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How to streamline a system or a process

To streamline a system or a process is not so easy if one has not done it before and has no knowledge of where to start or what methods to use. This discussion tries to clarify it.

3. Introduction:

In this discussion we concentrate on administrative systems, with particular emphasis on the paperwork involved.

A system can consist of more than one process. If you want to streamline a system you have to do it with all its processes at the same time, or you can streamline the processes one by one and run the risk of losing sight of the big picture.

2. Process mapping:

Nevertheless, streamlining a process or a system is done by using the technique of process mapping, also termed brown papering, which is only partly correct as brown papering refers to the analysis and critiquing phase of the existing system. This is then later followed up by white papering, which refers to the design of an improved new system. The manual method of brown/white papering is easy, cheap and gets everyone involved. There are also computerised methods available, but here we will stay with the papering method as it also gives insight in the computerised method.

By streamlining a system one is also getting rid of the so-called red tape.

3. Brown papering:

Brown papering is about analysing the existing system or process.

3.1 Establishing logical flow

The logical flow of all documents in use is diagrammatically drawn as a flow chart on a A3 piece of paper. You start with the source documents and establish into what next document information flows and reflect it by means of lines and arrows. The purpose with this is to understand the logical flow of the existing system.

3.2 Pasting documents on brown paper:

The next step is to stick the actual documents on a roll of paper (1 meter in width) according to the flow chart. You must glue each document on the brown paper. Spacing of documents must be adequate for insertion of at least two other documents of the same size. Next, the arrows are being drawn in black. Then you fasten the length of paper, which now represents the system, to a wall or roll it out in a corridor or pathway.

Remember as a manager or supervisor, you act as consultant to your subordinates, who have now become your clients. Your clients must form the task group that must gather information, paste, analyze, and design under your guidance.

3.2.1 Purpose of Brown papering:

- to ensure that everybody understand how the systems fit together e.g. how orders come in, what happens to them, how they go out.
- to show your understanding and knowledge to your clients.
- to provide a visual impact of the complexity of their systems and amount of paper.
- to highlight and link together system weaknesses like excessive lead times, duplication, poor timeliness, repetition of information etc. Usually you can classify the paperwork as necessary, nice to have, unnecessary and missing. The first two types must be streamlined, the third type discarded and the fourth added.
- to provide yourself with knowledge of the data and weak areas of the organisation.
- to provide the basis for system design after critiquing the present one.
- to get client involvement and transfer of ownership to the client.

3.2.2 Method of collection:

- explain to your clients what you are trying to achieve,
- ask if they have any systems written up in any form,
- obtain live copies of all paperwork,
- write out the system in a flow-chart and cross number it with the live paperwork,
- be on the lookout for gaps in the system, “bottom drawer” systems and duplication,
- ask about meetings, both regular and ad-hoc. Find out frequency, attendance, purpose and obtain copies of minutes,
- for each document understand timing, source, use and distribution so that you can cross-link to other areas,
- understand recent changes and planned changes to the system,
- always cover the points: What comes in? What do you do with it? What goes out and where to?

3.2.3 Preparation:

Just to get you going, think about all the documents, which are used, by thinking in terms of the classical systems model. Read the complete training lesson here.