Time is one of the most precious resources we have in our Value Analysis world. There is never enough of it, yet more work and responsibilities are continuously added to VA professionals on an ongoing basis. Doing more with less is the name of the game, but that does not mean you must become completely overwhelmed and overworked in the process. There are ways to become more efficient with everything from VA studies to your product evaluations, but you need to keep an open mind to the changes required to become more productive.
Remember, it’s okay to change your Value Analysis process to make it better, even if it may not appear to be broken or in need of upgrading. Change is tough at any level, but as VA professionals, change is part of our job every day.
Understand and Evaluate Your Time on All Your Duties – Most VA professionals move from one meeting or project to another, and on and on. Yet, how much time are these various projects and evaluations actually taking? How much time does it take to prepare for a VA team meeting or process a new product request? Get it down to an average for each duty, job, or assignment. Now you will know where your time is being consumed and where you are already being efficient.
What Can Be Eliminated? – Are there any steps that can be eliminated from your current duties? For instance, do you spend a lot of time documenting a certain aspect of a Value Analysis study or product evaluation, but no one really uses that documentation? If your work is simply documenting for documentation’s sake, then you need to rethink what can be eliminated from the process.
Can a Software Upgrade Speed It Up? – VA can involve a lot of manual work in some instances because the evolution of VA began with spreadsheets and Word documents, but that is no longer the case. Look at what you are doing with your spreadsheets and ask if you can create an automated database or implement a Value Analysis workflow software tool available on the market. Software is one of the areas that can give you a significant amount of time back.
For instance, you may spend a lot of time going back and forth with sales reps or new product requesters for missing information. What if there is a module in a VA software or project management tool that could automate most of that back and forth? Or better yet, require sales reps or new product requesters to include the key information you are always chasing in your new product request form.
Benchmark with Other VA Professionals – You don’t have to develop all the best practices and strategies yourself. Find out what other VA professionals are doing that can dramatically improve your performance and give you back more time. This may sound like a no-brainer, but while you may already have relationships outside your organization, being a member of AHVAP or LinkedIn puts communication just a few clicks away. Reach out to your peers in the industry and ask how they handle certain VA projects or evaluations. It is fascinating to learn about other programs, and they can learn from you as well. Learn and borrow from the best with pride!
VA Process vs. VA Process – Of course, your organization has a VA process for handling all aspects of Value Analysis, but does that process truly flow? If your VA process is fragmented or causes you and others to jump between multiple systems or documents instead of staying within one streamlined approach, then it may be time to rethink your process. Keep in mind, there are processes within processes in VA, such as a new product request workflow, as well as the VA functional analysis process that helps you evaluate functional alternatives when comparing products. Break down all your processes and determine whether they are working well together or if they are fragmented and need to be redesigned to become better, faster, and more efficient.
It’s okay to take a hard look in the mirror and identify areas in your Value Analysis program that may not be broken but still require upgrading to regain time and improve performance. Many of these changes may not deliver immediate results or efficiency, but like anything else, you will need time to adjust, along with your VA teams and department heads. Change is good in VA!
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