Tool Set for Improving Transactional Processes

Having been an MBB in the transactional environment for over 5 years, I echo the opinions of your belts.  It's not that the statistical analysis tools do not apply, they simply apply less often in a trans environment.

Tools found most useful have to do with analyzing the process, once high level data has been collected to point to the L2 process contributing most to poor performance.

Key questions I've found useful to answer in Analyze include:

• what is the transaction volume?
• what are the flow rates at decisions?
• what is the flow prioritization (i.e. FIFO, LIFO, etc.)
• what is the 'normal' flow process?  Exception?  How are they resourced?
• what are the sub-process cycle times?
• what is the total cycle time?  How much of that is actual touch time (processing time); how much is queue?
• where is the opportunity: to reduce touch time or queue time (almost always the latter, which should also yield fewer instances of jumpion to an IT system solution, which usually address touch time and not queue)
• which steps are value-added?  Non-value added?  Value-enabling?
• where are the handoffs and what are the controls around them?  How is work moved from one area to another ... push?  pull?  batch?
• what are the existing metrics/targets?
• who owns the process?
• who performs which tasks?
• what are the Moments of Truth?

Hypothesis tests, DOEs, etc. do apply, just not as often.  Exponential improvement is achievable simply by ensuring sound prioritization of incoming units, attention to reducing queue, and ensuring existing resources are working on the right thing.