Organizations that continually increase efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction all have this in common: They embrace Field process improvement.
Sometimes called business process management (BPM), business process improvement (BPI), continual improvement process (CIP) or business process re-engineering, process improvement is a business methodology aimed at minimizing errors and waste and increasing efficiency and productivity.
Actually, there are several different process-improvement methodologies, each with a slightly different approach. A few of the most popular are:
- Six Sigma, which breaks down process improvement through specific steps, such as define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC).
- Kaizen focuses on improving quality and productivity through small shifts in daily practices and corporate culture.
- Total Quality Management (TCM) aims to foster a culture of continuous improvement toward a shared goal and where employees aren’t afraid to make mistakes.
- Process mapping, which uses a flow diagram to visualize a process workflow from start to finish.
Whatever methodology you use, the goal is to identify problems within your business processes, apply changes to fix them, and then analyze the effectiveness of those changes.
Obstacles to field process improvement
As any process improvement manager can attest, people are resistant to changing the way they do things. Especially when your teams:
- Have been following the same procedures for years
- Work alone in the field rather than together in the same building
- Feel burdened by the complexities of field process improvement framework and/or new technology
This presents an obvious challenge to the whole exercise, especially when you’re working with employees who feel that process improvement is your job and not theirs.
Team buy-in is critical for successful implementation. If they don’t see the value in a new process, adoption will stall. Worse, if the change makes their jobs harder, they won’t embrace it.
A lack of accurate, actionable data creates another major obstacle. Without clear metrics on time and cost, measuring success becomes impossible. More importantly, proving results to leadership requires solid evidence.
Many talk about leveraging technology for process improvement, but technology alone isn’t a solution. It can complicate workflows instead of improving them. Often, new tools introduce complexity and demand more adaptability than expected.
No-code and low-code platforms empower non-developers to optimize processes through mobile technology. These tools help teams work efficiently, even when spread across different locations. Some platforms focus on specific problems, like how Fulcrum streamlines field inspection management. Many users don’t even realize they’re using no-code technology.
Simplifying process optimization
Overcoming employee resistance to field process improvement is just the first step. The next challenge is ensuring they follow new procedures. Checklists help guide them and prevent mistakes, but paper checklists are inefficient and cumbersome.
A mobile app-based workflow improves efficiency by automating checklists and enforcing best practices. This approach ensures teams follow procedures correctly while streamlining operations.
With a field inspection management platform like Fulcrum, employees can access the latest checklists and SOPs from their mobile devices. After completing a process, they hit “Save,” and anyone with access can instantly verify the job.
Fulcrum also sends automatic notifications to supervisors, process improvement managers, or other stakeholders. These alerts confirm task completion or signal when action is needed. For example, if an employee flags a broken streetlamp in a checklist, the system can trigger an email or text alert to order the part.
This frees up your employees to move onto the next task rather than calling the maintenance manager or shuffling paperwork from place to place.
Finally, all of your data is stored in one place, which increases visibility, repeatability, and control. And because modifying your Fulcrum-based processes doesn’t require the expertise of a software developer, it’s easy to continuously optimize your process and deploy updated checklists to your teams.