Process Types

Let’s define a process as a collection of related, structured activities [a chain of events] that produce a service or product. Until today, the emphasis on process improvements has centered on the human ‘activities’. As you might imagine, you can improve human activities only so much. Think of sprinters – they worked hard to break the 10 second 100 yard dash. Now that they are around 9 seconds, how long will it take to get to 8 seconds [or is it even possible].

In the world of business there are 2 types of process.

The first type we call a "process optimization process". A good example would be a DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) or DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design and Verify) process utilized by Six Sigma Green and Black Belts. These processes basically define and document any other process. There are many tools out there available to complete the documentation of a process according to your company's requirements.

Once defined and documented, the process can be evaluated for improvements and optimization, again using standard company tools.

The second type we call "front line processes". These are the processes under the management of Business Line Managers (i.e., process owners) who are ultimately responsible for keeping things running.

Malcolm Baldrige quality criteria, ISO, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TQM, Kanban, Kaizen, etc. all focus on identifying waste and removing it. They also traditionally resist using technology to reach these goals. We respectfully ask, why should a human perform an activity that software can perform for them?

It you are ready to automate activities within a process framework it is important to realize that activities are both local and global. When automating a process you must look at your processes to see what activities can be automated globally and locally.

Locally - It is fairly simple to automate steps within a single software environment. For example, if an activity goes well - say a product test, the process could travel one path while if the product test goes badly, it could travel another. ‘If, then, else’ logic is extremely useful to automate these kinds of steps.

Globally - More complex activities may be automated with integration between your enterprise software packages [maybe using SOA]. This would allow the BPM software to read/write into some other enterprise software or even run some program within the other software.

BPM software, and BPM champions, tend to look at processes from two different angles – technology and people.

Many pundits and companies will approach BPM from the technology perspective while minimizing or ignoring real front line business process needs, The tendancy then is to automate global activities in large part because most BPM software is focused on automating global activities. The focus is on the technology rather than the business needs of the front line process.

We recognize the need for both, but have seen that companies that start from the people perspective are far more successful. The Business Line Manager and the processes they are responsible for is the main focus. It is a part of their job to make their processes function more efficiently. Everyday, front line business needs drive their business processes. Processes on the front line must be flexible, yet able to capture data and be formal enough to pass an audit. They must be a combination of ad-hoc tasks and activities, dynamic routing, and best business practices for repeatability and consistency.

It is a company’s business processes that should drive their technology needs. Ingenuus’ objective is to put Business Process Management into the hands of the Business Line Manager – the process owner - while orchestrating the process activities of all Business Line Managers for consolidated reporting and visibility. At the end of the day, Business Line Managers are responsible for their processes and they are the ones that will be rewarded for their process improvement successes.