Engaging in an effort to improve a key processes or an overall effort is typically  a significant undertaking that  is long term in nature and often conflicts with the daily "fire fighting" that many organizations are engaged in.   When you choose to reduce costs and/or improve capabilities by addressing how you do things (process-focus), what is the investment?    Like other business investments, the costs center around the time of your people for which you are paying for, the outside investment and of course the relevant opportunity costs for both.  The following is a concise listing of these costs:

• Time of all your people
• 
  
  • Everyone needs to be involved.
  • Learning
  • Mapping
  • Measuring/Assessing/Understanding
  • Problem solving/Continuous Improvement
    
    
    
    • Waste removal
    • Barrier reduction
    • Innovating

• Typically some outside assistance for planning, facilitation,
• Outside facilitation or program/project management
• Minor expenses for tools, software, …

When you add this up, then you need to address the benefits in lower costs, improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, new growth opportunities etc…