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Making processes transparent is a prerequisite for sustainable and cost reduction. The purpose of process transparency is to let the processes speak to capture the ‘‘voice of the process.” This chapter discusses what that means, and two steps are recommended for achieving that goal. Company must use a supplier‐input‐process‐output‐customer (SIPOC) map to help scope the effort and create a value stream map (VSM) to capture the workflow in detail, along with relevant process data. The chapter focuses on the use of VSMs in the context of an identified project. Creating a value stream map will allow the company and top managements to understand which activities are happening, in what order, and at what levels of performance from end to end. Data monitoring will help to evaluate process performance in terms of throughput, cycle time, setup time, wait time, WIP waiting to be worked on, process downtime/uptime, defect/rework rates, and so on.

In recent years, there has been a push to improve and standardize the quality of clinical care delivered. This has led to marked efforts across institutions to invest in quality improvement (QI) as a part of daily practice. “Problem-solving, Root cause analysis, Improvement Science, and Monitoring” (PRISM) is a model used to detail a stepwise approach to QI in a way that can be easily followed, sustained, and eventually integrated into an organization’s learning system. This model is being used to improve the efficiency of our emergency department admissions process. The various tools that are a part of PRISM are discussed in detail here. Frontline team members have been educated about PRISM and are now engaged and leading improvement efforts within our organization. In short, PRISM has provided the common QI language for our transformation toward becoming a leader in patient- and family-centered care.