Process Implementation

Process Implementation The Hard Part of Process Improvement

Agenda • Introduction • Process Design/redesign • Measures • Implementation • Challenges • How to overcome them • Implementation steps

Introduction • Bob Fantina • Business Process Analyst at RIM • Past Experience: • AT&T – Piscataway, NJ • Lucent Technologies- Liberty Corner, NJ • Merrill Lynch – Princeton, NJ • Motorola – Plantation, FL • NorthwesTel, Whitehorse, YT • Author • Practical Software Process Improvement

The Steps • Draft the ‘as is’ • What happens today

The Steps • Validate the ‘as is’ • Identify and meet with pertinent stakeholders

The Steps • Validate the ‘as is’ • Identify and meet with pertinent stakeholders • 80/20 Rule

The Steps • Create the ‘to be’ • Meet with the pertinent stakeholders • Workshop format is best.

The Steps • Validate the ‘to be’

The Steps • Establish viable measures

Measurable Concepts • Call response time • Mean time to repair • Number of defects found per phase • Number of defects introduced per phase • Etc.

Measurement Constructs Evaluation of captured data Indicators Derived Measure(s) Combined base measures Raw Information Base Measure(s)

Indicator Measure usable for decision-making Analysis Two or more measures Derived measure Derived measure Measurement Function Data Collection Level – Single Attribute Base Measurement Base Measurement

Indicator Measure usable for decision-making Information in a context for decision-making Analysis (Formula to combine derived measures with associated decision criteria) Two or more measures Derived measure Derived measure (Variance from target to actual) Measurement Function (Formula to combine base measurements) Data Collection Level – Single Attribute Base Measurement Base Measurement (Target) (Actual)

Process Implementation • You have now established: • The ‘as is’ • The ‘Should be’ • Viable measures

Now Comes the Hard Part Implementation

Exercise • Silent Brainstorming • List reasons you have experienced that have caused problems in implementing a new process. • (5 minutes)

Implement the New or Redesigned Process • Why is this so hard? • Resistance to change • People are accustomed to doing things a certain way. Even if they are unhappy with the process, they see the need for other people to change what they are doing.

Implement the New or Redesigned Process • Why is this so hard? • Fear of Learning Something New • Sometimes people lack the confidence to learn new skills. A process change often requires the learning of new tools, methodologies, etc.

Implement the New or Redesigned Process • Why is this so hard? • Fear of Failure • If someone is successful in what they do, they may not want to change it.

Implement the New or Redesigned Process • Skepticism • Seen as current management fad or buzzword. • “We’ve been down this road before.”

Implement the New or Redesigned Process • Why is this so hard? • Turf issues • A new or redesigned process may make information that was previously in the hands of one or two people more readily available. For some people, this may pose a threat to their expertise.

Implement the New or Redesigned Process • These may be masked by the ‘time’ excuse. • “This will slow us down.” • “We don’t have time for all this paperwork.”

Succeeding in Process Implementation The Step to Success

Assure Executive Ownership • Who is responsible for the success of the implementation? • This may be the project sponsor, but it could also be someone else with a significant stake in the success of the new or redesigned process.

Communication • Let impacted stakeholders know well in advance that a change is coming. • Provide information, when it is known, about the change. • Maintain communication on an ongoing basis.

Assess Readiness • Determine who is impacted

Assess Readiness • Determine who is impacted X

Assess Readiness • Readiness: The degree to which a stakeholder group is receptive to the implementation of the new or redesigned process. • High Readiness: Stakeholder group views the change as desirable. • Low Readiness: Lack of interest; views the changes as negatively impacting individual work, the organization, etc.

Assess Readiness • How ‘ready’ is each group?

Assess Readiness • How ‘ready’ is each group? H

Disruption Assessment • How disruptive will be change be to the impacted stakeholders? • High disruption: Lots of turmoil, cost, confusion and loss expected during implementation. • Low disruption: Very little turmoil, cost or loss of work.

Assess Disruption • How ‘disruptive’ will the change be to each group?

Assess Disruption • How ‘disruptive’ will the change be to each group? H

Readiness vs. Disruption • Evaluate readiness vs. disruption for all impacted stakeholder groups.

Readiness vs. Disruption • Evaluate readiness vs. disruption for all impacted stakeholder groups. H H

Overcoming Barriers • Low Readiness/High Disruption • Meet with these stakeholders individually. • Determine their objections; often what they state is not the real reason. • For example, no one is going to say that the new process encroaches on his/her turf. • Determine how to overcome their hesitancy. • Easier said than done.

Overcoming Barriers • Resistance to change: • Frequent, ongoing communication. • Give people the opportunity to get used to the ides of the change.

Overcoming Barriers • Fear of Learning Something New: • Communication should include that training, mentoring and coaching will be provided prior to rollout. • Assure impacted stakeholders that they will not be left on their own to learn the new process. • Also assure them that everyone will have training, mentoring and coaching; no one will be singled out because he/she ‘just isn’t getting it.’

Overcoming Barriers • Fear of Failure: • Closely related to ‘fear of learning something new.’ • Assure impacted stakeholders that no one expects them to become expert overnight. Learning the new process and becoming proficient with it will take everyone some time, and management is invested in providing support for as long as it takes.

Overcoming Barriers • Latest Buzzword Syndrome: • Engage management • At the start of the project to create or redesign the process • Periodically during the project • At the start of training • At the start of process implementation.

Overcoming Barriers • Turf Issues: • The most difficult to determine, and to overcome. • Encourage this person to become the SME for the new process. • If you have an idea early on that someone has turf issues, try to involve him/her in the design of the new process. • Engage upper management.

Overcoming Barriers • None of these is a ‘silver bullet.’ • Combinations and variations of each will be required for successful implementation.

Training • Know your audience • Different impacted stakeholder groups may require very different training. • ‘One size fits all’ may not work.

Pilot • Select a subset of the impacted stakeholders, if possible. • The new or redesigned process may not lend itself to usage by a subset of the organization. • The timeframe for the pilot should be short, but sufficient to go through the process, end to end.

Pilot • Training should be provided to the pilot participants before it is delivered to the larger group. • Adjustment made as a result of the pilot may alter the training.

Pilot • Piloting should include close mentoring.

‘Tweak’ • Some adjustments may be made based on the pilot. • Feedback received during the pilot should be used to make the necessary adjustments before rollout.

Rollout • After the pilot (if a pilot is held) • Scheduled as far in advance as possible. • Let people know it is coming. • Provide coaching and mentoring as necessary. • Be aware that both will probably be more necessary than many of the participants will realize.

Continuous Improvement • Capture the pre-determined metrics. • Assure that the process is providing the expected benefit. • Adjust as necessary.

Questions or Comments? Process Implementation

Process Implementation