The 'go to' organisation for Local Government improvement in Scotland

The POPIT model can be used to help categorise the various components of a business system that should be considered when analysing opportunities for improvement and change. These are:

• The processes
• The people
• The organisation
• The IT

Using POPIT allows you to take a holistic approach to considering change.

What is the POPIT model and why use it?
The POPIT model is a quick and easy tool used to ensure that that all internal business aspects are considered at the outset and throughout any business change.

You can use the POPIT model is to ensure that you have taken a holistic approach to the change process and considered other aspects of the business, in addition to the more obvious business processes and IT systems. In so doing, you can uncover where problems lie and what improvements might be possible.

How do you use the POPIT model?
The model should be viewed as a simple and quick approach to understand the business and its operating environment. The different aspects noted below can be considered when identifying areas for improvement:

• People: Think about the staff in the organisation. For example, think about what kind of skills they have or whether they are motivated.
• Organisation: Think about the organisation itself. For example, think about what the culture is like or whether teams collaborate well.
• Processes: Think about the business processes. For example, think about whether the processes are documented well or whether people stick to them. Do they need updated?
• Information Technology: Think about the information and technology aspects of the organisation. For example, think about whether the systems provide the right information the business requires.

For each of the four aspects above, you should consider how change will affect the current situation.

What happens next?
The POPIT does not resolve issues, it merely gives you a good basis for making decisions on the future way of working here. As such, it should be reviewed as the project evolves to ensure that any proposals take into consideration all aspects of the organisation. It may be particularly useful to use the POPIT model as a framework for gap analysis.