Deploy the methodology

This phase is always crucial for obtaining the return on all the resources invested in the process improvement initiative. The last objective of process deployment is that processes are executed in the real world as close as possible to how they have been designed.

One critical issue is to obtain the buy-in of people executing the processes. Be sure to make clear all the advantages of working with a methodology during deployment. Some arguments could be the following: The new methodology is based on a widely accepted standard framework. Knowledge of a standard framework adds professional value to workers in the marketplace, so it is interesting for them to learn it. Processes are based on industry best practices that will make their work more productive. In the medium term productivity improvements lead to higher wages.

An adequate deployment should include providing the necessary training (not more, not less) and making sure that the methodology documentation is available and that workers know where to consult it.

Improve the methodology

One of the most interesting advantages of creating a methodology based on a standard framework is that lots of content is published following conventions that the framework establishes (from terminology to process structure). This content may include new interesting concepts, ideas and best practices that you might want to incorporate into your methodology.

Some sources of content are:

Official content delivered by the group in charge of the framework (new versions of the framework, additional articles, RFPs, etc...) Industry specific web sites (such as techrepublic or ittoolbox for IT Service Management, ganttead and allpm for Project Management, etc...) Forums, mail groups, blogs, podcasts, etc...

This makes it easier for you to:

Better understand what you read and put it in the context of your own organization. Incorporate tools, templates and work aids that you find in web sites specialized in the framework which your methodology is based on. To take ideas from your peers that are applicable in your companies' context. Compare some standard indicators to your own KPIs in order to know how well your organization is performing.

Lucas Rodríguez Cervera is founder of Nevant – The knowledge process company, a company specialized in delivering process solutions to knowledge based companies. They pioneered this concept with metoCube http://www.nevant.com

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