International Process and Performance Institute

NOTE - THIS IS A 3-PART SERIES

PART 2

The Bigger Process Picture

Let’s go ahead and grant that lessons learned are part of the way things work. The key is learned, and this is what we should have all learned from our experience with BPM.

We must have a common understanding of process and we must have a reference model to understand that other people’s perspectives exist. We also must understand enough about those other perspectives so that we can recognize why they are important to the central idea of process management.

Common understanding must be common. That means we cannot impose any need to understand terms, perspective or mindset on the conversation that must occur at this highest level of process. That means no need for translation – none.
 
Here is that reference model:

 > Who – Who does the process serve?

 > Why – Why does the process exist? What need does it fulfill?

 > What – What shape should the process take to best fulfill that need?

 > How – How do we support the process in the fulfillment of the need?

This may seem obvious now that I have stated it but remember the quote; the most difficult thing to observe is the most obvious. Based on the interactions I have had with people working with process I contend that very few process initiatives actually address each of these elements in the process reference model.

Let’s go a bit deeper into the model to discuss the common understanding it can give us when seeking to achieve business success through process management.

Who does the process serve?

Every process that exists serves someone or something. That someone could be our customers, internal customers, employees or the organization itself. We should always know who the process serves.

Think about it. Dr. Joseph Juran gave us a definition of quality as a contextual measure based on fitness of use for the intended recipient of work that we do. If you are the recipient of a process outcome, should that outcome be tailored to your wants and needs? Shouldn’t it be fit your use in a way that makes it easy for you to accomplish your work?

Most processes are really sub-processes in the bigger scheme of things. Even when the process is an end-to-end process, it is part of a bigger process somewhere. A compliance process is part of the larger process of protecting the operational viability of the organization. Customer service processes are part of the customer-business relationship process and are part of a higher level process the customer is engaged that involves some aspect of their life that they care about.

So we need to know who the process serves.

---to be continued---