CONCEPT OF PRODUCTIVITY
A business owner, either planning on a new start-up or seeking opportunities to improve on existing methods will greatly increase their odds of success when productivity of the process is thoroughly thought through from the beginning. The term “Productivity” refers to the efficiency of a process. It measures how inputs have been effectively utilized to produce a profitable output.
CONCEPT OF PROCESSES
A process is a defined sequence of repeated steps applied toward task achievement. It is a business method of getting things done.
A well-written process will define things like what activities are to be done, who performs them, what the purpose is, how it is performed, and who is responsible for the process. It is:
1. Repeatable
2. Creates Value
3. Finite
4. Flexible
WHY A PROCESS IS IMPORTANT
• Provides consistent output.
• Reduces time wastage, and provides clarity on the work to be done.
• Provides a basis for continuous improvement.
• Makes training and knowledge transfer easy and consistent.
• Supports quality requirements and goals.
• Increases efficiency and productivity.
• Ensures resources are put to good use.
HOW TO DEFINE A PROCESS
When defining a process, take time to ensure that each step adds the value you require to your business – Be it direct or indirect value
- Understand your business goal
- Identify what tasks are important to your business goal
- Assign tasks to stakeholders
- Test the process
- Implement the process
- Monitor Process
- Standardize the Process
PROCESS MAPPING
Once processes have been created the next step is to organize them into a sequence of operations, so that they form a continuous flow.
For example, the process of making pap requires boiling water to a certain degree, making a paste off the pap while water is heating, pouring boiled water into a paste, and stirring immediately.
Then add a choice of beverage. If the sequence of pap production is not defined, a worker can choose to wait for the water to boil before making the paste of the pap. This will lead to a waste of time resulting from waiting.
What if the worker chooses to mix the beverage with the pap paste before pouring the water? This will affect the quality of the pap and such a mistake can cause a waste of resources due to defective output. To maintain a productive system, processes should be mapped in a way that they produce the best output.
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