SIFTERS SPEAK THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
Sifters are people who have the special tendency to sift, figure out and study everything, followed by providing improvements. They prefer complex work and business processes; especially when they are suboptimal. They love to delve through the data of such processes, as this gives the facts about a process in an organisation. With the resulting process map, Sifters look ahead, through the perspective of the vision and mission of a company. Do the two match? Does one lead to another, or is the process a restraint for progression?
That being said, sifting continues. Issues are pinpointed. Where does the process stagger, where can they be improved? Why is an (expensive) intermediate step performed? Due to which (legal) changes rework is performed? Where in the process are you overstaffed or actually understaffed?
Sifters do not rest until – together with process owners in the organisation – smart solutions are developed to avoid wasting time and money where possible.
COMPLEX OR SIMPLE?
Often a complex process can be simplified. But not always; some processes are complex for a good reason. For example: carefully handling a permit application while also protecting the privacy. Or: handling an insurance claim without skipping critical checks. Such a process cannot be simplified. It can however be more effective and streamlined – and as such faster and cheaper.
THE TOOLKIT
Sifters have a toolkit including the process mining tool Disco and various Lean tools that are aimed at solving problems. Together with these tools, Sifters bring a healthy dose of common sense.
Disco enables a crystal clear analysis of the current business and work processes. Lean tools assist with ‘repairing’ the ‘problematic processes’, so that they can be streamlined and add value for the customer. Common sense allows us to not lose track of daily practice.