuous improvement teams set up. They are without hierarchy and free to organise themselves. In many cases they work extremely well. On the other hand, these teams sometimes fail to generate the results that people expect. What do you do when the results aren't forthcoming?

I think it is an interesting question. Your answer will most likely make a big difference to the results you achieve . And, to keep it simple, I think there are two main answers (based on my experience of watching what people do):

It's amazing just how much people will put up within a business. The wrong tools, the wrong process, unclear instructions... what can become normal is fascinating. Let me give you an example from the back end of last year.

I was talking to a business the other day that had a good MRP system in place within their very large business. But, they weren't truly using it! They had set up most of the parameters, and the system was certainly working as expected, but they still weren't using it the way they should. They didn't trust it!

Where do you keep your continuous improvement plans? Are they safely stored on your computer's hard drive, in the cloud, or on a wall somewhere? The answer to this question may reflect the rate of completion of your plans.

There is an ongoing fight between 'good' and 'bad' when it comes to business processes. Some people want to do things in the right way, with the right processes, consistently. Some people don't appreciate the need for doing things in the right way consistently. Over time this can make a huge difference to the results we obtain as a business.

We have so many pressures on us at times to improve. Trying to make progress becomes one of the most important things we have to do. There can be so many opportunities too. A myriad of ideas that we could get our teeth into. So, why do many of us get limited results?