One of the very common tasks requested in my line of work is to map out "as-is" processes for an organisation. Whilst I’m more than happy to do it, I question why is it that processes are not already being documented and monitored as a matter of standard practice. It is difficult for any organisation to operate efficiently without fully understanding its internal processes and using the correct KPIs and statistical methods to monitor progress. It’s akin to driving whilst blindfolded, which can be a risky strategy.
It's been more than 50 years since W. Edwards Deming's work transformed total quality management but it seems that the word has not got through to many organisations. Perhaps they were just too busy and didn't read the memo. My proposition is that it's fundamentally a combination of management culture having a focus on "output" KPIs, rather than how those results are achieved, and operations having a lack of specific expertise in process analysis, with ratios for corporations of about 90% culture to 10% lack of expertise and for SMBs, more like 40% culture to 60% lack of expertise, since the latter are likely to have a far shorter chain of command with the "how" being more visible.
It’s a shame that valuable learning from years of previous experience is being wasted. A quote from Sir Winston Churchill to the effect that 'those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it' comes to mind. I appeal to the Wisdom of the Crowd for further insight on this question. Any suggestions, ideas, experiences, comments from anyone?