The Abbey Group

API serves three basic organizational needs: eliminate departmental waste by load shedding , rapidly improve departmental processes, and improve cross-functional processes. The process owner determines a mandate for change. The API teams then (1) map the process, (2) collect data, analyze the process, and determine performance gaps, (3) improve the process, (4) pilot the improved process, and (5) implement changes, standardize procedures and monitor performance on an ongoing basis (see model on reverse side). Result key processes are managed as seamless chains of events without walls and each sub process is continually improved until it meets or exceeds all customer requirements, is defect free and performs efficiently (no waste, no rework).

There are three important outcomes with API: departmental waste elimination, process improvement and employee learning. Departmental waste is eliminated by a technique called load shedding i.e., stop doing things that add no value. Teams also learn how to improve each sub process by driving out waste, driving defects toward zero, shortening cycle time, reducing operating costs, improving customer satisfaction and value, eliminating rejects and rework, reducing error rates, and improving productivity.

API can be conducted with departmental or cross functional process teams comprised of managers, supervisors, job performers, and, in some cases, quality coordinators, process documentation specialists, customers, suppliers or other stakeholders. Up to six teams attend 3 one-day workshops, either conducted consecutively or spaced over several weeks. Between workshops teams collect data. Learning is primarily experiential teams learn by DOING (i.e., working on their process). Facilitators coach the teams to document their process, establish performance baselines, install metrics, assess process condition, identify opportunities to make it faster, better and cheaper to operate. Then teams redesign the process, draw a should be process map, implement the redesigned process and assess results. The redesigned processes achieve measurable, bottom-line improvement goals, often within 30 days.

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