10 Checklist for Deciding Whether Process Improvement Is Necessary

1. Is your team failing to meet quality, cost, or time requirements?.
2. Are there significant external developments (for example, in customer preferences, competitors’ behavior, and technology) that may require considerable adjustments to current processes?.
3. Are there important changes within your organization (for instance, a new corporate strategy emphasizing high-quality customer service) that may suggest the need for process improvement?.
4. Have you seen evidence of fragmentation and lack of cooperation or coherence in how work is being carried out?.
5. Are customers complaining about the quality of service they are getting from your team?.
6. Does your team’s performance compare unfavorably with that of other teams in the organization that do similar work?.
7. Are employees expressing frustration with their job responsibilities?.
8. Do tasks often get done incorrectly the first time?.
9. Are some tasks taking too long to complete?.
10. Do certain procedures seem overly complicated; for example, multiple signoffs being required to approve a single purchase order?.