“Visual Workflow represents a new way of understanding process. As the first outside-in process (its pedigree goes back to 1996) it represents an emerging trend in helping organizations rethink themselves to align everything they do with successful customer outcomes.”  
Steve Towers: process evangelist, author & speaker; founder, BP Group. 

OUTSIDE-IN PROCESS DESIGN
FOR CUSTOMER-DRIVEN COMPANIES

Achieving customer-centricity
The rising power of customers is forcing companies to become customer-centric, rather than internally focused. And that requires changing all four process elements–what work is done, who does it, how it’s done and the enabling technology. Tweaking current process and technology won’t get you there. Instead, organizations must redesign business strategies to align with customers; redesign process to align with strategies; and redesign technology support to align with process–in this sequence. Creating company alignment around customers is what Outside-In is all about.

Refocusing attention from manufacturing to office/service process
When it comes to achieving customer-centricity, back and front office plus service organization staffs and systems do the heavy lifting. After long neglecting these areas, management focus must shift to office/service (O/S) environments, which are becoming the primary drivers of not only revenue but profits as well. Outside-In process is made to order for the O/S.

Adding value to customers in ways that add value back to companies
The ultimate goal of Outside-In is increasing company profitability (alternatively employee satisfaction when used internally or member satisfaction for not-for-profits). But Outside-In doesn’t increase profits just by improving the top line. Instead, it produces a set of outcomes that positively affect both revenue and expense sides of the ledger:

• Deeper customer penetration
• Increased customer loyalty
• Reduced operating expenses
• Improved work quality

Reducing work complexity by 20% to 40%
Outside-In streamlining eliminates all possible activities and steps that aren’t adding value to customers–and to the company. This reduces staffing requirements while also improving work quality, shortening work cycle times and cementing relationships with customers. Streamlining work is a “win-win” for customers and company.

Visual Workflow–Stem to Stern, Outside-In, Process Design
High-Yield Methods designed Visual Workflow to put customers in the process design driver’s seat. When launched in 1996, VW was the first, formal, Outside-In process approach. It was also the first process methodology developed expressly for O/S environments.

But process, to us, was much more than how people work, the primary scope of traditional process. From our expanded perspective, process begins with identifying spoken and unspoken customer needs. Then, customers drive what work should be done by who and how–plus enabling technology support.

Fortunately, thanks to its extreme efficiency, VW accomplishes much more in much less time with less investment than traditional approaches.

Delivering transformative change (or not)
Not every client is prepared for transformative change to truly customer-centric business. But if you’re ready, HYM will help get you there.

If you want to take a shorter first step, we’ll help you there as well, by improving alignment between customers and strategies, strategies and process and process and technology. Or, we’ll focus on making process more customer-responsive, efficient and better enabled by technology. But while providing these initial steps, we’ll also lay out your company’s route to a customer-centric future, fueled by Outside-In thinking.

Please navigate around our site to learn more about Outside-In, Visual Workflow, O/S process and related subjects. And when you decide you’re ready for a move closer to customers, please contact us.