Leaders have a lot to juggle when making decisions about what investments are most important for the organization. They must consider the need of all stakeholders, and there are often competing priorities. We talk to leaders all the time who think that their organization might benefit from process improvement software, but aren't quite sure if the time is right to make the investment. In our experience, some signs indicate it's time to act.

Employee Engagement is Low

All of your employees may be completing their tasks as expected, but is that enough? In thriving companies that delight customers, employees are energized and motivated to extend extra effort to see positive change. Disengaged employees may show up physically, but they are not emotionally invested in the outcome. Symptoms of disengagement include absenteeism, declining performance, unmet objectives, and high turnover. Process improvement software helps combat low engagement by positioning employees to create an environment in which they can do their best work. They become the designers of a future state in which processes flow seamlessly, and each task truly adds value for the customer.

Cross-Functional Collaboration is Absent

It is unfortunately common that organizations' functions become walled-off with little exchange of information or insight across teams. This may be fine for getting the same results you have today, but collaboration is essential for finding new ways to address old challenges. When teams work together, fresh eyes can look at problems in a new way. Process improvement software makes it easy for information and ideas to flow freely around the organization, and it creates a common language for engaging in positive change.

Resources are Limited

It may seem crazy to suggest spending money on improvement management software when you have limited resources, but the goal is to get more out of what you have. Working to improve each process is the best way to become more efficient and reduce waste. Software can help you do that faster and more effectively.

Workers are Distributed

Long before COIVD-19 jolted many organizations into working from home, the trend of remote work was becoming more commonplace. We've seen that companies can be efficient with a distributed workforce, but there are additional challenges. Process improvement software can help by giving leaders a better view of how each team member contributes to change in the organization. People can participate in company initiatives from wherever they happen to be, and managers can track activity, engagement, and impact.

Past Transformation Programs Have Failed

Most companies have introduced some transformation program at one time or another, but 70% of them have failed to achieve the desired business goals according to management experts. This happens for many reasons, but it is frequently the result of a lack of leadership commitment and no supporting infrastructure. Investing in process management software addresses both problems. It sends a message to the organization that leaders are serious about improvement matters, and it provides a platform upon which everyone can engage, measure, and share success.

Goals Are Not Aligned

Making decisions and setting priorities is difficult for people at every level of an organization when they don't understand the strategic goals. Suppose you find that there are many conflicts between employees or teams about what needs to be done. In that case, not everyone likely has a clear vision of how their work relates to the organization's most important objectives. Process management software helps by supporting strategy deployment, a process in which the goals are made clear and cascaded down through every level of the organization. Precise alignment makes it so that not only are people engaging in improvement, they are doing so in a way that buttresses the strategy and impacts critical objectives.

If your organization does not face any of these issues, then process improvement software may not be a high priority for you. On the other hand, if you recognize these problems in your organization, it's likely time to take a hard look at what a comprehensive approach to continuous process improvement might do for your organization.