Easy tool for defining what to do next in improving your business processes.

1. Business
Improvement Plan
Free Content for your business from TomTurner.BIZ

2. How to use this model
This is a straight forward method for bettering businesses that I
have used for many years and recommend it to all who are
seeking business improvement.
The roots of this tool are found in the CMMI model:
Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach. CMMI can be used to guide process improvement across a
project, a division, or an entire organization. Processes are rated according to their maturity levels, which are defined as: Initial, Repeatable,
Defined, Quantitatively Managed, Optimizing. Currently supported is CMMI Version 1.3. CMMI is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office by Carnegie Mellon University.
I have taken the CMMI model and reduced and improved it based
on real world experience.
Use this by going down the list validating each question. When
you get to the first question where the answer is “no” then you
know where to start. You can modify this and use it in any
department or business you like. It really lends itself to
Ongoing Improvement.

3. DIY Business Improvement Pan
Do your people know what they need to be doing?
Does each project have a plan?
Are we prepared and do we measure to the plan?
Do we own and control outside goal expectations?
Do we measure and analyze our groups performance?
Do we know the quality of our work?
Are we organized in the best way for our work?
Do we own the Requirements Development long-term?
Do we have the technology to do our work?
Can we grow our role in the company?
Publish Verification we are meeting our goals?
Are we conducting internal reviews?
Are our Processes optimized?
Are we training to the Process?
Are we Program Managing our individual process?
Have we identified failure points?
Are we looking at our Decision Processes?
Organizational Process Performance
Are we Program Managing our group’s process?
Ongoing Innovation?
Examining company wide issues that affect us?

4. DIY Business Improvement Plan
The Detail ?
Do your people know what they need to be doing?
This analysis comes down to three distinct sub-questions: 1) Is the expectation of what is needed clear? 2) Is the expectation definition the same between your employees and the customer or end user of your
product. 3) Is everyone doing it the same way?
Does each project have a plan?
In this question you are looking for three key elements. 1) Where is each project’s status relative to timing? 2) Is the plan written? 3) are all project plans written and conducted the same way?
Are we prepared and do we measure to the plan?
This is all about starting to self-measure. 1) Is each program plan documented and measurable. 2) Are you measuring? (Who is doing the measuring?)
Do we own and control outside goal expectations?
This is where you have to do a bit of work. You will need to find all people who use your services and make sure what you are providing is what is being requested. Look for ways people are measuring you.
Do we measure and analyze our groups performance?
Talk to the team about measurable data. The key to this is something that can quickly be updated and quickly reviewed. Many companies use red/yellow/green charts. I suggest using the team to define
what/when/how reporting is done.
Do we know the quality of our work?
Keep in mind that quality is perceived from outside your group, reflects how you measure yourself, and is where you can start bundling things to expand your groups horizons. Examples of this are cost reduction
efforts, going green,…..this is a subtle place where you push the envelope.
Are we organized in the best way for our work? This is about workflow. The most efficient and sometimes most impractical model is the assembly line. Mapping the flow of work is key but the real tell tale sign will
be the mapping of interactions.

5. DIY Business Improvement Plan
The Detail ?
Do we own the Requirement Development for our group long-term?
This simply means that you need to take hold of the outside expectations for your group and how those requirements are generated.
Do we have the technology to do our work?
Two things here that can be done quickly tom make your efficiency increase. 1) Benchmark how other people do what your company/group does. 2) observe your employees doing their tasks. Are they waiting for
a computer program to boot? Waiting for a printer? Borrowing tools from coworkers? Especially look for workarounds.
Can we grow our role in the company?
I have two reasons for doing this. 1) Grow or die! 2) It changes the focus to better harmonize with the company as a whole.
Publish Verification we are meeting our goals?
Show it to the world! Publication is where we gain outside street credibility.
Are we conducting internal reviews?
This is an opportunity to have some fun with the group/company. Make this a public but light hearted event where we can show how we are getting better or asking for help.
Are our Processes optimized?
Diagram the processes and brainstorm for new opportunities.
Six Sigma SIPOC - Supplier (who) - Input (things to be changed) - Process (what is being done) – Customer (Who is the customer)
Are we training to the Process?
What training is in place? Is it measured?

6. DIY Business Improvement Plan
The Detail ?
Are we Program Managing our individual process?
This is the tracking sheet that holds daily issues and activities.
Have we identified failure points?
We want to be highly sensitive here. If failures are measured in days we want to define the problems in minutes or seconds here.
Are we looking at our Decision Processes?
This is where we review our progress in front of our customers.
Organizational Process Performance
This is worked on from the feedback we get out of our Decision Process review.
Are we Program Managing our group’s process?
This is where we discuss daily issues with our processes that need to be worked on.
Ongoing Innovation?
Now that we have a handle on our business now we can look to improve ourselves and the company as a whole.
Examining company wide issues that affect us?
What can we do to drive the company forward at lower costs and with better customer satisfaction.

7. If you have any questions or need help utilizing this
tool please contact me.
Tom Turner
- Owner T and T LLC
Website- TomTurner.BIZ
Email-TomTurner@TomTurner.biz
Phone - (586) 484-2908