Independent Software QA Testing Services

Process Excellence (PEX) 101

A Complete Guide to All Process Excellence FAQs

Introduction

Process excellence (or PEX) is referred to as the industry-oriented quality standards all businesses deploy in achieving their goals and to aid in distinguishing themselves from their peers and competitors. PEX standards often advocate the fact -that a business is only as good as the processes within it. (Always)

Defining PEX or business process excellence?
Process excellence is, namely, a strategy for adapting standardized business processes and industry best practices quite effectively to maximize and leverage the overall level of productivity and efficiency. To achieve process excellence, a business process is first assessed, reformed, or modified, and lastly tested until the process quality meets a goal. PEX also describes an industry-oriented quality standard against which all market business processes are assessed and measured. Hence, it is also referred to as business process excellence in such a case.
Factors determining PEX

All business process excellence depends on several factors working in favor. Usually, these factors vary from business to business and from process to process, but, generally, however, the standardized qualities that determine PEX usually are:

  • Efficiency
  • Productiveness
  • Accuracy
  • Speed
  • Visibility
  • Security and Compliance
  • Consistency (assuring little to no variance)
  • User experience or UX (for employees and customers)
  • Alignment with all business strategies
  • Meeting all targets and goals
How to achieve process excellence?
Achieving process excellence requires a completely structured and thorough approach to adopting a complete process improvement methodology, that ensures consistency, improves visibility, and substantiates business accountability.
PEX framework

Step 1: Defining the targeted processes

Involves identifying all the targeted processes assessed for further improvements, and then preparing to get deep into it. The overall goal and objective of all business process management initiatives are to create optimized and well-orchestrated adaptations of all the standard processes that take place within the organization. However, a complete PEX initiative is usually achieved by highlighting and completing an individual process and getting it right before moving on to the next.

Step 2: Creating a process map

For optimizing all target processes, it’s recommended to microscopically observe and strategize all workflows by mapping all key steps,

  • The starting point – that triggers or initiates the process or the workflow
  • Outcome(s) – including results of the process.
  • All Inputs – information, data, time, team effort.
  • All Systems – ERPs, CRMs, or point solutions
  • Handoffs – instances of process transfer.
  • Integrations – involves all cross-browser systems or app barriers.

Step 3: Assessing the process

Before improving all the default processes, current business performance assessment data is usually collected. The following frameworks are further categorized to identify the changes necessary to optimize the overall process.

  • Identifying if all target processes are unstructured or structured processes
  • Setting up the primary performance metric or KPIs
  • Setting up the metrics of all KPI measurements
  • Mapping the extent of all default processes against the chosen metric.
  • Identifying all elements of the default process that are contributing to the overall business performance
  • Mapping the scope of all improvement opportunities.

Step 4: Creating the to-be (or new) process

  • Creating a process map for the optimized or the desired version.
  • Organizing the new version of all the business processes.
  • Mapping in new technology or software deployment
  • Identifying the need for any cross-team collaborations.

Step 5: Testing the newer version of the modified processes involves

  • Running the newer version of the process initially on a limited scale or usually with a few users. Keeping a watch out for any data or collaboration silos that may appear. Most commonly occurs during information sharing and task handoffs or when cross-browser apps or databases are integrated.

Step 6: Reviewing the outcomes and results involves

  • Assessing if the newly deployed version of the process is meeting its requirements.
  • Revising the processes until it achieves the target quality standards.

Step 7: Implementing the new process

  • Training the team on the new process methodologies.
  • Introducing the team to all new apps or systems integrations if deployed.

Step 8: Monitoring and modifications

  • Allowing enough process visibility to easily monitor performance and identify any issues that surface. Some process automation software options allow multiple views and notifications aiding to stay ahead of bottlenecks, SLAs, and deadlines. Low-code options with in-built customized dashboards highlighting the most important process metrics front and center.
Some Additional PEX tips

