Where do I start?

This is often asked by people wanting to know what to do when they realize they need to be more efficient. The answer can be daunting, and to some degree, I think there are many stake-holders involved that would like to keep it that way.

Scott Cleveland, in a recent blog entry, made the observation that BPM is much more than technology. BPM is meaningless without management discipline, he asserts.

I have to agree.

But the question remains - where do I start? I have several areas that make good starting points depending on your own circumstances. I hope these are helpful.

1. Document your processes - this does not have to be some strange exercise that is complex and takes forever. Start by simply writing down the processes you observe each and every day.

2. Determine which processes really matter - it is hard to figure out where to start if you don't even know what the options are. Once you have a list of processes, prioritize them. Which are more important, or critical. The results may surprise you!

3. Determine where improvements can be made, or automation used - not everything can be solved with software. Organizations are made up of people, and simple changes can have tremendous impact. Where can improvements make a real difference? Where can we automate to reduce repetitive tasks?

4. Share ownership - is can be amazing what happens when the head honcho takes responsibility for improving processes, then empowers process owners to make those improvements. Give them adequate tools, then trust them to do the right thing.

5. Be creative in understanding how technology can help you - you need to move beyond spreadsheets and word processing to some serious automation. Look for something process owners can, and will , use.