Quick Wins

Description

• Identified opportunities for change that share three common characteristics:
• The timeframe to implement the Quick Win is short (e.g., less than three months)
• The Quick Win is relatively inexpensive to implement
• The sponsor(s) have the authority to implement the Quick Win.

Business Value

• Quick Wins enable the BPI team to demonstrate early successes that, if carefully managed, help to generate enthusiasm and momentum for broader changes.   In certain organisations, they also serve to reinforce the clear message that the upcoming changes are underway and are unstoppable.
• Not identifying and implementing quick wins may eliminate the possibility to demonstrate tangible benefits early in the project, which can lead to a loss of employee and management support for the initiative.

Approach

Potential areas for rapid improvement are documented at all stages of the BPI exercise.  They are typically compiled as an ongoing part of workshops, interviews, and data collection exercises. Common Quick Wins include the elimination of low-value or redundant activities (e.g. admin­istrative reports that are no longer relevant and services that are no longer in demand).

1. Compile all Quick Win suggestions gathered from previous project activities.
1. Potential Quick Wins  should be documented when identified and any additional research assigned to design team or extended team members.  It may be helpful to provide a common format to document and track Quick Wins or other short term opportunities.
2. Conduct an assessment of the benefits, costs and implications of each Quick Win. (Cost/Benefit Analysis)
1. Benefits range from tangible improvements (e.g. increases in revenue, reduction of cost or resources required) to intangible benefits (e.g., improved morale). Whether tangible or intangible, attempts should be made to measure or quantify the degree of improvement (e.g., faster response time, reduced error rates, improved customer satisfaction scores, etc.).  Estimated costs for Quick Wins depend on the nature of the Quick Wins themselves.  Implications typically entail, for example, changes to internal policies or the need for creative internal advertising to reach all staff.
3. Present proposed Quick Wins to management  for their feedback.
1. Identified Quick Wins need to be evaluated by management to ensure a clear understanding exists of the relative risks and benefits of the proposed opportunities.
4. Develop detailed implementation plan for each approved Quick Win, and assign an individual to manage its implementation.  (Work Packages)
5. Prepare a communications strategy for each approved Quick Win, ensuring change management   implications are taken into consideration.
6. Monitor the progress of the Quick Win implementation to ensure compliance with other project activities as well as broader project milestones.

Guidelines

Problems/Solutions

• BPI project activities can become “clogged up” if long lists of relatively small or irrelevant improvement oppor­tunities become a major focus of the BPI program.  If this situation arises, screen out secondary Quick Wins opportunities to allow the core project team to focus on the broader business solution opportunities.

Helpful Hints

• The value of Quick Wins must always be weighed against the cost of implementing them.  Proceed with a Quick Win only if the costs are recoverable in a period of a few weeks or months and is not in conflict with the objective of the redesign.  For many large organisations, the majority of Quick Wins identified as easy solutions inevitably turn out to be “not-so-quick”, because of required changes to internal policies or because complex, hidden interrelationships with other facets of the organisation are uncovered.
• Be sure that clients understand that Quick Wins are designed to complement and build support for the overall BPI effort, not to replace it.  Do not allow clients to use Quick Wins as an argument for not completing the significant change activities that the BPI initiative represents.
• Guidelines for defining Quick Wins should be developed and agreed to by the client.  Appropriate guidelines may vary depending on the size of the organisation and the availability of resources.  An example guide­line is “any oppor­tunity that can be implemented in 30 to 60 days for less than 10,000 Euros”.
• Planning the implementation of each Quick Win should include experts from within the Organisation as a way of ensuring that the implementation plan is understood and “owned” by the individual or groups responsible for executing the implementation.