Build better processes with automation

  • While taking a structured approach to PEX, always incorporate automation to optimize any process or workflow much faster.
  • Establish process ownership. Allowing for a designated process manager or team lead to ensure accountability, and attention to all details, even if all other team management priorities shift.
  • Realize what gets measured gets done. By bringing accountability to all PEX initiatives by categorically defining all KPIs and metrics in the early stages. Set up a regularly scheduled monitoring and reporting performance routine against these targeted metrics.
  • Identify all possible variables in the equation. Every PEX initiative involves a combination of variables. Some of these are fixed beyond control. Divert all time and resources from mitigating these fixed variables, and channel them to those that are controllable.
  • Execute collected feedback from all end users and customers. In many cases, the primary driver of a PEX initiative is usually driving efficiency or cost savings. But all implemented processes also impact UX and CX equally. Making sure all process improvements are always designed for a better end-user experience.
  • Automate further to eliminate errors and visibly improve speed. Automation plays an undeniably important role in all PEX efforts. Helping teams avoid errors, speed up response rates, and maintain data consistency across the entire tech stack. Look in for all opportunities to automate tasks and workflows within the setup processes.
Process Excellence Services The Thought Frameworks Way!
Organizations adopt various methodologies to develop their processes to achieve their business objectives. There are various standards and practices organizations implement to achieve operational efficiencies We at Thoughtframeworks are experts in designing the processes specific to the organization’s business needs. Our expert consultants come with multiple industry process expertise, they deep dive into understanding your business needs and develop customized process solutions for your complex operational challenges resulting in delivering quality solutions to your customers.
Significance
Microservices testing is a crucial step in the software development lifecycle that focuses on making sure that both individual microservices and the broader system made up of several microservices are functioning as intended and meeting the requirements of the business and end users.
Significance

Why are Process Excellence services required?

We have a catalog of service offerings but our recommendations are always based on customer requirements. Some of our customized service offerings are

  • Start-ups – Business process consulting services
  • Governance Model/Framework for Business Leaders
  • Organization – Quality Management system(QMS) development
  • Utilization and productivity management.
  • Lean and Six Sigma implementation
  • Measurement system framework development
Repercussion

What happens if you don’t deploy Process Excellence Consultation?

External certifications are very important in any business today. Apart from achieving operational efficiencies, certifications are considered to be key factors in getting new business and increasing revenue which is why process excellence is important.

Methodology

Process Excellence Consultation Bug Hunt Process
Thought frameworks business process excellence consultants have expertise across multiple global standards and certifications.

Our major consulting focus areas –

  • ISO 9001
  • ISO 27001
  • CMMI – DEV
  • CMMI – SCV
  • TMMi

We have delivered various solutions to different organizations, and some of our specialized services are

Process Design
  • Process strategy & design mapping to business Goals
  • Productivity & Utilization setup – Resource and Infrastructure
  • Measurement Framework Design
  • Organization Quality Management System
  • Support Functions – HR, Recruitment, Administrations, Systems, Process Audit Framework
  • CMMI & ISO
  • Gap Analysis & Quality Management System Design
  • Checkpoint Reviews
  • Project Facilitation
  • Complete implementation and CMMI Assessment Support
Measurement Framework:
“Data is not only about numbers but a wealth of information with a story attached to it”, Measurement framework is a critical system for any organization based on which the performance of the organization, team/function, and Individual is derived. Some common Performance Measurement models are the Balanced Scorecard, Family of Measures, and Hybrid measurement system (Custom). Measurement framework training enables individuals/Organizations to understand the complete measurement framework and you can derive your Measurement framework for your organization.
Modules

All covered PEX Modules include

  • Data Types & Metrics,
  • Process Mapping,
  • Measures/metrics fitment,
  • Business Goals Mapping,
  • Organization Performance Dashboard Derivation
Tools

Process Excellence Tools
Process automation is getting traction in the industry today. There are various tools available in the market to manage certain processes systematically. At times we develop mini tools to manage local processes effectively. We also develop or recommend tools based on client requirements and organization adaptation capabilities. Some key practices where tools are largely implemented in the industry

  • Project planning
  • Risk management
  • Resource management
  • Metrics BI Reporting
Team

Our process excellence consultant’s expertise & capabilities are spread across multiple practices.

Some of our core skill sets are

  • Process framework, Measurement System Analysis, Statistical process control, Six Sigma, Quality Management System design, Risk Management, Capacity/Resource management framework, and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).
Our Value Additions:
  • Increasing the Number Of Development Cycles
  • Achieving Resilience And Ease Of Execution
  • Enhancing Greater Scalability
  • Ensuring all Feature Delivery on Time

About Thought Frameworks

Thought Frameworks is a U.S.-based QA and software testing organization that’s been leading in business since 2009, armed with the ultimate solutions for all your software’s QA testing challenges. Having headquarters both in California, USA and a fully functional well equipped QA Test Lab in Bengaluru-India, that delivers premium QA and QC services endlessly across different Industry domains and niches. An ISTQB Silver Partnered Company, our superhuman test teams have delivered numerous successful QA and QC projects for clients across the globe. Get powered by our deep-dive bug-hunting process that helps your software in clocking release cycles on time while delivering excellent quality and functionality.

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