Many organizations want to implement process management into their organizations, but they find that motivating employees can be one of the biggest challenges. Some organizations are able to gain buy-in to process management by using external influences such as adopting the standards of recognized quality or compliance programs. These can engage and motivate employees to adopt and adapt to process management.
Part of the allure of striving for external certifications and awards is the common goal instilled in those working toward it. Awards such as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Research Pharmacy Coordinating Center (PCC) received in 2009, serve as motivation for staff, while offering roadmaps for leadership on the journey to strong process management capabilities. The PCC was a best-practice organization in APQC’s Building Strong Process Management Capabilities Best Practices Study.
Although the organization was strong in its regulatory compliance, the PCC wanted a new vision and a way to reach high levels of quality and performance excellence. The center selected the Baldrige Award criteria as a new goal based on its comprehensive, traditional quality control and quality assurance focus. To provide additional discipline for the initiative, leaders supplemented the efforts with ISO 9001, its regulatory compliance system. These two programs guided the PCC’s next steps in process management, which led to amazing outcomes:
- implementing improvements more swiftly,
- achieving targets and benchmarks,
- improving existing tools, and
- connecting with other participating organizations and experts.
Through these programs, the PCC built on established to create a work environment that focuses on efficiency and employee engagement. All of these approaches combined to give the PCC the structure and discipline it needed to become a world leader in quality processes, as evidenced by the hundreds of awards and recognitions it has received
Learn more about the PCC and process management at APQC’s Process Conference. Early registration ends today.