The Importance of Process Planning and Designing

Question: Discuss about The Importance of Process Planning and Designing. Answer: Process planning and designing is a wide concept and a key for success for any professional. Unplanned work leads to an unidentified path which yields nil results. Without planning and designing ones work, it is difficult to achieve the desired results within the specified time frame and limitations. Deciding upon the course of action required for the transformation of raw materials to finished products is termed as process planning. For achieving the output of a product as per the specified design, a series of planned operations have to be executed in a timely manner. The operations to be performed are both complex as well as simple in nature. More attention is required in the execution of complex processes as they take more time. As a marketer, it is very important for me to understand the present processes which are already in vogue and then suggest changes and modifications only after analysing the profits that the organization would be able to earn upon its implementation. Bring ing changes in the existing process is a very costly affair for any organization and it would have a direct impact on its brand image as well as the top line. Thus for a new entrant like me process planning and designing basically caters to transformation process i.e. the art of utilizing the current equipment and machinery for delivering ones own processes and designs. Companies favour those who try to do something new with the available resources, investing little into new equipments and machinery because of the cost factor. Process design in simpler terms can be defined as an operational chain with detailed progression stages to be performed so as to achieve the specification of the designs without compromising on the quality as well as the timely disposal of activities. These two are the most important factors that is to be considered along with ensuring to utilize the available resources in the most optimum manner so that production cost is also reduced. All this can be achieved only if proper integration is done between the human capital and the other resources. Machines cannot work on their own until and unless an input is given by the workers, thus a proper co-ordination between the two is of utmost importance. Trying to bring a revolutionary change into the current process of an established entity is the most challenging task. One has to first and foremost convince the management about the viability of the proposed changes with regards safety, brand building, timely conversion, production increase , cost benefit analysis, acceptability by the floor people as they are the ones who are directly attached to performances. It is very important to ensure that transformation within oneself and in the outside world is to be done gradually. It would seem very impracticable to expect that once a process has been planned and designed then it should be put to action instantly. The transformation process has to be given its own time to breathe. The most important segment of an organization is operations and its management. As a marketer it is to be understood by me that for introducing a change a study with regards the amount of value addition that it would do to ones personality, brands, customers to whom it will cater to finally and the cost factor from the companys view point has to be accounted for. Thus according to me transformation is easily identifiable and related with regards the conversion of raw materials but where transformation with regards any data or human capital is associated then the change is not evident enough to be noticeable. This makes it clear to me that expecting a sudden change to be visible to the organization at its very instance is not true. The change is gradual, however with regards any kind of product development change the result will be instantaneous. Similarly expecting a transformation in the behaviour of the customers and the internal staff at its very brim is false. Change in human nature may take place but its effect is gradual and hence adequate space has to be given for the same. Analysis of the results of implementation of a new process design and its transformed state has to be done by breaking the entire chain into smaller parts. It is only then I will be able to analyse the success parameters. Thus on a conclusive note I would like to bring to light that if I were to succeed both in profession as well as personal life, planning and designing of processes is of utmost importance. A pre-defined path and clarity in thoughts and processes will help to make this transformation easier. Before introducing change in any organization, the confidence of the people who would be a party of them is required to be won by making them a part of such a planning and designing process and welcoming their suggestions.