Operations Process Design: VSM

Working in operations can involve many procedures. In order to get things done, process and procedure must be followed. But how are these created? What thought is put into them to ensure they are simple and efficient? Perhaps its time to take a step back and look at how things evolved and re-review them. Are there things which can be corrected, fixed or replaced so the process is no longer needed?

Perform a value stream mapping to review your processes to see what can be automated, simplified, or re-worked to be more efficient.

Identify Operational Process Candidates

---

Can you identify all of the processes and procedures currently going on in your operations department? Are they written down so everyone understands and can see? Here are some examples of what you should be looking for:

• Customer problems. What is the process to escalate internal / external customer facing issues to DevOps?

• Data processing. Do you have buttons to push at certain intervals to start up processes you need to watch?

• Time based or scheduled tasks. Are there processes you need to complete or watch every so often?

• Account setup / maintenance. When you have 3rd party systems which get locked out or need new passwords on a regular basis.

• Data validation. Do you have reports sent out which people look at to verify?

Operations / Tech Mindset

---

One big advantage to being DevOps is the ability to reduce or even eliminate some processes. Perform VSM on your tasks above, then figure out what can be done if possible to automate or even outsource the issue to another SAAS company if it is a standard process. The question to ask is: do we really need a process for this or can software or automation solve this issue? If the answer is no then continue.

Once you have completed VSM on your non-automatable processes, these are some factors to consider for improvement:

• Fresh eyes. Look at the process as though you have never seen it before. What would a brand new person think of this process? This might help to gain some perspective.

• Simple. What is the simplest process you can re-engineer to get the desired result?

• Rigorous. How can this process not be forgotten and always run on schedule?

• Quality. What can you do to ensure there are no errors in the process and what kind of checks can you put in place to ensure accuracy?

As time goes on more of these small processes will likely creep up again. Instill a culture of discouraging creation of these. Teach people to look for them and be aware when they see one. Processes are essentially human software in action. There is no reason for many of them to exist. Once you have identified more, automate or run back through the VSM process..