The success of a Six Sigma deployment depends on the foundation of its infrastructure, which comprises both the core and support processes. The organization therefore needs to identify these processes.
Core processes refer to the chain of tasks that deliver value, i.e. products, services, support, and information. Alongside these core processes are the support or enabling processes that provide vital resources or inputs to the value-producing activities.
To understand fully the concept of core processes, you need to look at the following concepts that work behind them:
1. Work is a process, and improved work processes spells business success.
2. Core processes involve a chain of tasks in various departments or functions, therefore they can only work with a sound cross-functional management.
3. To achieve a sound cross-functional management, you need to establish a value chain. Michael Porter in his book Competitive Advantage defines value chain as “a collection of activities that are performed to design, market, deliver, and support an organization’s product.” The value chain reinforces the key interconnectedness of business activities and corporate success.
Examples of core processes are:
a. customer acquisition
b. order administration
c. order fulfillment
d. customer service or support
Some of the support processes are:
a. capital acquisition
b. asset maximization
c. budgeting
d. recruitment and hiring
This grouping of processes however is just one way of doing it. How you will do it in your organization will depend on which way makes more sense for your organization. Just bear in mind the following issues when you go about defining your core processes.
1. The major activities that you do to provide value to customers.
2. The best way to define your processes.
3. The primary critical outputs of each process that you can use to evaluate them.
The Six Sigma Way: How GE, Motorola, and Other Top Companies Are Honing their Performance
Value Chain Framework of Michael Porter
