Process Effectiveness

Process approach was set as one of the eight quality management principles defined by the ISO 9000:2000 to lead and operate an organisation successfully. A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process. For an organisation to function effectively and efficiently, it has to control and manage its system as a set of interacting and linked processes. Process Management offers the opportunity to achieve major improvements in effectiveness, efficiency, cycle time, capacity and flexibility. To be able to manage processes effectively and to identify scope for improvement, the process must be understood. Before examining the process itself, it is important to understand the factors impacting upon it and thereby potentially affecting both its current performance and future scope for improvement. This paper focuses on the process approach and the importance of process management, and how to understand your processes and evaluate their effectiveness and improvement opportunities.