The identification and elimination of inefficiencies and waste within an organization's processes and systems.
Process Mapping: This involves creating a visual diagram of the steps involved in a process, allowing for identification of areas that can be improved.
Lean Six Sigma: A methodology that seeks to improve business efficiency and reduce waste in processes, using statistical analysis to identify inefficiencies.
Kaizen: A Japanese term meaning "continuous improvement," that focuses on making incremental improvements to processes over time.
Total Quality Management (TQM): A management approach that centers on improving customer satisfaction, employee involvement, and quality processes.
Business Process Reengineering (BPR): A methodology that involves completely overhauling existing processes and systems to improve efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
Root Cause Analysis: A method of identifying the underlying causes of problems or inefficiencies in processes, allowing for targeted improvement efforts.
Change Management: The process of planning, implementing, and managing changes to processes or systems within an organization, including communication and training efforts.
Standardization: The process of identifying and implementing standardized processes and procedures across an organization, allowing for consistency and efficiency.
Process Improvement Metrics: Various data and measurements used to evaluate processes and quantify improvements, such as cycle time, defect rates, and customer satisfaction.
Continuous Improvement Programs: Programs that establish ongoing efforts to improve processes, involving regular monitoring, evaluation, and incremental improvements.
Value Stream Mapping: A process improvement tool that identifies the sequence of activities involved in delivering products or services, allowing for the identification of inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
Workflow Analysis: The process of analyzing workflows to identify areas for improvement, such as reducing bottlenecks or increasing efficiency in handoffs between departments.
Process Improvement Teams: Teams of employees focused on identifying and improving processes within an organization, often utilizing a combination of methods such as Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen.
Process Improvement Software: Software tools designed to facilitate process mapping, analysis, and improvement efforts, such as business process management (BPM) software.
Stakeholder Management: The identification and management of stakeholders involved in the improvement process, including employees, customers, and vendors.
Lean Six Sigma: A methodology that focuses on eliminating waste, reducing variability, and improving process efficiency and effectiveness.
Total Quality Management (TQM): A comprehensive approach to process improvement that involves all departments and employees in the organization, with the goal of continuously improving product and service quality and customer satisfaction.
Business Process Reengineering (BPR): A method of fundamentally rethinking and redesigning organizational processes to achieve dramatic improvements in performance, such as cost reduction and cycle time reduction.
Agile: An iterative approach to project management and product development that emphasizes flexibility and adaptability, through continuous improvement and customer feedback.
Continuous Improvement (CI): A philosophy of constantly seeking out and implementing incremental process improvements, with the aim of achieving greater productivity, quality, and efficiency.
Kaizen: A Japanese term that means "continuous improvement", typically involves small incremental changes to processes, with the aim of achieving significant overall improvements over time.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA): A problem-solving technique that involves identifying the underlying causes of an issue, rather than just addressing the symptoms.
Theory of Constraints (TOC): A management philosophy that aims to identify and eliminate bottlenecks in processes, through a process of continual improvement.
Process Mapping: A visual method for identifying, documenting, and analyzing processes, in order to identify opportunities for improvement.
Benchmarking: A process of measuring an organization's performance against best practices of other organizations, with the aim of discovering opportunities for improvement.