Process improvement

A significant proportion of the quality job is in making things work better, which means improving processes.

There are a number of frameworks and a huge range of tools that may be used. The most common framework is the 7-stage TQC framework, although when you drift into the area of big improvements, then Reengineering and other methodologies start to take over. 

There is also the issue of change management. If you are changing a process, then people's jobs will change, with the attendant complexity around resistance, objections and so on.

There is also the dilemma of who should be involved. To get buy in, you need everyone. To get knowledge of the process, you need at least the person who does the job. But when a person in deep inside a process, they may lack the objectivity and strategic insight to see the bigger picture.

Suffice to say that these few words are merely a scratch on this huge topic. Follow the references. Practice. Try stuff.

See also:

Toolbook chapter: Processes