Gemma Jones, a Continuous Improvement expert and founder of SPARK Improvement, shares her journey from studying Mechanical Engineering to becoming a champion of process enhancement. She stresses the importance of understanding existing processes before pushing for change, using a mountain metaphor to illustrate this journey. The conversation navigates the complexities of process analysis, the significance of accurately mapping workflows, and how to effectively balance coaching metrics. Gemma emphasizes the power of engaging stakeholders and unlocking insights for making impactful improvements.
Understanding the current conditions and processes is essential for meaningful improvements and successful process analysis.
Identifying stakeholders and their specific needs guides effective process design and ensures alignment with customer expectations.
Deep dives
Understanding the Current Condition
Grasping the current condition is vital before attempting to reach any desired goal. It involves understanding starting points and the existing processes, rather than simply rushing towards a target. Taking the time to analyze how things currently operate is essential for planning meaningful improvements. This thorough understanding lays the groundwork for effective process analysis, enabling learners to identify their true starting point on the journey toward their objectives.
The Importance of Customer Perspectives
Identifying the 'customers' of a process—the individuals impacted or involved in the workflow—is foundational in process analysis. This perspective encompasses diverse stakeholders, such as patients, healthcare providers, and families, each with specific wants and needs from the process. Recognizing these needs guides the design and improvement of the process itself, ensuring outcomes align with customer expectations. A clear framework around customer insights helps to frame discussions and set meaningful goals for improvements.
Mapping Out the Process
Accurate mapping of current processes is essential to understand how they work and the decision-making involved. This mapping should be factual and transparent, delineating actual actions versus assumed practices. The process map should include not just the steps taken, but also the decision points that influence those steps, capturing the nuances of variations that might arise in different contexts. Gaining a comprehensive view of the processes allows for better analysis and identification of areas requiring improvement.
Balancing Detail and Action
While spending ample time grasping the current condition is important, finding the right balance between analysis and action is crucial. The goal is to collect sufficient data and insights without becoming bogged down in excessive detail, which can stall progress. Coaches play a key role in guiding learners through this balance, helping them to identify significant metrics without overwhelming them. The focus should be on extracting enough information to understand the current state and engaging learners in meaningful actions for improvement.
Gemma started her career studying Mechanical Engineering at Cardiff University. She quickly discovered the world of Continuous Improvement and spent 20 years working to improve processes and systems within various manufacturing industries including Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Dairy, Cosmetics & Toiletries, Food, and Medical Devices. She has been a CI Manager numerous times and an Operations Manager running a factory of over 500 people.
Gemma is hugely passionate about Improvement and developing people and processes. She gets such a kick out of coaching and facilitating, especially when she sees the lightbulb switch on in someone's head – when they solve a problem; when they realize they have the power to change; or when they get excited about all the improvements they could make.
In 2019, Gemma left the world of employment to establish her own business, SPARK Improvement, aiming to switch on as many lightbulbs as possible. Her mission is to help organizations and individuals be the BEST they can be, by helping people SEE, helping people THINK, and helping people CHANGE.
Gemma is based in Cheshire in the UK, working globally.