CPI provides a number of significant benefits, which include the following: an overall improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of various organizational processes; an increase in customer satisfaction, product and service quality, and overall performance; a reduction in process cost, errors and cycle time; and an increase in the skills and knowledge base of managers and employees in the areas of process documentation, assessment and improvement.

The CPI System consists of three core activities that are designed to help organizations develop and implement a customized process improvement program: process documentation, process assessment and process improvement.  Process documentation is the first step in the CPI system, and is designed to help organizations "map" their processes.  It includes identifying the key processes to be documented, and creating a computerized flowchart of each process that outlines process output and workflow.  Process assessment, the second stage in the CPI system, helps organizations evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes.  It includes completion of the Process Assessment Inventory, and the facilitation of focus groups to review compiled Inventory information.  Process improvement is the final stage within the CPI system, and is designed to help organizations implement specific quality improvement activities.  Such activities can include the creation of Process Improvement Teams, and the implementation of a wide variety of process improvement tools.