Is it clear who are the customers (direct and end-users) of the business processes?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

No clear definition of the customers

Unstructured and unclear definition

Clear definition only for the top management

Clear definition for the top and middle management

Clear definition for all

In terms of QCT, is Value defined for the customers of the business processes?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

No clear definition of the value for the customers

Unstructured and unclear definition

Clear definition only for the top management

Clear definition for the top and middle management

Clear definition for all

Is the value provided by the processes consistent with the value required by the customers in terms of QCT?

 I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Complete misalignment between the value provided by the processes and the value required by the customer

Only few people in the company are fully aware of the customer value but they do not always consider it in process management

Many people in the company are fully aware of the customer value but they do not always consider it in process management

Everyone in the company is fully aware of the customer value but they do not always consider it in process management

Everyone in the company is fully aware of the customer value and considers it in process management

Is the business organized by processes or functions?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Company and people are organized consciously and deliberately by function

The company is organized by processes but operates by functions

The company is theoretically organized by processes but in practice only in some cases works in this way

The company is by processes and works by processes but with physical and/or procedural barriers

The company is organized by processes and works by processes without physical and procedural barriers

Is process flow defined, shared and applied by everyone?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

The flow is not defined

Partially defined and incomplete

Defined in terms of 4M+E but not shared with everyone and/or not applied

Defined in terms of 4M+E, shared with everyone and partially applied

 Defined in terms of 4M+E, shared and applied by everyone

Is the company able to see the waste of its processes?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

No one can identify waste nor classify it

Management begins to recognize waste but does not know how to classify it

Management identifies and classifies waste

Management and some resources recognize and classifies waste

Everyone recognizes and classifies waste systematically

Is the company able to measure the identified wastes?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

No one in the company knows the techniques for measuring wastes

Someone knows the existence of waste quantification techniques, but does not know how to apply them

The company knows the techniques of quantifying waste, but with on spot application

The company knows and applies waste quantification techniques, but not in a systemic way

The company knows and applies waste quantification techniques in a systemic way

Is the company able to eliminate the identified and measured waste with a scientific approach?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Troubleshooting happens instinctively

The company is aware of the existence of the scientific approach (SPDCA) as an alternative to less structured approach, but does not used it

The company uses the scientific approach (SPDCA) with selected teams

The company applies the scientific approach (SPDCA) on specific processes

The company applies the scientific approach (SPDCA) in a systemic way

Are business processes designed starting from the demand?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

The lead time required by customers and the takt time are not known nor used

Lead time required by customers is known, but not the takt time

Both lead time required by customers and the takt time are known, but these have not been used to design processes

Both lead time required by customers and the takt time are known and these have been used to design processes

Both lead time required by customers and the takt time are known. The takt time is constantly monitored for process management

Within business processes, the customer demand is transmitted upstream in an optimal way?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

There is a systematic presence of fluctuations and distortions of the demand within the process

Within the process, one tries to compensate for the irregularity of the demand by creating stocks and by saturating people and machines

Potential output / regulatory activities are identified and volumetric flexibility tools are used

Demand irregularity is faced by levelling the mix of products / activities

The process follows the real customer demand because the lead time of the process is lower than the lead time required by the customer

Are the decoupling points within the processes correctly positioned?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Process lead time and customer lead time are not known

Only one of the process lead time and customer lead time is known

The process lead time and customer lead time are known but are not used to define the position of the decoupling points

The process lead time and customer lead time are known and used to define the position of decoupling points

The process lead time is lower than the customer lead time and therefore decoupling is not necessary

How are the necessary materials managed?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Material management is purely push

Pull Material management is known but it is not applied

Pull Material management is known and applied regardless of an ABC-RRS analysis

The ABC-RRS matrix has been created and it is used to choose the proper management of each material

Constantly working to reduce material lead time and extend pull management consistent with ABC-RRS

Are processes performances measured?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Partial or absent QCT process measurement

Processes are measured in terms of QCT but measurements are not standard

Processes are measured in standard QCT terms but the measurements are not kept up to date

Processes are measured in QCT terms in standard mode and measures are kept up to date but not properly communicated to the members within the process

Processes are measured in terms of standard QCT and measures are kept up to date and communicated to the members within the process.

Are there any improvement activities?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Few or no improvement activities present

Few innovators implement timely improvements, which are not shared with the rest of the company and are not standardized

Improvements take place continuously and incrementally, only by a few innovators. Lack of PDCA. Diffusion of improvement by "Order from the top" approach.

Improvement proposals emerge at all levels of the organization but are not dealt with in PDCA perspective

Improvement proposals emerge at all levels of the organization and are dealt with in the PDCA perspective

Are the improvement activities coordinated according to the SPDCA approach?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Improvement actions are not applied according to the SPDCA approach. The focus is on emergency management. Absence of project planning and check / standardization of the results

The analysis of the initial situation is followed by a direct passage to the Do phase

The actions are properly planned and executed after analysing the initial situation. Systematic lack of checking the results

The Scan, Plan, Do and Check phases are correctly performed but there is no closure (Act phase): no corrective actions (Post Check) or definition of standardized solutions

Complete use of SPDCA in project management at all levels (macro and micro)

Are process resources engaged in process improvement activities?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

No sharing of the activities and goals to reach. No awareness of the importance of resource empowerment

They know the potential and importance of sharing and empowerment but no sharing action of the activities and goals to achieve

Sharing the improvement initiatives with the middle-management but not with the rest of the structure

Sharing with everybody the activities and goals to be achieved and involvement of the middle management in defining them

Catchball between top and middle management and PDCA management of resource suggestions at all levels

Is visual management applied to engage all the resources?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

No use of visual management and no awareness of the potential of the technique

Awareness of the potential of visual management but sporadic use

Use of visual management but poor resource involvement and sporadic corrective actions

Use of visual management and resource involvement systemically, but sporadic and ineffective corrective actions

Use of visual management and resource involvement systemically, corrective actions implemented with a structured and effective approach

Is there a structured communication process for the improvement activities towards the resources of the organization?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

No communication of improvement initiatives and no awareness of the importance of communication in this area

No communication of improvement initiatives but awareness of the importance of communication in this area

Unstructured communication of improvement initiatives and directed only to the resources involved in firsthand

Structured communication on improvement initiatives but not extended to the entire organization

Structured communication on improvement initiatives as an engagement tool and a flywheel for continuous improvement. It is clear for everyone how to contribute in generating value for the customer

Is the company strategy defined?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Business strategy defined for the various processes. Different processes have strategies in opposition to each other

Business strategy defined for the various processes. Different processes have strategies aligned with each other

Clear, defined, formalized business strategy but not shared with the organization

Clear, defined, formalized business strategy and shared with the organization

Is there alignment between business strategy and improvement projects?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

Partial misalignment between improvement projects and business strategy

Systematic alignment of improvement projects to business strategy but total lack of sharing with the organization

Systemic alignment of improvement projects to business strategy but partial sharing with the organization

Systematic alignment of improvement projects to business strategy and total sharing with the organization

Does the company involve its resources in defining the action plan to be implemented for achieving the defined strategy?

I do not understand the meaning of the question/ I do not know

A purely top-down approach in defining the action plan.

Top-down approach in defining the action plan by the management. In some cases, middle management begins to be involved in defining the actions

Both top down and bottom up approach in the action plan definition. Less structured and poorly effective middle management involvement in defining actions

Both top down and bottom up approach in the action plan definition. Structured involvement of middle management in defining actions

Top managers focus on achieving goals and aligning actions with business strategy. Delegation of the improvement action plan definition to the middle-management and subsequent catchball.