Every Company Wants to Improve. Few Know Where to Start.

Every business says the same thing:
“We need to improve.”

But when it’s time to take action?
Silence. Confusion. Resistance.

Starting a business improvement function from scratch is like building the engine while you’re already driving the car. I’ve done it. Here’s the no-fluff guide based on real delivery, real results, and real lessons learned.

1. Sell the Why Before the How

The first step isn’t process mapping or automation. It’s buy-in.

People resist change not because they hate progress, but because they fear disruption. That’s why you need leadership support from day one.

Here’s how we did it:

• Partnered directly with C-level execs (CTO, COO)
• Built a clear pitch: “We will reduce waste, fix broken processes, and save money.”
• Launched a Business Improvement Working Group with senior leaders to co-own the mission

This gave instant legitimacy. And once people saw their peers involved, they got on board.

📈 Within 6 months, we had over 100 ideas submitted into the improvement pipeline.

2. Build the Structure—Simple, Flexible, and Scalable

You don’t need a 10-person team or fancy software to start. Here’s what we used:

• A lean core: 1 lead, 1 analyst, support from department champions
• Basic but critical tools:
  • Project tracker
  • Improvement pipeline
  • Stakeholder map
  • Reporting template
  • Comms plan

Clear roles. Clear visibility. No confusion.

All while running 20+ active projects across functions—HR, Legal, Payroll, Ops.

3. Start Fast With Projects That Prove Value

Don’t launch with theory. Launch with visible wins.

We kicked off with high-impact, low-effort projects:

• Digitalising new candidate registration
• Automating the induction workflow
• Streamlining HR form sign-offs
• Eliminating back-and-forth in the onboarding process

These delivered results within weeks—not months:

• Hours saved
• Errors reduced
• Staff happier
• Leaders impressed

“Nothing builds trust like a process fix that saves two hours a day.”

4. Map the Mess Before You Fix It

Every improvement function needs one language. Ours was BPMN 2.0.

We trained teams to:

• Map the “as-is” process
• Identify blockers, rework, and manual pain
• Redesign a leaner, faster “to-be” version
• Document every step clearly

🧠 We sat down with the actual doers—on-site, face-to-face. That’s where the real problems show up, not in boardrooms.

5. Build an Idea-to-Delivery Pipeline

Good ideas die in bad systems.

So we created a Business Improvement Portal—a single intake point for staff to submit ideas. Then:

• Every idea was triaged based on value, effort, and urgency
• Reviewed by the working group every two weeks
• Approved, assigned, delivered, tracked

This pipeline became the engine of our improvement machine. Over 100 ideas flowed through. Dozens became real, value-driving projects.

6. Train People So the Function Doesn’t Rely on You

Business improvement shouldn’t be a bottleneck—or a solo act.

We trained:

• Line managers in Lean Six Sigma basics
• Project leads in BPMN mapping
• Teams in root cause analysis and redesign

And we gave everyone:

• Playbooks
• SOPs
• Dashboards
• Coaching sessions

Now, improvement wasn’t just a team—it was a mindset.

7. Measure Everything and Brag About It

If you don’t track results, you’ll lose support.

We tracked:

• Time saved
• FTE hours removed
• Manual steps eliminated
• Complaint reductions
• Employee and stakeholder feedback

And we reported monthly to leadership—using simple dashboards with clear wins.

“What gets measured gets noticed. What gets noticed gets funded.”

Final Thought: Start Small. Think Big. Move Fast.

You don’t need a massive team or big-budget consultants to build a business improvement function. You need:

• A clear purpose
• Strong leadership support
• A few fast wins
• A repeatable structure

That’s how we went from zero to a fully functioning, cross-company business improvement engine—driving change, saving time, and proving ROI.

Want to start your own business improvement team but don’t know where to begin?
I help companies build lean, high-impact improvement engines that deliver real results.
Let’s talk.
👉 improvewithrobert.com | Schedule a meeting below.