Process Improvement - A How To Guide工艺改进-以如何引导

By通过 Paul Deis保罗Deis
This paper first defines key terms, then discusses how to improve inputs to the process, the improvement process itself, and wraps up with some “lessons learned” advice.本文首先界定关键术语，然后讨论如何改善投入的过程，改进过程本身，包装了一些“教训”的意见。
INTRODUCTION 导言

Objective: 目的：

To help enable process improvement for better performance do it better, cheaper, faster.为了帮助使过程改进有更好的表现做得更好，更便宜，速度更快。

Would you like a simple, effective approach to process improvement?你想一个简单，有效的办法来处理改善？ This is a generic method for almost any type of process and is intended as a guide of things to do, rather than an in-depth tutorial.这是一个通用的方法，几乎任何类型的进程，并打算为指导的事情要做，而不是深入的教程。 Because it’s generic, it doesn’t contain discipline-specific technical advice.因为它是通用的，它不包含纪律的具体技术咨询。 While it outlines a methodical approach, we also encourage creativity in concert with it, because the biggest breakthroughs happen when method and creativity find a way to co-exist.虽然它概述了有条不紊的办法，我们也鼓励创造性与它，因为最大的突破发生时的方法和创造力找到一种方法，共存。

This article first defines key terms, then discusses how to improve inputs to the process, the process itself, and wraps up with some lessons learned advice.本文首先界定关键术语，然后讨论如何改善投入的过程，这个过程本身，包装了一些经验教训的意见。 Although production and manufacturing terms are employed, nearly everything herein works for service businesses and office operations.虽然生产和制造方面的工作，几乎都在此工程服务企业和办事处的业务。 It is currently fashionable to say that value is only added on the factory floor, but little would happen on its own without the intelligence value-added of such non-value- added activities as marketing, selling, planning, designing, contracting, buying, shipping, etc. The value-added concept needs expansion beyond the narrow realm of production that it is now so myopically focused upon.这是目前时髦的说，价值只有增加对厂房，但很少会发生自身的智力增值等非增值活动营销，销售，规划，设计，承包，购买，航运等增值概念也需要扩大超出了狭隘的生产领域，现在是这样短视重点。

DEFINITIONS 定义

Process 工艺

A process is a collection of related activities that adds value to a product or service, that a customer would be willing to pay for.一个进程是一个收集有关的活动，增加价值的产品或服务，即客户愿意支付。 A process accomplishes specific objectives.一个进程完成特定的目标。 Products consume processes, which consume activities, which consume resources, such as money, manpower, material, and machine.产品消耗过程，消耗的活动，消耗资源，如资金，人力，物力，和机器。 They may also require information, in the form of specifications, instructions and schedules.他们也许还需要信息的形式，规格，指示和时间表。 George Miller, PROACTION乔治米勒， PROACTION

A collection of activities that takes one or more kinds of input and creates an output that is of value to the customer.收集的活动，需要一个或多个种类的投入和创建一个输出的价值给客户。 Hammer and Champy, in Reengineering the Corporation哈默和钱皮在该公司重组

Typical potential process improvement areas are: 典型的潜在过程改进领域是：

• Speed高速
• Cost/Return on Investment/Assets成本/投资回报/资产
• Quality质量
• Flexibility灵活性
• Product Innovation/Improvement产品创新/改进
• Compliance/Safety遵守/安全

And will help enhance: 和将有助于提高：

• Profitability/asset return/shareholder value利润/资产回报/股东价值
• Customer service客户服务
• Market share市场份额
• Reputation声誉

Select from the targeted improvement areas above to support your company/project strategies.选择有针对性的改善上述领域，以支持您的公司/项目的战略。 The most critical areas should have metrics to track performance and possibly, targets.最关键的领域应该有数据来跟踪性能和可能的目标。

