“There’s a sale on Process Mapping, aisle 12!”

At MPI, we help companies analyze seven fundamental processes that can deliver value to customers. This week we asked ourselves: Why limit ourselves to business processes when there’s another CRITICAL process in need of help — surviving the holidays!

Introducing: The 7 Processes for Holiday Survival  – Thanksgiving Edition. At which of these processes are you great? At which are you ridiculously terrible? Analyze your performance now!

  • Research and Development (R&D): Imagining, innovating, and designing great new products, such as your brand-new, organic, oddly flavor-free Artisanal Stuffing with Raisins recipe. We’ll bet your tradition-bound children just can’t wait to try it!
  • Procurement: Finding and sourcing the materials needed to create great new products, including a thrilling visit to the grocery store at 5pm on Wednesday, which ends with the store manager chasing you through the parking lot as you abscond with their entire stock of white bread.
  • Administration: All the boring but incredibly important back-office stuff that makes a holiday successful (for example, drafting a detailed Thanksgiving Dinner budget, then making a pilgrim’s hat out of it after spending 100% more).
  • Logistics: Coordinating important projects such as “How will Uncle George get home now that he cannot drive himself?” and “If you don’t eat this food you requested, I will literally ship the leftovers to your house.”
  • Sales and Marketing: Making your children aware that you have great new products that will bring tremendous gastrointestinal value to them, such as your brand-new, organic, oddly flavor-free Artisanal Stuffing with Raisins.
  • Production and Performance: Performing culinary tasks normally distributed among 45 people completely by yourself while descending into a state of delirium. Your spouse and kids will urgently suggest a nap after you break out in song with a little ditty you call “Basted Away Again in TurkeyDay-a-ville.”
  • Service and Support: Chasing your children to their cars with leftovers to make sure they love and remember — truly love and remember — every moment of their Thanksgiving Customer Experience. Including, of course, your brand-new, organic, oddly flavor-free Artisanal Stuffing with Raisins.