IBM Blueworks Live

BPM offers several significant advantages over traditional Six Sigma and Lean implementations. New tools can sweep away the laboriousness of Lean Sigma project work and yet still fulfil their ultimate aim.

For example, take the decades old institution of process mapping on brown paper or sticky notes. Today, several geographically disparate users can log into a cloud web services tool and interactively create or review a repository of projects and processes.

We now use IBM Blueworks Live (formerly Lombardi Blueprint) for process mapping in all engagements and have adapted our Agile Lean Sigma methodology to use it as well.

Using IBM Blueworks Live, users can start in discovery mode (much like using sticky notes) to capture a SIPOC diagram. Once this step has been completed, a single mouse click turns the information gathered into a process map, allowing further detail such as process actors (swim lanes), problems (FMEA), cycle times (CBA), value stream analysis (VSM) and risk factors to be added. There is even room for notes, comments, and attached documentation. From this start effective process decomposition can happen in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks.

This collaborative capture, analysis, and improvement cycle can be accelerated by immediately distributing the recorded information on screen, or as a PowerPoint summary, Word document, or PDF process map. However, the real benefit is that the optimised process map can be extracted and used to create an executable version in IBM BPM 7.5 (formally Lombardi).

Need training or support? T-Impact offer Blueworks Live Licence and Training as a project or programme enablement. Kick start your Process Improvement or re-energise your Lean Sigma projects with Blueworks Live licences, focused training, and coaching with support.