I recently had the opportunity to review the processes of an international organization with offices in three countries – France, England, and the US. It was interesting to note the similarities each office’s approach to process management, as well as some differences.
Each office had performed similar work and had certified their processes under ISO 9000:2000 guidelines. Although there were differences in the processes, those differences were more due to historical ways of doing business rather than true differences in approach.
The number, details, and level of process documentation were roughly the same at each office. The level of compliance to the processes also seemed to be about the same. People that had success with process improvement programs, or were in quality assurance roles were more likely to follow processes. Those that felt processes were forced on them by others had less favorable views.
What was interesting is that it seemed process was considered for different reasons at each office. What motivated people concerning processes in one office, did not seem to apply to another. The French seemed to be more accepting of the need for process, but were also more accepting of the need to sometimes ignore it. The English appeared to have a natural dislike for process and viewed it as a necessary evil to be followed, unless they came up with a good excuse. The Americans believed that process was good as long as it was their process and they felt bad when they didn’t follow it, but they never attempted to figure out why they didn’t follow it.
Recent Comments