BPM from a Business Point of View

The 2 main reasons companies implement business process management [BPM] strategies to improve process throughput [productivity] and to remove unnecessary process steps [efficiency].

Companies that have pursued BPM strategies have discovered some hurdles.
A 2009 AIIM survey showed the following:

• User resistance to change
• Lack of understanding of what BPM is
• Underestimated time to map and agree processes
• Extending ownership across departmental boundaries
• No single, identifiable process owner
• Securing cooperation from line of business owners

My Thoughts...

I want to share these with you because they are very real hurdles. It is important to address these in your project plan.

Resistance to change is a problem for anything new. For the most part, people don't like change. You must come up with a strategy to manage change. Sell the project internally.

There are many definitions of BPM. Determine your objectives and lay out a plan of success. Somewhere in that plan will be a definition that works for your company.
Mapping a process is a process in itself. Working with a representative user group, map the process. Then speak with the people involved in the process to see if that is how it really works and repeat.

Whenever projects cross departmental boundaries, make sure that all departments have a voice. They need input and ownership. This should help you uncover process owners and secure their cooperation.

In this uncertain economy, effective process management is a key ingredient to success that allows you to break out as a market leader.

Your Thoughts...

What steps has your company taken to be a market leader?

Keeping it Real!