101: Creating swimlanes
You’ve heard the phrase, “Stay in your lane.” In many business processes, those lanes need to overlap for maximum productivity, and a swimlane diagram – sometimes called a cross-functional diagram, functional band or multicolumn chart – can be the answer. It just might be your business’ handy new tool for the new year. Containing columns with what responsibilities fall to who and how they all come together shows how all contributors pitch in at each stage.
Accuracy is key. For maximum value, your swimlane diagram should be created by either interviewing the people performing the tasks or observing them. According to AllAboutLean.com, your goal is not to get an idea of how the process should be performed, but rather, how it really is performed. “Do some digging for things that do not go as planned, where the information was incomplete,” advises the website, interviewing those who perform the work. “Try to incorporate this in your value stream map as much as possible.”
Know where redundancies and inefficiency can hide, writes Morgan Masters of ModernAnalyst.com. A hand-off — the project stage where a team member hands part of a project to another team member whether via email or some other means — is one area to examine, especially the time it takes. Turnarounds, where an employee has to go to someone else for information or clarification before proceeding with a task, is another. “Each turn-around presents an opportunity to explore a way to modify this activity to be more efficient, so that work can always continue moving forward,” she writes.
Analysis leads to continuous improvement, especially from a personnel standpoint, according to BusinessPort.net. By visually representing what everyone is responsible for – documents, data and approvals, or those who receive output such as vendors – companies can be proactive. “In-depth swimlane diagrams will reveal steps where additional help or skills are called for, or even team members that are not required, or who are being overworked or underused.”
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