What is it?
Department purpose analysis
(DPA) is a process for applying the concepts and principles of management
in a practical way. It is designed to ensure that a department, team or group
is achieving goals that contribute to the company's strategy and overall goals,
and that the department's activities add value. A key step in the process
is a clear focus on agreeing, measuring and meeting customer (internal and
external) requirements
When to use it
- As part of an ongoing
improvement plan
- Where there is confusion
over roles, responsibilities or purpose
- To highlight opportunities
for improvement
- To identify staffing
requirements
- When considering organisational
changes so that roles and customer/supplier requirements are clearly understood
What does it achieve?
DPA takes management concepts
and principles and allows them to be applied in the work environment. The
key ones are:
- Role/goal clarity
- Meeting customer/supplier
requirements
- Clear performance
standards (no 'license to fail')
- Appropriate measurement
- Focus on failure so
that improvement opportunities are identified and actioned
- Building in prevention
of problems
- Value-added job for
all
- Continuous improvement
Key steps
DPA is a five-step process,
the objective is to ensure that a department 'Does it right first time'
Step
1 - key activity statement
- List department key
skills
- Identify and agree
departments top ten activities
Step
2 – Purpose and goals
- Identify company/group
function, mission and strategies
- Check that operations
match organization, mission, goals and priorities
- Check that management
agrees
Step
3 – Customer and supplier review
- Identify and talk
to your customers and suppliers
- Identify and agree
requirements
- Agree measurements
Step
4 – Time and skills analysis
- Capture information
on current activities
- Track time and resource
spent
- Identify value-added
activities
- Focus on failure and
identify opportunities for improvement
Step
5 – Action plan
- Check value-added
activities against mission, goals, priorities and customer/supplier requirements
- Prioritise improvement
opportunities and identify project(s)
- Implement project(s)
using 5 stage project approach
- Identify and display
key measurements
- Review and monitor
progress
REMEMBER,
DPA IS ONLY GOOD MANAGEMENT COMMON SENSE