Glossary · Process improvement
What is process improvement?
Definition: Process improvement is the systematic analysis of how work is done in order to redesign it and reduce time, errors and costs without losing quality.
It starts with the current situation: which steps the process has, who carries them out, which systems are involved and how long each stage takes. With that information, the usual sources of waste become visible: waiting time, data keyed in twice, checks that add nothing and tasks that depend on a single person. The process is then redesigned and the result measured against the starting point.
For a business, it means deciding where to invest effort on the basis of data rather than instinct. An improved process may or may not need technology: sometimes it is enough to remove a step, change the order of tasks or set a clear approval rule. When technology is needed, the prior analysis shows what to automate first and what benefit to expect.
Methods such as Lean, Six Sigma or the PDCA cycle (plan, do, check, act) provide tools for this work, but the shared principle is simple: measure, change and measure again. A common mistake is to start with the tool rather than the process. Improvement is also ongoing: when volumes or systems change, the process needs reviewing again.
Example: an analysis of purchase approvals reveals that every order waits several days in the inbox of a single manager; setting approval limits by level removes most of that wait.