A process improvement manager is in charge of determining which aspects of a company’s operations need to be improved. He or she must collect and analyze information about current processes and computerized systems. Process improvement managers also help the company become more aligned with strategic goals leading, developing, and implementing process changes.
Finding flaws in a company’s operations is one of a process improvement manager’s main responsibilities. Communication between interdependent departments, enterprise computer systems, ordering and inventory management, quality control, and hiring practices may all be subject to processes that are failing to meet the company’s desired performance goals. Customers may find certain procedures inconvenient and outdated, while employees may struggle to complete certain job tasks efficiently and accurately.
The process improvement manager spends time observing current company practices and gathering performance data. He then examines the observations and data to figure out what’s causing the gap between actual and desired performance. Because it is often difficult for one person to perform all of the observation and data collection, being a process improvement manager may entail forming teams to carry out some of the work.
A process improvement manager’s other typical responsibilities include developing new process plans and strategies for improvement. Once the gaps have been identified, the manager is usually involved in gathering feedback on what changes may be required. Customers and internal employees involved in implementing current practices provide some of the feedback. Based on his own experience and knowledge of best practices for specific processes, the manager may make recommendations.
The majority of process improvement managers are in charge of leading improvement teams that help implement new recommendations. Typically, the manager will be in charge of spearheading any new company process-related training and education. While the manager may not be able to teach individual front-line employees, he will almost certainly need to educate supervisors and management about the new recommendations and advocate for their implementation.
A typical job requirement for a process improvement manager is to implement a certain number of new projects. Some businesses may only need one project per year, while others may need three to four. These projects could focus on increasing efficiency, lowering production costs, improving quality, or boosting customer satisfaction and retention. The manager’s main goal with any project is to ensure that the company’s strategic objectives are met or exceeded.