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Business Process Improvement: The Breakthrough Strategy for Total Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness
It's one of the hot topics for the 1990s--how to apply quality improvement techniques originally developed for the manufacturing sector to service industries. How to Take the Lead in Business Process Management details how to do it, providing a step-by-step formula that helps companies improve quality and productivity in the support areas. Here in one comprehensive volume is all the information an organization needs to start the improvement process right how to determine customer needs and expectations and deliver the best service; how to establish which processes drive your business; how to create process improvement teams and train team leaders; how to eliminate bureaucracy, simplify the process, and reduce processing time; how to measure progress and provide feedback to participants; how to document the levels of improvement and certify operations and activities; and how to ensure ongoing improvement. Two special features further enahance the value of this highly practical (1) a chapter of case histories, showing the results of business process improvement, and (2) an exhaustive section that guides readers in the application of problem-solving methods, value analysis and process analysis techniques, perfection analysis, work simplification programs, and more.
274 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 9, 2015
This is a difficult book to review in that it is a product of it's time. The book is considered a landmark text in the field of Business Process Improvement and I think it's reputation is justified. That said, I think that Business Process Improvement has moved on in the decades since it's publication understandably. The book is worth reading as a historical document of interest for those involved with Process Improvement and there are some great ideas and core principles in here that are relevant today.
The book is very readable and well structured. It's accessible and Harrington engages well with the reader. The chapter on 'how' to improve a process from reducing cycle time to streamlining, to improving quality is really very good and I can see how I can apply these tools in business improvement.
Where the book struggles is that Harrington's method is very prescriptive. Every chapter is 'must do this', 'must do that'. 'Set this group up', 'they do this' etc. I find a prescriptive method pretty limiting. Although Harrington does talk about engaging the workforce it is clear his thinking is in a 'command and control' management style. Everything is 'top down' in Harrington's world. He does talk about guaranteeing no job losses as a result of process improvement which is admirable but this seems an almost throwaway line. To be honest many who have adopted 'lean' thinking have used this as a pretext to fire people.
Some of the book is pretty funny but it's unfair to criticise the author for that. Harrington's world is a pre-email world where administration processes are clunky and resource heavy. I was laughing at quite a lot of his suggestions - okay practically we've moved on but his sentiments are fine. I think it's an important point though that in the decades since we've increased communication and automated and simplified, yet we are still working longer and being told we are unproductive.
Where I don't agree with the book is it's obsession with targets and contingent rewards. Setting targets encourages people to cheat. Harrington is right about having good measures but the only measure that counts is 'do we meet our customer needs'. Much is made of financial rewards. Realistically when the focus is on targets and contingent rewards it encourages meeting the target or getting the money rather than focusing on what matters.
I did enjoy the book and will take much from it but I didn't get much in the way of lightbulb moments from this.
The book is very readable and well structured. It's accessible and Harrington engages well with the reader. The chapter on 'how' to improve a process from reducing cycle time to streamlining, to improving quality is really very good and I can see how I can apply these tools in business improvement.
Where the book struggles is that Harrington's method is very prescriptive. Every chapter is 'must do this', 'must do that'. 'Set this group up', 'they do this' etc. I find a prescriptive method pretty limiting. Although Harrington does talk about engaging the workforce it is clear his thinking is in a 'command and control' management style. Everything is 'top down' in Harrington's world. He does talk about guaranteeing no job losses as a result of process improvement which is admirable but this seems an almost throwaway line. To be honest many who have adopted 'lean' thinking have used this as a pretext to fire people.
Some of the book is pretty funny but it's unfair to criticise the author for that. Harrington's world is a pre-email world where administration processes are clunky and resource heavy. I was laughing at quite a lot of his suggestions - okay practically we've moved on but his sentiments are fine. I think it's an important point though that in the decades since we've increased communication and automated and simplified, yet we are still working longer and being told we are unproductive.
Where I don't agree with the book is it's obsession with targets and contingent rewards. Setting targets encourages people to cheat. Harrington is right about having good measures but the only measure that counts is 'do we meet our customer needs'. Much is made of financial rewards. Realistically when the focus is on targets and contingent rewards it encourages meeting the target or getting the money rather than focusing on what matters.
I did enjoy the book and will take much from it but I didn't get much in the way of lightbulb moments from this.
April 2, 2024
James Harrington knows his stuff and is easy to learn.
October 7, 2021
I'm a Process Analyst and I love reading BPM books. This book is average but it is good read for new comers in this BPM field. I esp. loved the chapters on process improvement
February 17, 2016
A good broad introduction to BPI, though it is perhaps showing its age a little bit, and it was strange to see a whole chapter on measurement without mentioning Six Sigma, or the focus on inefficiency of business process and the need to streamline, without considering Lean.
On a similar tack, some of the examples, such as the desirability of minimising the physical movements steps in the distribution of typewritten memos, and exhortations to consider the transformative effects of local-area networks and portable computers are a bit jarring from a 2009 perspective. The principles are fine, but the examples are now little quaint.
On a similar tack, some of the examples, such as the desirability of minimising the physical movements steps in the distribution of typewritten memos, and exhortations to consider the transformative effects of local-area networks and portable computers are a bit jarring from a 2009 perspective. The principles are fine, but the examples are now little quaint.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews