What to Expect When Working Together

Process improvement projects work best when everyone understands what to expect. This overview walks through the typical phases of an engagement, what happens in each phase, and how we'll work together to achieve your goals.

  • Discovery & Analysis

    The engagement begins with understanding your organization, current processes, and improvement goals. This involves gathering information from multiple sources and stakeholders to get a complete picture of the current state.

    What happens:

    • Stakeholder interviews with key team members and leadership

    • Process observation and current workflow documentation

    • Analysis of existing systems and tools

    • Identification of pain points and improvement opportunities

    • Establishment of baseline metrics and success criteria

    Your involvement:

    • 2-3 hours of interviews with leadership team

    • Introductions to key process stakeholders

    • Access to current documentation and systems

    • Brief team meetings for project introduction

    Deliverable: Discovery report with current state analysis and agreed-upon project scope

  • Solution Development & Planning

    Using insights from the discovery phase, this phase focuses on developing targeted solutions and creating a realistic implementation plan.

    What happens:

    • Analysis of root causes for identified challenges

    • Development of process improvements and solutions

    • Technology requirements assessment (Jira, Confluence, etc.)

    • Creation of detailed implementation roadmap

    • Risk assessment and mitigation planning

    Your involvement:

    • Review sessions for proposed solutions

    • Input on resource availability and constraints

    • Priority setting for implementation phases

    • Approval of final project plan

    Deliverable: Implementation plan with process designs, technology requirements, and project timeline

  • Foundation Building

    This phase establishes the technical and organizational framework needed for successful implementation, including tool setup and documentation preparation.

    What happens:

    • Technology platform configuration (Jira workflows, Confluence spaces)

    • Documentation template creation and standards development

    • Communication framework establishment

    • Training material development

    • Quality assurance system design

    Your involvement:

    • System access and permissions coordination

    • Review of documentation templates and standards

    • Feedback on training materials

    • Identification of internal project champions

    Deliverable: Configured technology platform with templates, workflows, and training materials

  • Systematic Rollout

    Implementation occurs in planned phases, starting with pilot groups and expanding based on feedback and results.

    What happens:

    • Phased implementation beginning with pilot groups

    • Regular progress monitoring and check-ins

    • Issue identification and resolution

    • Process adjustments based on real-world feedback

    • Performance tracking against established metrics

    Your involvement:

    • Active participation in pilot phases

    • Regular feedback and issue reporting

    • Support for change management efforts

    • Team engagement and communication

    Deliverable: Fully implemented processes with documented procedures and performance tracking

  • Training & Change Management

    This phase focuses on ensuring successful adoption through comprehensive training and change management support.

    What happens:

    • Training delivery for all affected team members

    • Change management support and resistance handling

    • Individual coaching and support as needed

    • Process refinement based on usage patterns

    • Documentation finalization and organization

    Your involvement:

    • Support for training participation and engagement

    • Reinforcement of new processes and expectations

    • Feedback on adoption challenges and successes

    • Active participation in knowledge transfer

    Deliverable: Trained team with comprehensive documentation and established ownership

  • Continuous Improvement Setup

    The final phase establishes frameworks for ongoing optimization and builds internal capability for continued improvement.

    What happens:

    • Performance review and success measurement

    • Development of continuous improvement processes

    • Internal capability building for ongoing management

    • Planning for future scalability needs

    • Follow-up support and guidance (30-90 days)

    Your involvement:

    • Performance data sharing and analysis

    • Planning for future improvements

    • Team development and capability building

    • Long-term strategic alignment

    Deliverable: Self-sufficient team with continuous improvement framework and optimization roadmap

Communication & Quality Standards

Throughout Every Phase

  • Weekly progress updates via email and shared dashboards

  • Bi-weekly stakeholder meetings for alignment and feedback

  • Monthly executive briefings on progress and outcomes

  • Real-time collaboration through shared project spaces

  • Prompt response to questions and concerns

Quality Assurance

  • Multiple validation points at each phase

  • Stakeholder review and approval before phase transitions

  • Comprehensive documentation of decisions and changes

  • Proactive issue identification and resolution

  • Continuous tracking of success metrics

Time Investment Expectations

Leadership Team: 2-4 hours per week for strategic input and decision-making

Process Owners: 4-8 hours per week during active phases for collaboration and feedback

End Users: 2-4 hours per week during training and adoption phases

Total Impact: Designed to minimize operational disruption while ensuring meaningful engagement and results

Getting Started

This process framework adapts to your organization's specific needs, timeline, and constraints. Timeline ranges shown reflect project scope variation - smaller assessments may complete phases more quickly, while comprehensive transformations require extended timeframes. Every engagement is customized based on your unique situation and goals.

Questions about the process? Contact me to discuss how this approach would work for your organization.