Rocky Mountain Improve
Retail Business Improvement Services

Our approach is simple and effective, based on proven six sigma and process improvement methods. These tools and methods can be used to improve the smallest of businesses to the largest of fortune 500 companies, and have been found to be especially effective in the retail business sector.

Because there is no "one size fits all" method, we start with understanding your unique Retail business and requirements, to determine what tools and methodologies best apply to you. For example, “Best Practices” may not be best for you.


Retail Business Process Management (BPM)

BPM methods - Business Process Management is a methodology to manage all of a company's business processes. BPM is the infrastructure for continuous improvement. BPM applies to both the end-to-end business processes as well as the sub-processes, within organizations, functional groups and departments. BPM facilitates:

• The management of business from the outside-in via the customer's perspective. Only when you fully understand what the customer wants, can you determine how to manage the business processes from the inside-out.
• Designing and managing business processes to achieve strategic goals
• Implementing technology functionality to deliver the needs of the customer and the business
• Developing an effective end-to-end supply chain process, maximizing costs and efficiency from your supplier to the customer
• Delivery of a metrics and measurement system to monitor and identify the level of success to the attainment of strategic goals
• A framework to ensure the long-term focus and alignment of a continuous improvement culture

The Tools of BPM

Business Modeling - regardless of the process modeling tool you use, business modeling is the core of BPM. It allows you to communicate complex business processes in easy-to-understand graphic models. Business modeling is a proven, effective communication tool - the power of business modeling is unparalleled in business, as it provides the most effective way to communicate; avoiding semantic disconnect between organizations, management and employees.


Lean (value stream) - Lean methods maximize value by achieving the fastest rate of improvement in customer satisfaction, cost, quality, process speed and invested capital. Lean focuses on “value add” by eliminating root causes of non-value-add activities; both increasing your bottom line and customer satisfaction.

• Maximizes process speed
• Reduces the cost of complexity
• Reduces delay times in each process activity
• Concentrates on “value add” by eliminating root causes of non-value-add activities - both increasing your bottom line and customer satisfaction

Transactional Six Sigma also known as Six Sigma for services, focuses on customer-centric processes that add value to your business processes. Also known as “operations” and “service” six sigma, it was designed to improve business processes by
Identifying and mapping core processes

• Recognizing opportunities and eliminating defects as defined by the customer
• Attacking waste
• Reducing process variation to enable you to deliver high-quality services
• Supporting data-driven decision making, using a proven set of quality tools for effective problem solving
• Gain greater predictability over your outputs (processes)
• Gain the ability to select suppliers based on the effect of their input on your processes

And the results:

Customer First – You will be able to meet customer requirements the first time – because you may not get a second chance. We can help to ensure every improvement you make enriches the customer experience.

Elevate service levels – Optimize processes that guarantee repeat business and increase the return on opportunity. Working with your team, we will discover ways to generate new ideas and deliver superior customer service.

Increase operational performance – Utilizing the power of enterprise modeling software, RMI will help your team get the “big picture”. This enterprise approach allows the entire organization to model, analyze and improve all aspects of the business. And keep on improving.

Add Value to management reporting – Using industry best practices to increase reporting effectiveness, eliminate excessive planning, and improve report timeliness and accuracy. Quality, not quantity.

Reduce costs – We will show you how to cut waste, reduce process redundancy and rework by optimizing and standardizing processes and procedures. Opportunities to better manage inventory & shrinkage will help you take a lot more profit to the bottom line.

Maximize supply chain effectiveness - as you begin to identify value stream activities, excess costs and inefficiencies will become apparent. There is a lot of hidden improvement potential in vendor/supplier activities and costs.

Increase productivity - Accelerating and simplifying operations using a combination of service-lean and transactional six sigma.

And you'll know when you are improving – And more importantly, when you are not. We have established a wide range of performance monitoring and measuring procedures to keep your business processes in-check.

Results that make a difference ...