Editorial Review:
This book enables you to improve quality, productivity, and competitiveness the business process improvement way. With this hands-on workbook in business process improvement, a major best-seller in four languages, world-renowned quality authority H. James Harrington revealed his methods for vastly improving business performance. Businesses that implemented Dr. Harrington's methods - including Boeing, IBM, and Corning Glass - realized enormous improvements in productivity. Now in "Business Process Improvement Workbook", Dr. Harrington and his coauthors give all businesses the tools to put his breakthrough approach to work for greater efficiency, strategies, charts, forms, lists, macros for PC use, overviews, and diagrams you need - to start streamlining your business today. This Workbook shows you precisely how to: understand and set process improvement goals; eliminate bureaucracies, duplication, and obsolescence; evaluate information management; research cycle time; analyze functions and tasks in administration; measure accuracy, thoroughness, and reliability in data processing - rank cost/productivity relationships; find opportunities for standardization; evaluate technological enablers; interview and collect data profitably; and far more. For all business leaders - whether your firm in large or small - this is the premier one-step-at-a-time guide to better business performance and greater customer satisfaction.
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Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
It is what it is...and provides solid material 2007-03-12
I agree with other reviewers who question the designation "workbook." Actually, what we have here is a book which suggests the work which each reader must complete -- individually and in collaboration with others -- with regard to the documentation, analysis, design, and management of business process improvement. It provides no head-snapping revelations, nor do its co-authors claim to offer any. Obviously, it is important to improve performance continuously by improving various processes during which tasks are completed. It is also important to measure only what matters. Finally, all organizations (regardless of size or nature) must develop leaders at all levels and within all areas who drive change initiatives to achieve these objectives. Harrington, Esseling, and van Nimwegen offer a comprehensive, cohesive, and cost-effective methodology. Once having identified the "what," they focus on "how."
As the authors explain, Business Process Improvement (BPI) consists of four different approaches designed to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and adaptability of administrative processes: Fast Analysis Solution Technique (FAST), process benchmarking, process redesign, and process reengineering. They recommend a six-phase process that leads to the implementation of the best-value future-state solution: Organization, Documentation, Analysis, Design, Implementation, and Management. They then focus on each approach and each phase, suggesting similarities and differences between and among them.
I would have rated this book even higher had the presentation of the material been more "reader-friendly." By the time I reached Chapter 5 on page 167, the monotonous tone of the narrative to that point made it difficult for me to sustain my concentration. I always appreciate the provision of checklists, for example, because they organize and summarize key points, and, because they facilitate (indeed expedite) review of them later. To repeat, the material is solid. The authors obviously know what they are talking about. Their observations are based on real-world situations. Their suggestions are sensible. That said, this reader (at least) had to work much too hard to locate, absorb, and then digest the authors' core concepts.
No doubt other readers will find the material more accessible. My guess (only a guess) is that many of those who do will be C-level executives in larger organizations who already know much more about BPI than I do. I wish them and their associates well, hoping they can effectively apply -- and then have their organization benefit substantially from -- what Harrington, Esseling, and van Nimwegen offer.
A Very Useful Process Improvement Reference 2006-09-19
I agree with the other reviewers, as I first purchased this book assuming that it was a "workbook" with working examples. It wasn't this type of workbook, but is a very valuable resource for the process-improvement minded. It could have utilized more illustrations - I suggest creating your own diagrams as you read through this book. This is the approach I took whilst reading the book and was very satisfied with the results.
Documentation, a very important subject that is often overlooked and/or underutilized, is explained very well in this book, describing the level of detail required to support a successful process improvement initiative. The Appendix XI - guidelines for designing forms and documents is fantastic and I recommend it for anyone considering facilitating process improvement workshops.
The organization chapter on organizing a process improvement team is very good - managers and especially companies wanting to accelerate their process improvement successes could benefit from this instruction.
The Defining Improvement Opportunities chapter was also very informative, linking the need for standardization with IT, administration and operations.
And lastly, don't discount one of the authors - H James Harrington. He is one of the best business writers in the business for topics ranging from process improvement, project management, customer service or even human resources. Don't miss a chance to read anything he has written.
I would disagree that this book is dry - it is well written and researched and if it had contained a few more illustrations, I would have given this book a 5-star rating.
Process Improvement Classic Reference  2006-05-31
This book serves as a powerful reference on process improvement.
The author, H.J. Harrington, is wise. We can learn a lot from him. He's got great experience from the firm, Ernst and Young.
The book provides a deep, well-structured and methodical glimpse into the practice of process improvement.
Although there are many books on the subject (older and newer) this book is foundational. It blends TQM and Industrial engineering concepts. At some degree it is a "deep dive" into the Six Sigma method's Business Process Architecture (BPA) tool.
This book is a great reference for consultants, line managers, business process managers/owners and business analysts as well as anyone wanting a thorough understanding of Process Improvement.
Reading it and applying the practices described within may save companies money. It can build career enhancing compentencies in those that adopt/practice what they have learned.
For the relatively low price you can have access to the mind of a sage.
Buisness process improvment work book 2006-03-08
Provide an excellent overview of BPM and provide good examples.
Not bad, could be better  2002-07-18
I'll agree with users who feel this book is dry, dry, dry. I also have some issues with the design of the book. There were concepts that I found confusing until I drew my own flow charts -such aids could certainly have been included in the book. There were too many bulleted lists that probably should have been numbered for easier reference and ranking. Where this book shines is on the mechanics on BPI; how to organize the project and the teams (although a good project manager should know how to do this), the sequence of steps to go through, and how to organize all the collected information.What is missing from this book, in my opinion, is discussion on Risk Management and Change Management. You can document processes and manuals and forms until you're blue in the face, but in the end, you'll have to get human beings to buy into the difficult task of changing processes to reach the future state, and there is little discussion of this.
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