The term process is defined as the interaction of
some combination of people, materials, equipment, method, measurement, and the
environment to produce an outcome such as a product, a service, or an input to
another process.[1] It is
important to understanding that a process is the whole as well as the sum of it
individual parts. We can look at the process of taking a print job from the
customer through its different stages and then delivering the finished product
back to the customer. And we can also look at simply the process of writing up
an order, the process of setting up the press, the process of moving a job
through the design department, or the process of servicing customers.
In any company you visit
there is a work flow process. More often than not it is just understood and has
little or no documentation in writing. On the one hand the work flow process
should be so simple that it does not require detailed documentation. On the
other hand a work flow process without any documentation is a process governed
by the ever changing nature of human character, habits, trial-and-error, and what
seems to work at the moment. Improving any process begins by documenting the
process as it stands. In this way we come to know our own workflow process.
The simple task of sitting
down and writing out your company’s workflow is paramount to identifying
problems and areas of needed improvement. This is the first step in becoming Proactive, let’s look at our alternatives.[2]
This seemingly simple act of writing down each part of the production process
and its processes begins the improvement process in three important ways, self-evaluation, examining the process, and
sharing the knowledge with others.
Once we are done going through and documenting the entire
workflow process we can now look at the other ways this activity can help us in
the improvement process. The Second is Examining
the process. With the workflow process laid out, we can examine the entire system
to identify any potential problems and to make sure the work is done correctly.
The problems and concerns can now be more easily identified, and prioritized insuring
that as problems are dealt with they are done in an organized manor with
emphasis on those problems of greatest concern.
Third is Sharing the Knowledge. With a floor plan of the workflow process laid out,
you can share the information with others and gain their understanding of the
process, clarify the workflow details, and get additional input into the
improvement process.
Nothing
can replace the line by line, step by step written communication of your
workflow process; in essence we define each part of the process. However to
gain an improved view of the entire process it is well recommended that we also
create a workflow diagram, just like a house plan for a home builder. A Workflow Diagram is a series of boxes and lines that shows the
relationship and interaction between one another. The boxes represent a
particular step in the process, while the lines show the interactions.
There
are many different types of diagramming tools that have been developed over the
past few years of manufacturing improvement. Roadmap, Tree Diagram, STM
(Scientific Thinking Mechanism), SIPOC process Diagram, Value Stream Mapping, Cause
and Effect Diagram also known as a Fishbone Diagram, Interrelationship,
Affinity to name just a few. I’m not so concerned with the tool as to introduce
you to what must be done. A simple Workflow diagram is easy to conceive and understand
by most people and a great place to start.
I
would like to highlight the FAST Diagram, which is much like a workflow diagram
with added direction. FAST is the acronym for Function Analysis System
Technique developed by Charles Byetheway in 1964. It is a diagramming process,
which visually highlights the different functions of a product, system, or
service and their interrelationship to the other parts of the whole. In
essence, FAST is a method of stimulating organized thinking about any process by
asking thought-provoking questions.[3]
The
major elements of a FAST diagram are:
1 – Critical Path – a horizontal path detailing the functions required
to produce the desired outcome.
2 – Questioning Process – the systematic process of questioning, HOW the
function is being accomplished and WHY is it being accomplished.
3 – Arrangement – in order to have logic, the diagram must answer
succeeding questions along the critical path. HOW questions reading left to
right and then WHY questions reading right to left.
4 – Scope Lines – these are vertical lines that indentify the area of
our focus which have immediate bearing on the process at hand.
5 – High/Lower Level Functions – those functions outside the scope of
our improvement study that we may not have control of.[4]
This FAST diagram is a sample of
what one may use in analyzing the critical path of a simple reorder job as it
travels through the prepress department and its relation with other jobs.
The main thing is to just dive in, there's not a wrong way to do it.
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