Before adding resources, examine how the work is organized.

The question

Are we improving the current process, or is the current design itself the constraint?

What experience contributes

Robert’s program redesign moved delivery beyond a facility’s space limit. A separate curriculum change removed spending on resources that were not being used. Those examples prompt questions about delivery design and resource use; they do not establish a universal solution.

A practical response

Define the outcome the process exists to deliver. Map the current steps, waits, decisions, and resource use. Compare a targeted improvement with a different design, including the costs and demands of changing.

A useful established distinction

ASQ distinguishes improving an existing process through DMAIC from designing a new or substantially overhauled process through DMADV. The relevant lesson here is to make the choice between repair and redesign explicit.

What to test

Select a limited pilot with a baseline, quality guardrails, and an accountable owner. Check whether a faster or cheaper process transfers burden to someone else, reduces access, or weakens the intended outcome.