Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
When process improvement efforts are initiated in an organization, there are
usually two relevant process views, referred to as the “as-is” and the “to-be.”
The usual approach is to first capture the “as-is,” and then discuss weaknesses
leading to the desired “to-be.” But often the “as-is” doesn't receive appropriate
attention. The argument goes like this:
We are looking at getting better so shouldn't we focus on the “to-be?”
The answer is yes and no. Yes, you want to create a clear vision of where you
want to go, but you also need to take the time to conduct the critical dialogue
leading to an understanding of why we do what we do today, and the poten-
tial need to
stretch
the organization with changes. Without this critical
dialogue first, we don't know how big of a
stretch
we face.
8
LESSON 1
The first step is to capture the real “as-is” process.
3.7 Digging Deeper for Candidate Root Causes
I didn't yet know the root cause so I kept asking more questions. I had heard
that a number of projects were currently overrunning cost and schedule, so I
asked:
Does the company underestimate when it bids?
I received a mix of answers. One person responded:
No. Our bids are okay, but we often don't get the hardware ordered and
installed in time to meet the software integration schedules.
Another said:
The bids are okay given the assumptions at proposal time, but when we find
the assumed product functionality isn't there after award, we don't always
adjust the schedule or resource needs.
I now had candidate root causes to investigate further, including the hardware
procurement and installation processes, and the plans and schedules update
processes. But I didn't have
quantitative data
to back up what I was hearing, so I
8. We talk more about effective techniques to capture the real “as-is” process in Agile organizations in
Chapter 4 in the BOND case study.
