Checklists and Process Improvement
http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2007/12/12/a-checklist.aspx
Susan brings this up, and Karl persistently talks about it. Last night Eriq discussed it, and Vlad doesn't shut up about it!!! Process improvement, through standardization. But it is not enough to standardize a process or set of processes, it has to be ever evolving. Whether its security, or profit margin, or whatever the reason, we collectively have to become better at our business, every time you provide a service, do a post mortem.
Did that task go correctly?
Did I introduce undue risk to the client by performing that task in that manner?
Can I improve how we do that?
Today the answer to these, may be no, but as you learn and move forward, and technology changes and risks change, can you say no forever? Remember Windows 98. At the time the best security you could do, just about was slap on some A/V and wait. And wait was about all you could do, because something was going to happen before the A/V vendor sent out any updates…As time passed they improved their processes, as did we. Now update/release cycles are more common, and we check more often. Likewise Back Office Small Business Edition 4.5 was not very automated. Installation was tricky, some things slid right into place, others, not so much with the sliding, more like, get your crowbar out, you may want to look the otherway…now however, it's much easier.
So, as you look back on the year, could you add a checklist? Could you improve that process? Could you become more efficient? Would you share that with other SBSers?