Process Optimisation
Main goal of process optimization is to reduce or eliminate time and resource wastage, unnecessary costs, bottlenecks, and mistakes while achieving the process objective.
In plant operations, benefits arise from improved plant performance, such as improved yield of valuable products, reduced energy consumption, higher processing rates and longer times between shutdowns. Optimization can also lead to reduced maintenance costs, less equipment wear and better staff utilization.
How does WINDIS do it? There are typical Process Optimization Steps:
Identify
There is always area required improvement. Think about a process in your company that is costing more than it should, or takes more time than it was planned or needs more people than you have expected.
Now, we have to identify what the core of the process is and which are the unchangeable items. Below are only some of the typical questions we have to clarify at that stage:
Why do we have this process and what is the process’s final purpose is?
Where does the process start and end?
Which departments and people are involved?
What process documentation is used and how does the documentation travel between the participants?
How is the responsibility being distributed between the participants?
Rethink
It is the time where we will map the process: we make a diagram which shows how the process flows between the involved departments, who are the involved participants, what documents are generated. During that stage we obviously organize many meetings with your team and ask questions. During the discussions many of the undecided questions below will find logical answers:
Is there a better way to perform this process?
How well do the participants understand the process flow?
How exactly is this process conducted?
How many documents does this process generate?
How long does the process take to be finished?
How much time is lost in reworks and mistake correction?
Where do the critical process steps take too much time and too many resources?
Having a micro and macro vision is the key for process optimization – each and every detail is important.
Implement
Knowing the process at this level of detail we will be able to identify the changes, opportunities, and the improvement it needs.
WINDIS’s team, based on the information collected during the first two stages will propose relevant change measures which should move the process in a new manner.
It is crucial, for the final success that Management team and everybody embrace the new process and implement the changes.