Excellent processes have or utilize: 优秀的进程已经或利用：

• Mission团
• Objectives, Metrics目标，指标
• Responsibility– who is in charge of process to see that it is right责任是谁负责的进程看，它是正确的
• Resources, such as:资源，如：
• Material材料
• Manpower统筹
• Energy能源
• Equipment- machinery, tools, technology设备的机械，工具，技术
• Information- specs, direction, instructions, procedures, software, schedules信息规格，方向，指示，程序，软件，时间表
• Activities活动
• Cycle Time周期时间
• Inputs投入
• Outputs– Products, by-products, waste产出的产品，副产品，废物
• Defects (even excellent processes usually have)缺陷（甚至出色的过程通常有）
• Policies/Procedures政策/程序
• Tools/Technology工具/技术

Do yours have these?不要你有吗？ Make sure their availability and quality are addressed in your process review.确保他们的供应和质量得到处理过程中的审查。

VALUE-ADDED ACTIVITY (VAA) 增值活动（ VAA ）

Activity/cost that actually increases the value of a product or service in a customer’s eyes.活动/成本，实际上增加了价值的产品或服务在一个顾客的眼睛。 Fabrication and assembly are examples of this category.制造和装配的例子这一类。 The ideal process consists of only Value-Added Activities理想的过程中只有增值活动

NON-VALUE-ADDED ACTIVITY (NVAA) 非增值活动（ NVAA ）

Activity/cost that does not increase the value of a product or service in the customer’s eyes.活动/成本不增加价值的产品或服务在客户的眼睛。 Example: storage.例如：存储。 Decide if the activity is needed at all, is it duplicated anywhere, can it be done better or differently?决定是否活动是需要在所有，是重复的地方，可以做更好的或不同？ Can the timing, method, material, equipment, speed, training, technique, setup, specification be altered to improve the results?可以的时机，方法，材料，设备，高速，培训，技术，体制，规范改变，以改善的结果吗？ An activity may be all value-added, all non-value-added, or a mixture.一项活动都可能会增值，所有的非增值，或混合物。 Certain non-value-added activities may still be needed, such as a storage requirement due to a capacity imbalance or a wait for a required inspection.某些非增值活动仍可能需要，如存储需求由于能力不平衡或等待需要检查。 Customers may see value in some of these activities, if only to Band-Aid a weak process.客户可能会看到值其中的一些活动，如果只创可贴弱的过程。

NON-VALUE-ADDED ASSET 非增值的资产

Non-productive asset.非生产资产。 Assets kept working are more productive, but only if the output is actually needed and soon.资产保存的工作更富有成效，但只有当输出实际需要，并很快。 The classic asset misuse is keeping machines or people busy even though the results aren’t needed.经典的资产滥用是维持机器或忙碌的人，即使结果是没有必要。 This wastes investment by inflating inventory, tying up material, space, capital, manpower and equipment resources.这种现象既浪费了投资膨胀的库存，捆绑材料，空间，资金，人力和设备资源。 It is often aggravated by misapplication of metrics.它往往是加剧了错误的数据。 For example a production manager who is measured by raw unit production efficiency measures is likely to commit this sin.例如，生产经理谁是衡量原料单位生产效率的措施很可能会犯下这一罪行。 If assets cannot be kept productive under this rule, then divestiture, replacement or outsourcing should be considered, as feasible.如果资产不能生产保持根据本规则，然后剥离，更换或外包也应该考虑，是可行的。 New metrics may also be needed.新的数据也可能是需要的。

CYCLE TIME 周期时间

The total elapsed time to produce one unit.总的时间过去了，生产一单位。 This includes all delays including elapsed set-up, queue, move, inspection, rework and also the actual processing time.这包括所有的延误，包括过去的设定，队列，移动，检验，返修，并实际处理时间。 Typical processes have 60-95% idle time, while product is not actually being worked on.典型的过程60-95 ％的空闲时间，但产品并没有实际的工作。 Therefore the greatest cycle time reduction opportunities are normally, but not always, in delay time.因此，最大的循环时间减少的机会，通常，但并不总是在拖延时间。 Lost time may be recovered by balancing operations, reducing: storage time, handling, waiting for approvals, queues, handoffs, inspection, etc. Shorter cycle times usually improve competitiveness by cutting costs and response time.失去的时间可能会恢复平衡行动，减少：贮存时间，装卸，等待批准，队列，切换，检查等较短的周期时间，提高竞争力通常是通过削减成本和响应时间。

