# Process Improvement

> Process Improvement

- Skill: `sethdford/process-improvement-2` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sethdford/process-improvement-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sethdford/process-improvement-2/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: sethdford (https://skillmd.com/u/sethdford)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sethdford/process-improvement-2

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# Process Improvement

Make work flow faster and cheaper by seeing **end-to-end value**, cutting **waste**, and attacking the **bottleneck** before polishing side paths.


## When to Use
- Handoffs feel slow, queues grow, rework is high, or “we’ve always done it this way” blocks delivery.

## Workflow
**Wastes (DOWNTIME):** **D**efects, **O**verproduction, **W**aiting, **N**on-utilized talent, **T**ransportation, **I**nventory, **M**otion, **E**xtra processing—label issues with these lenses. **Value stream map:** trace **request → delivery**; mark **wait** vs **work** time at each step. **Theory of Constraints:** find the **bottleneck**; improve throughput **there** first. **Kaizen:** prefer **small, frequent** tweaks over rare big-bang rewrites. **Question each step:** “Why do we do it this way?” **Automate** stable, boring steps once the process is sane.

## Examples
**Example 1:** Deploy map shows 4-day wait for approval vs 20 minutes of build; first change is approval SLA and smaller batch size, not faster tests.

**Example 2:** Support triage has motion waste (swivel-chair between tools); consolidate intake before buying another analytics dashboard.