Overview of the Process Management Category

Category 6.0 covers Process Management. The category addresses how you assure and improve the quality and reliability of the products and services you offer to customers through process management strategies. Emphasis should be placed on the word how. This category deals with processes, not results. Results are assessed in Category 7.0, Business Results. The Award Criteria define Category 6.0 as follows:

Process Management is the focal point within the Criteria for all key work processes. Built into the Category are the central requirements for efficient and effective process management effective design, a prevention orientation, linkage to suppliers and partners, operational performance, cycle time, evaluation and continuous improvement, and organizational learning.

Agility, cost reduction, and cycle time reduction are increasingly important in all aspects of process management and organizational design. In simplest terms, "agility " refers to your ability to adapt quickly, flexibly, and effectively to changing requirements. Depending on the nature of your organization's strategy and markets, agility might mean rapid changeover from one product to another, rapid response to changing demands, or the ability to produce a wide range of customized services. Agility also increasingly involves decisions to outsource, agreements with key suppliers, and novel partnering arrangements. Flexibility might demand special strategies, such as implementing modular designs, sharing components, sharing manufacturing lines, and providing specialized training. Cost and cycle time reduction often involve agile process management strategies. It is crucial to utilize key measures for tracking all aspects of your overall...