WORK TIME 工作时间

Time required or spent actually working on the product.所需时间或实际工作时间的产品。

TAKT TIME TAKT时间

Interval of time for each unit to be completed the rate of production.间隔的时间为每个单位完成生产进度。 A product may have a 2-hour cycle time, but have three 20-minute operations and one 30-minute operation.一个产品可能有2小时的周期时间，但有3个20分钟的行动和一个30分钟的手术。 One unit comes off the line an average of every 30 minutes.一个单位来了线平均每30分钟一班。 Resources and work content should be allocated to adjust Takt Time to the desired rate of production.资源和工作内容应分配给Takt时间调整到理想的速度生产。

DEFECT 缺陷

Anything about the product which is legitimately not acceptable to the customer or internal authorities (normally, but not always, documented in specifications).什么产品是理所当然不能接受的客户或内部机构（通常，但并不总是，记载在规格） 。 Defects result in added cost, lost time or lost utility of the product to the customer, as well as delays in response time, wasted inventory and capacity.缺陷导致成本增加，失去的时间或遗失实用的产品给客户，以及延误的响应时间，浪费了清查和能力。

PROCESS CAPABILITY 过程能力

The ability of the process to meet the desired quality and speed at an acceptable cost.有能力的进程，以满足预期的质量和速度在可接受的成本。

METRIC 公制

Important performance indicator to be measured.重要的绩效指标来衡量。 Examples: Inventory turns, cycle time.例如：库存周转率，生产周期。 Metrics should be meaningful to the level of the people held accountable.度量应是有意义的水平的人追究责任。 For instance, average plant level cycle time is not meaningful to a team responsible for assembling a certain model computer disc drive.例如，厂级平均周期时间是没有意义的一个小组负责装配某型电脑光盘驱动器。 They need their own metric.他们需要自己的数据。

CELL 细胞

Production unit designed to make one product/service line or process.生产单位，旨在使一个产品/服务线或进程。 Ideally, all resources needed to complete a product or process are contained in the cell.最理想的是，所有必要的资源来完成一个产品或过程中所载的细胞。 Cells may be arranged as component/assembly feeders to final assembly test cells.细胞可安排部分/装配工具到最后的组装测试细胞。 Functionally-oriented cells have resulted in improvements, but product or process cells have generally shown superior results.功能为导向的细胞造成的改进，但产品或工艺细胞一般都表现出卓越的成果。

WASTE 废

Any portion of an activity performed, resource assigned or utilized that is not absolutely essential to meeting the mission/objectives of a legitimate process.任何部分的活动情况，资源分配或使用的不是绝对必要的会议的使命/目标的一个合法的进程。

LEAN MANUFACTURING 精益生产

Manufacturing process with as much waste as possible eliminated.制造过程中尽可能废物尽可能消除。 A Lean Manufacturing manifesto and body of knowledge has been created and is available through the Agility Forum.阿精益生产宣言和知识体系已经建立并可以通过敏捷性论坛。 This is having a profound influence on current thinking.这是具有深远的影响目前的想法。

INPUTS TO THE PROCESS 投入的过程

External to the Process 外部的过程

Don’t jump right into the detailed guts of the process.不要跳跃右转入详细的胆量的过程。 Start at the top, with the product or service to be provided.开始在顶部，与产品或服务的提供。 Make sure it is defined to meet customers expectations technical specifications, service requirements, quality and pricing.确保它是指以满足客户的期望技术规格，服务要求，质量和价格。 First make sure you’re working on the right process, with the right objectives!首先确保您的工作权利的过程，正确的目标！ The biggest, easiest improvements often occur right here, before even getting into the actual process in question.最大的，最简单的改善往往出现在这里之前，甚至进入实际过程中的问题。

