Business Systems and Processes Improvement

Doing the right thing the right way with the right people is part of the formula for efficient, effective, and adaptable organizations. The Slater Group’s business systems and process improvement methodology combines these with industry standard business and process improvement practices.

Organizations can consist of several systems and processes interacting with many other systems outside the organization.  Selecting and defining the processes that will be involved in an improvement effort is critical. Changes in what seems to be a simple process can have monumental impact on the performance of the organization causing others to implement correction strategies that only tend to expand the initial problem.

The Slater Group has experience with working with multilayered organizations, systems, and processes. We combine reuse, design, redesign, and rebuild methodologies that enable an organization to take advantage of existing personnel, skills and operational practices while making the necessary improvements and changes.

Change management is incorporated into each of our business systems and process improvement engagements. The successful outcome of the improvement effort will require some level of change. Often it is the stress brought about by the change that they resist. We have found the following:

  • People resist stress
  • Change is stressful
  • People resist change

Improvement efforts can be delayed or stopped by people who are resisting the stress brought about by the perceived or resulting change. The Slater Group employs processes to measure individual and organizational stress and to assist people in moving through the change and grieving process. Many people view change as a loss that they have to endure without a purpose they feel is validated. As a result of this perceived loss, many people will need to go through a grieving process before they can move forward.  If they are not allowed to complete their grieving process during the life of the project, there is a strong possibility that the grief will transform into behaviors detrimental to the individual, the project and the organization.

Without going through the change and grieving process, a person may display hostile, non-participative, or some other negative behavior at a later date.  This is most often displayed in lack of acceptance of the new and desire to revert back to the old even after a long period of time. This is a sure sign that that the improvements expected by the implementation of the change is not being realized to their fullest.

The Slater Group’s Seven Step Change and Grieving Process assists people through the change and grieving process while the project is being conducted. 

Step 1:        Denial
Step 2:       Anger
Step 3:       Bargaining
Step 4:       Depression
Step 5:       Acceptance
Step 6:       Participation
Step 7:       Leadership