A repeatable process…. Nirvana in the operations world! The sun shines, the stars align and we update the SOP document.
But wait!! I discovered a challenge to the repeatable process concept… a reproducible process.
- When a task is “repeatable”, we can give it to an individual, and they will perform it consistently, over an extended period.
However, the concept of repeatability does not necessarily consider the complexity of the tasks, the number of employees repeating the process and the outcome or result of the process.
- So…when a task is “reproducible”, we can give it to a group of individuals and they will perform it consistently, over an extended period, with the same outcomes that meet the department standard.
In the business world, we need both repeatable and reproducible processes. It varies depending on the importance and complexity of the task.
Here is an example …..
My husband and I recently decided buy a new mattress and box spring. We looked online, were overwhelmed by the number of options and then decided to go to a local furniture chain with a team of “sleep consultants”.
When we entered the store, a smiling employee greeted us with, “Welcome to Jordan’s Furniture. Can I help you find something today?” We said “mattresses” and he directed us to the mattresses department.
Every time a new customer walked in the door, they were greeted the same way… by a repeatable process.
When we entered the mattress department, we were greeted again, this time by one of the “Sleep Consultants’. She asked us a series of questions, gave us a computerized sleep pressure test, then recommended three options, but said, “I recommend X, because it meets both of your sleeping needs”. There were some other steps in the process, but ultimately we purchased X, the bed she recommended.
This is a great example of a complex process, with multiple steps and if reproduced, it can lead to the desired outcome – selling a bed. Had the consultant not sounded confident, not followed the order of steps and not recommended X, it would have led to a different outcome.
Greeting customers only needs a repeatable process, while selling a mattress requires a reproducible process.
So…The devil is in the details.
A reproducible task or process needs more documentation, more details and more specificity around the desired outcomes and standards of the task. “If you do A, B, C and D, in this order, with this tone of voice, with these key words, we expect it to result in outcome X.” A reproducible process likely needs more training and it will take longer for employees to become fully proficient.
A repeatable task needs less documentation, less training and the outcome is less important, in the scheme of things. “Do A and B.”
Looking at your organization, have you taken the time to differentiate your repeatable and reproducible tasks? Have you effectively prepared your employees to achieve your desired outcomes?
Great post, Marci. I’ve been doing process work for (mumble, mumble) years, but there were a few things that stood out again for me when I went through Green Belt training more recently, in 2003. I’ll share two that your post jogged for me.
1. The best ideas of what to fix to *really* make a difference, come straight from the people on the front lines in the trenches. When we stop hearing “whining” (because anything negative just isn’t cool in the corporate world, ya know) and start hearing “ways to make things easier, faster, more consistent, cheaper, and work better,” it’s amazing what you can accomplish. I may not want to hang with them for lunch, but I always seek out the whiners to see what pearls of wisdom others may have stopped listening to, long ago.
2. If you want the juice, you must reproduce. LOL, okay I made that up, but it’s your exact point. I use the word replicable (or for more fun, “replicatable,” which isn’t even a word), but the concept is the same. It’s not just repeatable, like something a parrot could mimic, but a way of approaching a complex situation with some sort of blueprint, steps, and guidepost and guardrails — that when followed, produces an intended outcome. If you’re aiming for doing what’s right for someone, as in your example or for most sales situations, the end recommendation may be slightly different each time, but the outcome of a sale or satisfied customer is achieved.
Anyway, I get it, I hope many more do — it’s a point worthy of some attention and discussion.
Stay the course. And enjoy the mattress.
Mike
Mike Kunkle[Click to quote this in your comment]
Mike… great additions.. Thanks!
I fully agree… to improve or fix any process, always start with the front line team members, i.e. the ones who touch the process directly. They often know immediately what’s working and where the delays or roadblocks are. Starting there will get you to the improvement phase faster.
- Marci
Marci Reynolds[Click to quote this in your comment]
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