Book Review: The Process Improvement Handbook

Normally, I don't review books because it is not my strength. I tend to gravitate to real world experience applied towards future vision. Most of my case studies are leading edge and big impact situations, but most of the world is wrestling with the everyday incremental improvement needs that organizations demand. In addition, the authors have been grounded in the trenches and getting success for organizations on a daily basis. While I consider this book a primer for everyone, but it has some real use as a reference book needed on any process professionals book shelf.

With the abbreviated table of contents below, I'd like to highlight the sections that really had some significant content:

Coverage includes:

• The process improvement overview
• Process maturity
• Process-Oriented Architecture (POA)
• Creating a process ecosystem
• Managing process improvements
• The process improvement organization
• Process improvement aptitudes
• Case examples
• Process improvement templates and instructions

The overview and maturity sections were quite basic, but helpful for the person interested in getting started their process improvement journey. I really thought the POA and Creating a process ecosystem sections were worth the price of admission. While I thought that change management was a bit understated in the book, I really loved the Case examples as they gave traction to the method implied in the book. In fact the use of the process improvement templates came to life in the case study examples. Personally I would buy the book as a reference for the templates alone. 

Net; Net:

If you are looking for a primer that can lead you to initial successes, this is your book. If you want to challenge your organization to reach to being a modern digital organization, this is not your cup of tea.

Additional books on my shelf:

http://jimsinur.blogspot.com/2013/05/required-reading-for-transformational.html

http://jimsinur.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-book-on-next-wave-of-business.html