business process management

Business Process Management (BPM) is at least as old as 106. In 1903, Henry Ford started his third company - Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford created the moving production (assembly) line, and with or without knowing it he organized his new company by processes. He had also engaged in process improvement, in that he designed a method vastly better than those in use at the time. This allowed Ford to provide the public with a high quality, yet relatively inexpensive, option for motoring.

Understanding and managing business processes gives organizations the opportunity to continually improve those processes and find more and more efficiencies in the way they deliver products or services.

One may be wondering at this point what this has to do with higher education. In today's economy, institutions of higher education cannot afford to overlook any measures that can be taken to improve their services and lower the costs of providing those services.

By defining the key processes within the organization, a transparency begins to emerge. A 'clearing of the fog', as it were. Leadership and knowledge workers begin to see clearly the non-value added steps that creep into the day to day operations. Generational training is a huge culprit. Knowledge Worker One teaches Knowledge Worker Two, and a culture of 'that's the way we've always done it' is born. Business process analysis includes process mapping, or identifying the activities involved in a process. It is much easier to see those steps taken that add no value to the delivery of the service. By cutting out those steps, cycle time is trimmed and resource time (human capital) is recouped.

Now, extrapolate that thought through the hundreds of processes undertaken daily in the delivery of services. If there were no other benefits, this alone would be catalyst enough to spur action.

But think of the other benefits of business process management:

Organizational alignment that focuses on efficiency and effectiveness

Reduced cycle times

Identification and reduction of bottlenecks

Increased innovation

Optimization of processes

Process improvements identified

BPM conssists of process documentation, process improvement, and management of key organizational processes. Decisions become data-driven and based on customer satisfaction metrics. Once a process has been identified and documented, metrics are the next natural step. Once the organization knows what the process is designed to do, it becomes a simple matter of counting to determine if the process is successful. The process owner monitors that data and can tell quickly, usually before a customer is affected, when a problem occurs.

Another benefit of BPM is the realization the processes are horizontal, leading a silo-mentality culture to recognize and eventually embrace cross-organizational processes. Unity of the organization improves in ways that might today be unimaginable. With that unity of purpose, one sees boundaries dissolve into cross-functional teamwork and more pride in organization, as opposed to departmental pride. Recognition of one's place in the 'big picture' leads to cognitive thought of the greater, organizatonal good. This esteem boosting principle can lead to empowerment of knowledge workers. Knowledge workers who begin to think innovatively, act creatively and exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit that is contagious. Imagine a workforce filled with happy knowledge workers, striving the meet organizational goals for their own satisfaction of a job well done, a job they 'own'.

Can this 'Eutopia" happen over night? No. It takes work and dedication and buy-in from the top down. But it pays off in some incredible dividends.

business process management

Community Community		business process management Business Process Management (BPM) is at least as old as 106. In 1903, Henry Ford started his third company - Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford created the moving production (assembly) line, and with or without knowing it he organized his new company by processes. He had also engaged in process improvement, in that he designed a method vastly better than those in use at the time. This allowed Ford to provide the public with a high quality, yet relatively inexpensive, option for motoring. Understanding and managing business processes gives organizations the opportunity to continually improve those processes and find more and more efficiencies in the way they deliver products or services. One may be wondering at this point what this has to do with higher education. In today's economy, institutions of higher education cannot afford to overlook any measures that can be taken to improve their services and lower the costs of providing those services. By defining the key processes within the organization, a transparency begins to emerge. A 'clearing of the fog', as it were. Leadership and knowledge workers begin to see clearly the non-value added steps that creep into the day to day operations. Generational training is a huge culprit. Knowledge Worker One teaches Knowledge Worker Two, and a culture of 'that's the way we've always done it' is born. Business process analysis includes process mapping, or identifying the activities involved in a process. It is much easier to see those steps taken that add no value to the delivery of the service. By cutting out those steps, cycle time is trimmed and resource time (human capital) is recouped. Now, extrapolate that thought through the hundreds of processes undertaken daily in the delivery of services. If there were no other benefits, this alone would be catalyst enough to spur action. But think of the other benefits of business process management: Organizational alignment that focuses on efficiency and effectiveness Reduced cycle times Identification and reduction of bottlenecks Increased innovation Optimization of processes Process improvements identified BPM conssists of process documentation, process improvement, and management of key organizational processes. Decisions become data-driven and based on customer satisfaction metrics. Once a process has been identified and documented, metrics are the next natural step. Once the organization knows what the process is designed to do, it becomes a simple matter of counting to determine if the process is successful. The process owner monitors that data and can tell quickly, usually before a customer is affected, when a problem occurs. Another benefit of BPM is the realization the processes are horizontal, leading a silo-mentality culture to recognize and eventually embrace cross-organizational processes. Unity of the organization improves in ways that might today be unimaginable. With that unity of purpose, one sees boundaries dissolve into cross-functional teamwork and more pride in organization, as opposed to departmental pride. Recognition of one's place in the 'big picture' leads to cognitive thought of the greater, organizatonal good. This esteem boosting principle can lead to empowerment of knowledge workers. Knowledge workers who begin to think innovatively, act creatively and exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit that is contagious. Imagine a workforce filled with happy knowledge workers, striving the meet organizational goals for their own satisfaction of a job well done, a job they 'own'. Can this 'Eutopia" happen over night? No. It takes work and dedication and buy-in from the top down. But it pays off in some incredible dividends. business process management Login or register to post comments
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