Frame the process Look at things external to the process first. 框架的进程看事物的外部进程第一次。 Before you do anything, make sure you know what you need the process to do.在你做任何事情，一定要知道你需要的进程的事情。 There should be a clear, simple, strong overall mission statement.应当有一个明确，简单，强大的整体使命声明。 Examples: Eyeglasses in one hour, (Lenscrafters) or… When it [your package] absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.例如：眼镜在一小时内， （眼镜） ，或当... [您的包裹]绝对，正面已经在那里过夜。 (FedEx). （联邦快递） 。 Don’t waste time improving the wrong process with the wrong mission or approach.不要浪费时间改善错误的过程，错误的任务或办法。 As you break the process down into lower levels of detail, each piece may not satisfy the overall mission statement, but itcompany to properly redirect its energies on improving this critical upstream activity first.正如你打破的过程分为较低层次的细节，每一块可能不能满足总任务的声明，但itcompany适当调整其精力放在改善这一关键上游活动第一次。 Redo Figure 6 when you are done, including the additional how-to write-ups.重做图6当你这样做，包括额外如何写公司。

Focus on eliminating defects, problems and constraints.重点放在消除缺陷，问题和制约因素。

Rather than detail planning, followed by a big bang implementation of changes, it is desirable to test and incrementally implement new changes.而不是详细规划，然后是大爆炸执行情况的变化，这是可取的测试和逐步实施新的变化。 In the case of radical process change, this is not always possible, although prototyping and parallel operation can help alleviate the risk and pain of major change.在激进的变革进程，这并不总是可能的，但原型和并行操作可以帮助减轻风险和痛苦的重大转变。

The performance of a process may often be improved without a change to the process itself, but just by better clarification, training, measurement or emphasis on it. 性能的一个过程通常会被改善，改变进程本身，而是更好地澄清，培训，测量或侧重于它。

Tips for organizing a process: Determine WHAT is to be accomplished and WHY first, before determining HOW, WHEN, WHO and with WHAT, pretty much in that sequence. 窍门组织的过程：确定哪些是要完成和为什么第一，然后再确定如何，何时，世界卫生组织和内容，几乎在这一序列。 This can best done correctly by putting the process in perspective with the overall enterprise, business unit and workflow.这可以做最好把正确的过程中观点与整个企业，商业单位和工作流程。

Internal Process Improvement Checklist Here is a list of improvement ideas to help out. 内部流程的改进清单下面列出了改进的想法帮忙。 Keep in mind that some of these are radical and may require planning and coordination.请记住，其中一些是激进的和可能需要的规划和协调。 For example: don’t eliminate inspections of nuclear pressure vessels without some overarching quality strategy in place, along with customer and regulatory approvals!例如：不消除视察核压力容器没有一些总体质量的战略位置，以及与客户和监管机构的批准！

Selectively Employ: 选择性聘用：

• Policies/Procedures政策/程序
• Checkpoints检查站
• Controls控制
• Auditing, Checking审计，检查
• Metrics度量
• because these are non-value-added activities that should only be used as needed.因为这些非增值活动，只应作为必要的。

LESSONS LEARNED 经验教训

A. 80% of the improvement task is selling it and getting peoples support.字母a. 80 ％的改善任务是出售和获得人民的支持。

B. Organizations resist change, no matter what they say. B.组织抵制变革，不管他们说。 Certain individuals may help or even lead, but many people will slow down, stop or even reverse improvements unless they are properly trained, motivated and led.某些人可以帮助，甚至领先，但许多人将会减慢，停止甚至扭转改善，除非他们得到适当的训练，动机和领导。 Focus on education and change management more than technical improvements.重点放在教育和改变管理以上的技术改进。

C. Talk to people first.角对话，以人为本。 Soften them up before the big push.软化他们面前的大推进。 People who are your friends are more likely to help you, simply because you are familiar and they like you.人们谁是你的朋友更有可能帮助你，只是因为你是熟悉的，他们喜欢你。 Find out what thy want/need and help them if possible.找出你想/需要，并帮助他们如果可能的话。

D. Try to hire, transfer, or borrow like-minded people. d.再次尝试出租，转让或借用志同道合的人。 It’s often easier than trying to convert them.人们常常容易得多试图转换。

E. Simple systems usually work better than complex ones.体育简易系统通常优于复杂的。

F. People are more accepting of change when you take the mystery out of it and show them what’s in it for them.楼人们更容易接受的变化当你拿着神秘的，并告诉他们什么在为他们。

