Second Law of Performance: People are more important than the process, but a good process is important to people.
What are we doing, and how are we (or should we be) doing it? Processes and their activities are the means to achieve the outcomes-the end results-identified in Step 1. To improve the chances of meeting objectives, be sure to understand the system, that is, the operational structure that underlies the effort. This task is not so obvious. The work we all do usually is part of a larger assignment that is, in turn, part of a larger job, and so on. Quite often, the work contributes to more than one assignment or, as is the case with Environment, Safety, & Health (ES&H) initiatives, it is not always clear which work responds to ES&H requirements and which tasks are unique to building the widget. Further, the interconnections between functions are not clearly defined or understood. Such complexities make it even more important to describe carefully the system you want to measure.
Often, the system already is in place, and with luck, it is documented (more or less). In any case, it is helpful to start with a simplified chart similar to the one in Figure 1.5. A system starts and ends with customers. In between are identifiable processes that transform inputs (like money or raw materials) into progressively more useful items (such as thread, then cloth, then clothing). Some interim products might be enablers, such as operating permits and instructions.
Notice in Figure 1.6 the two-headed arrows between the Customers and Managers, and next to the "Evaluate & Correct" process. These indicate important give-and-take interactions, implying that the inputs and outputs involved are dynamic and subject to negotiations. For example, the price that customers are willing to pay is variable, as are the requirements for customer satisfaction. These factors will influence the measures to be selected later.
This part of the procedure is similar to benchmarking and should include interviews with the people doing the work. People often achieve desired results in spite of, not because of, the process that exists. Thus, examining work processes usually leads to discovery of some that can and should be improved. After examining their operations, the employees at Hackenstack Firewood decided that all of their activities could be placed in the four process blocks shown in Figure 1.6.
Next, the products (results) of the individual processes have to be identified so that measures can be developed. Note that after the six-step procedure is completed for the system, it is repeated for each process (Manage, Mobilize, Produce, and Deliver Firewood).