20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Practical empowering way to document a process, August 7, 1999
This review is from: Process Mastering: How to Establish and Document the Best Known Way to Do a Job (Productivity's Shopfloor) (Paperback)
I found Process Mastering to be a very valuable resource. The book is well written and straight forward in describing how to develop a process master.
In my field of information technology (IT), it is critical for progam designers to have a baseline of how a program presently works. This is best done by a representative team of end users. I have found process mastering the most economical and efficient way to get a document that describes the current system. By doing a process master the team becomes empowered to improve the present process without the IT people and to know what else they want or need IT to do for them. Additionally, the team becomes more effective in their participation in the joint application development (JAD) with the IT folks.
The philosophy behind the approach is very empowering to employees since it is they, the people who do the work, who develop the process masters. I am also pleased with the emphasis that the book puts on understanding the needs of internal and external customers.
Finally, I can recommend this book to anyone who has processes they want to improve and who sees the value of engaging the energy, thought and commitment of their employees to do it. This book, this process, is truly liberating even to the extent of giving meaning and value to previously mundane work.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reduce learning curves, improve processes, cut costs., July 16, 1999
This review is from: Process Mastering: How to Establish and Document the Best Known Way to Do a Job (Productivity's Shopfloor) (Paperback)
Streamlining, downsizing, cost cutting, etc., are terms everyone in the business world knows all too well. Coping with these situations has become commonplace, but the solutions for replacing displaced personnel are not simple. The result is an increase in process variations, customer complaints, and production concerns that add to the stress everyone in the organization experiences. When a vacancy occurs, a manager's burden increases. The manager has to scramble to find a replacement who then must be trained to function effectively. Extended training times are a luxury that neither the manager, the department, nor the organization can afford, yet truncated training results in increased process variation and errors. In Process Mastering: How To Establish And Document The Best Known Way To Do A Job, Ray Wilson and Paul Harsin offer a solution.
While the title may give the impression that the book's purpose is to ensure that system documentation is compatible with ISO or ISO/QS requirements, the authors have a higher purpose. They recognize the problems managers face and also understand that the manner in which system documentation is developed is inadequate. They propose a method of developing process documentation that not only aids in the preservation of an associate's knowledge, but also helps to reduce the learning curve for new associates. An added bonus is a reduction in process variation during the training or transition period.
The authors define "process mastering" as the fundamental building block for continuous improvement, and as such, they describe a more complete and value-added approach to process documentation. While most organizations have used process mapping for documented processes, they have failed to implement a most important element, which is the evaluation of process needs and interactions which are used to determine the critical process steps. Combining the best of process mapping, quality function deployment, process analysis and planning, and cross functional team techniques in a simple manner, the authors present a more effective method for establishing the "best known way" to do a job.
The authors are not proposing a method that is either "magic" or easy. What they are proposing is a method that managers may use to avoid suboptimizing the system while juggling multiple projects and priorities. In addition to the flowcharts, forms, and templates, the examples provided in the book make this an excellent reference for managers wishing to evaluate or implement process mastering. Whether your specialty is manufacturing, engineering, quality, or auditing, you will find this book a worthwhile resource.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent method for determining best practices, December 26, 1998
This review is from: Process Mastering: How to Establish and Document the Best Known Way to Do a Job (Productivity's Shopfloor) (Paperback)
Process Mastering provides a simple but effective tool for a group to determine the actual best agreed upon practice or way to do something. This is particularly valuable when an organization is trying to improve real quality of product and services by reduction of variation. I am a consultant for ISO 9000 Quality System implementation and have used the tools presented in Process Mastering to successfully take organizations beyond just being certified and realizing significant reductions in process variations. These reductions affect the "bottom line." Process Mastering is a simple hands-on approach usable by anyone and any group. It could be used as the method to develop the required documentation for an ISO 9000 compliant quality system. The book is easy to read and presents the techniques clearly to all levels of an organization.
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