Chapter 1Why We Think Process Is Important

Why is process such a critical element to the success of an organization or business? This isn’t a new question, so a bit of history is in order.

1.1 A Short History Of Process Improvement

Process improvement has a long history in manufacturing. Operations research, efficiency studies, and similar activities have all tried to “get the fat” out of industrial processes for more than a century. It was only in the 1980s, however, that process was specifically applied to thought labor as opposed to mechanical or physical labor. Software development was a primary target. As more and more products and systems depended on computers to fulfill their requirements, and as software development organizations had ...

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