Process optimisation: the ascent to the summit

Optimising a process is a lot like ascending a mountain — a challenging climb that tests your preparation, adaptability, and teamwork. The path to the summit is rarely straightforward, requiring flexibility, resilience, and a focus on the bigger picture. While the ascent is not without its challenges, the view from the top — a more efficient and resilient organisation — is well worth the effort.

Plotting the course: Preparing for the climb

Every successful ascent starts with a well-thought-out route. Before setting foot on the trail, climbers must define their ultimate goal and outline how they will get there. Similarly, in process optimisation, it’s critical to establish your summit—the goal—and map out your strategy to reach it.

Depending on the climb and thus the process optimisation goals, you need to choose an appropriate route or approach that effectively leads you to that goal. Below is a high-level overview of goals and corresponding approaches. This can serve as a guideline in an optimisation journey, but it should not be seen as a restrictive framework.

No route is ever perfect. Trails may shift, weather can change, and unexpected obstacles might emerge. Your plan should be more than a rigid map; it should be a flexible guide, ready to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. In process optimisation, this means preparing your team for change and equipping them to navigate challenges without losing sight of the summit.

Packing the right gear: Equipping the team

No climber reaches the summit without the proper tools, and no organisation succeeds without equipping its people for the climb ahead.

Just as ropes, crampons, and harnesses are essential for mountaineers, employees need the right training, tools, and support to succeed.

Expecting your team to scale the mountain without preparation is as impractical as climbing without gear. By investing in the right resources and fostering a culture of learning and growth, you ensure that everyone is ready to ascend, each at their own pace.

At Möbius, we believe in packing the right gear, not just for ourselves, but also for our clients.  That’s why we continuously invest in the development of our consultants through targeted learning paths. Whether it’s mastering BPMN to map out complex process landscapes, applying Lean techniques to cut through inefficiencies, or exploring advanced optimisation tools, our team is always training for the next ascent. By doing so, we not only strengthen our own capabilities but also ensure we can offer valuable support on your climb, leveraging the knowledge and experience we’ve gathered from many previous expeditions.

But we don’t stop at our backpacks.

Climbing isn’t just about the ascent itself — it’s also about preparation, training, and learning from smaller climbs before tackling the big one. Building experience on shorter, less complex trajectories helps teams grow the confidence and skills they need for more ambitious journeys.

That’s why Möbius also supports organisations well before the climb begins — sometimes even at the moment the seed is planted. Whether it’s through training in process modelling (like BPMN), optimisation techniques, Lean thinking, or agile approaches, we help teams prepare thoughtfully, so they’re ready when the time comes to scale new heights.

Navigating the trail: Choosing the best path

Once the climb begins, there will be forks in the trail that demand careful decision-making. Should you tackle the steep, direct route, which delivers quicker results but demands more from the team? Or should you take the longer, more scenic path, giving space to involve others like customers and partners along the way?

Remember, there’s no single “right” path. Every route has its challenges. What matters most is choosing the path that aligns with your vision and strategy, even if it takes longer or requires you to backtrack. Sometimes, the best course of action is to return to a previous basecamp, regroup, and re-gear for the journey ahead. Success isn’t about speed; it’s about staying aligned with your ultimate goal.

Crucial in choosing – and staying on – the right path are the sponsors of the climb. These individuals act as ambassadors of the journey: they embody the vision, motivate others, and help clear the path when resistance or doubt arises. Without their visible commitment and ongoing involvement, even the best route can lose momentum.

That’s why it’s essential to clarify roles early on — not just for sponsors, but for everyone involved. When each person knows their role, understands their responsibilities, and sees how they contribute to the bigger picture, the whole team can move forward with more confidence and coordination.

Research supports this approach: according to McKinsey, transformations with a strong focus on role clarity and peer support are 3.8 times more likely to succeed. Climbing together works best when everyone knows not only where they’re going, but also what their role is in getting there, and who’s climbing beside them.

Clearing the obstacles: Addressing the root cause

Every climb presents obstacles—be it a landslide, a steep wall, or poor visibility. In process optimisation, these obstacles could manifest as inefficiencies, resistance, or external pressures. The temptation to bypass the problem with a quick fix is strong, but such approaches often lead to long, costly detours that ultimately circle back to the same unresolved issue.

Rather than jumping to countless solutions, focus on understanding the root cause of the problem. Why does this obstacle exist? What’s driving it? Techniques like the Five Whys, Root Cause Analysis or cause-and-effect diagrams can help peel back the layers and reveal what’s going on.

Example:  In one production context, a recurring error in the quality control process raised concerns that operators might not be executing the tests correctly or consistently. However, a deeper analysis revealed that the inspection camera itself was misaligned, leading to false error signals regardless of the operators’ actions.

Once the cause is clear, a single, targeted solution can resolve it effectively and sustainably. In climbing, as in process optimisation, it’s about conserving energy and resources for what truly matters.

Reaching basecamp: Progressing in stages

Mountains are not conquered in one go. Climbers divide their ascent into stages, using base camps to regroup, refuel, and reassess their strategy. Each camp represents progress—a milestone toward the summit.

In process optimisation, these basecamps are the intermediate achievements that build momentum and confidence. By breaking the climb into smaller, manageable goals, you create opportunities to celebrate progress, adjust plans, and ensure that the entire team remains focused and motivated for the next stage of the ascent.

For instance, when supporting an HR partner in their shift toward a more process-driven organisation, we consciously paused at an early basecamp: the setup of a new, cross-functional optimisation team. This was our first milestone — a “flag in the ground” that gave the initiative visibility and a concrete sense of progress.

Rather than racing ahead, we took time to regroup, align on roles and objectives, and give the team ownership of the journey ahead. From there, we mapped out the next ascent together, with the team itself identifying the next set of priority processes to tackle — and planting the next flag higher up the mountain.

Climbing together: Aligning the team

Every climbing group moves at its own rhythm. There are the pioneers, leading the way and setting the pace. There’s the main group, or peloton, that drives collective progress. And there are the stragglers, who may need extra support to keep moving forward.

In process optimisation, recognising and addressing these differences is critical. Pioneers bring energy and innovation, but the collective strength of the peloton ensures stability. Meanwhile, supporting those who are slower to adapt prevents disengagement and ensures the entire team moves toward the summit together. True success is only possible when everyone climbs as one.

And it’s important to remember: roles can shift along the way. A pioneer in one stage may need to slow down later, while a quiet peloton member might step up to lead a new initiative. Creating space for these shifts —   through open communication, psychological safety, and regular check-ins—ensures that everyone feels valued and involved throughout the journey. After all, a successful ascent isn’t just about reaching the summit, it’s about how we climb together.

Standing at the summit: A new perspective

Reaching the summit is a moment of triumph — a culmination of strategic planning, collective effort, and resilience. But the summit isn’t the end of the journey. It’s a new vantage point, offering clarity, insights, and fresh opportunities.

In process optimisation, each summit represents a step forward, a foundation for future growth. By continuously building on these achievements, your organisation can thrive, evolve, and set its sights on even greater heights. The climb may be challenging, but the rewards of reaching the top make it all worthwhile.

And don’t forget to look back from time to time. Recognising how far you've come fuels the motivation to keep going—and helps others see that the climb is worth it. And if the path feels uncertain or the altitude gets tough,  remember, you don’t have to climb alone.