In the May/June issue of iSixSigma Magazine, the article, “Taking the Next Step: How to Eliminate Errors for Good,” offers an approach for managing human performance factors in an effort improve processes in service organizations.

An excerpt of a checklist used to measure human performance factors and gauge risk is featured in the magazine article. The following is a full version of the sample checklist.

Table 1: Sample Performance Factors Checklist

Category	Performance Factors	Comments
Personnel
Experience	Staff turnover rate
	Staff experience
	Supervisory experience	Indication of ability to guide and make decisions
	Percent of transfers/temporary employees
Staffing/Resources	Number of open requisitions	Indication of understaffing
Training	Documented training program	Indication of consistency in employee training
	Documented competency assessment	Validates training under conditions of use
Performance	Documented expectations for staff	Lets employees know what “good” is
	Documented process for performance feedback	Lets employees know how they are performing
	Existence of employee development or mentoring program	Allows employees to improve and grow
Process
Written directive	Documented procedures at point of use	Increased opportunity for compliance and consistency
	Documented evidence of compliance	Audit processes can provide data and drive accountability
Performance	Visible process targets	Indicates that expectations are established and known
	Visible measure of process performance	Lets employees know how process is performing
	Documented corrective action process	Lets employees know how and when to react to process measures
Benchmarking	Documented benchmarking process	Comparison to similar processes indicates a culture of continuous improvement
	Documented benchmarking actions	Indicates action based on benchmark findings
Communication	Documented process for directives/questions	A poorly defined communication process may indicate that information is not available when needed
	Documented process to confirm receipt of information	Can indicate a culture of accountability and goal focus
	Documented process for collecting and acting on stakeholder feedback	Stakeholder satisfaction may impact communication and performance
Data handling
Automation	Degree of automated system use	Manual processes increase opportunity for error
Complexity of tasks
	Duration of process	Longer processes are more likely to be impacted by change, which increases the risk of performance failures
	Number of steps	More steps often result in more errors
	Number of handoffs	More handoffs often result in more errors
	Number of people touching process	Greater numbers decrease ownership and accountability
	Number of interruptions to the process	Greater numbers increase likelihood of process failure
Planning
Forecasting/scheduling	Pre-project meetings	Indication of communication and understanding
	Project meeting timing	Indication of whether appropriate preparation time is available prior to project initiation
	Procedure for integrated scheduling	The amount of structure can indicate the appropriate parties are involved and factors are considered
Rate of process change
	Standard process	Standardization can indicate decreased confusion and greater compliance
	Plan changes after pre-project meeting	Changes at or near project initiation result in confusion and an inability to plan
	Plan changes during project	Changes after project initiation result in confusion and increased likelihood of error