G. People are much more accepting of change when you can show it working somewhere else, preferable nearby and full-scale.湾人民更接受的变化时，你可以表明它的工作在其他地方，最好附近的和全面的。

H. Teams and consensus are great, but strong leadership still has its uses.阁下队和协商一致是巨大的，强有力的领导，但仍然有其用途。

I. Constant repetition and leadership by example are needed.一，不断重复和领导以身作则是必要的。 Don’t think that you can simply state the mission, objectives, conduct a brief training session, then come back in a couple of months and reap rich rewards.不要认为您只要国家的使命，目标，进行一次简短的训练，然后再回来了几个月，并获得丰富的回报。 This war will consist of multiple campaigns and many battles.这场战争将包括多个广告系列和许多战役。 There will be resistance, indifference, confusion, conflicting priorities/philosophies, even outright opposition, or worse yet, covert opposition.将有阻力，冷漠，混乱，冲突的优先事项/哲学，甚至公开反对，或更糟糕的是，秘密反对。 Persistence and determination are called for!坚持和决心所要求的！

J. The process improvement methodology can be straightforward.学者的过程改进方法，可直截了当。 There are other approaches besides this one.还有其他的办法除了这一点。 Some will yield better results, but may require much more skill and complexity.有些人可能会产生更好的结果，但可能需要更多的技巧和复杂性。 The methodology is only a framework.这种方法只是一个框架。 Technical expertise and creativity are also needed.技术专门知识和创造性还需要。 Beware of either letting industry experts drive the solution down the same old roads and also letting those ignorant of industry lessons learned move into naive approaches.谨防要么让业内专家驱动解决了同样的老公路，也让那些不了解行业的经验教训进入幼稚的做法。

K. Imagination and creativity are needed for best results.光想象力和创造力所需要的最好的结果。 The folks who were determined to deliver packages overnight, provide a computer for the rest of us, sell books over the Internet, invent the Internet, provide eyeglasses in one hour, had real vision (no pun intended) and enriched life for many.谁的人被确定套件提供一夜之间，提供电脑，其余的我们来说，卖书在互联网上，发明了互联网，提供眼镜在一小时内，有真正的愿景（没有双关语意）和丰富生活的许多。

Process Improvement Examples 工艺改进的例子

When this session is presented live, workshops/examples are offered to illustrate the points made herein.当本次会议是生活，讲习班/例子是提供给说明了此点。 If you’re reading this, why don’t you try the ideas out on your own with an actual case, preferably a simple one to start with–one that people agree needs great improvement?如果你读这一点，你为什么不试试的想法对自己的实际情况，最好是一个简单的开始，一个人都同意需要很大的改善？

REFERENCES 考

Reengineering: 40 U$eful Hints, George J. Miller, APICS XX International Conference Proceedings, APICS, Falls Church, VA再造： 40 ü $ eful提示，乔治米勒， APICS第二十条国际会议录， APICS ，瀑布教堂，美国弗吉尼亚
The Process Reengineering Workbook, Jerry L. Harbour, 1994, Quality Resources, NY, NY该流程再造工作簿，杰里属港， 1994年，优质资源，纽约，纽约
Reengineering Your Business, Morris & Brandon, 1993, McGraw-Hill, NY您的企业再造，莫里斯和布兰顿， 1993年，麦格劳希尔，纽约
Reengineering the Corporation, Hammer & Champy, 1993, Harper-Collins Publishers, NY, NY再造公司，豪迈与钱皮， 1993年，哈珀，柯林斯出版社，纽约州，纽约
Business Process Improvement, James H. Harrington, 1991, McGraw-Hill, NY业务流程的改进，詹姆斯H哈林顿， 1991年，麦格劳希尔，纽约

This article is also available on our website:本文也可以在我们的网站： PROACTION Generating Best Practices PROACTION产生的最佳做法 . 。 It is an excerpt of a paper originally written by George Miller, Founder of PROACTION.这是一个摘录了一份书面最初由乔治米勒，方正的PROACTION 。 It has been modified and updated by Paul Deis, PROACTION CEO.它已被修改和更新保罗Deis ， PROACTION首席执行官。

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