Monday, June 27, 2011

The Importance of a Business Process Improvement Consultant

Every organization is in need of business process improvement which can be done to increase ROI. This is required especially when customer turnover is increasing and blame game is becoming a consistent part of the daily office routine. In a situation where the organization is confronted with a lot of customer complaints as well as different problems raised in meetings rather than effective solutions, then it is time the company consider consulting a business process improvement professional.

Business process improvement consulting is important since this will give a company strategic analysis consisting of identifying goals and setting them to obtain development on business areas where it is needed. It gives improvement solutions and recommendations for the company to adhere to especially when it comes to doing business efficiently. It also provides a good management on the impact of change to employees who will be affected the moment it is implemented.

To consult for business process improvement is important especially when it reduces cost and cycle time by as much as 90 percent while improving business quality. This is needed by business leaders to implement especially in a company where more customer complaints are delivered rather than customer satisfaction. It also helps in letting managers and regular employees know the value of work and how to strategically approach a problem to ensure a solution.

Some companies may argue that the adapted old process is already working effectively therefore change and other consultation on business improvement is no longer needed. However, as the world continuously revolves and advancement is penetrating every work field, the need for improvement is a continuous process. As change is inevitable, the importance of business process improvement should be realized by every company to get the desired customer satisfaction as well as organized work atmosphere. By consulting for business improvement, managers will be able to work accordingly with the whole staff as well as employees generating effective output for the benefit of the company.

To be able to realize the importance of business improvement would mean advancement for the company as a whole. This would also mean that the old way adapted would be replaced with a more strategic and analytic way of handling the business and the workers that would guarantee an increase in customer satisfaction.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Understanding Business Process Mapping

Businesses today understand that to remain competitive means to continually reduce costs. However, reducing costs often comes at a price and this sometimes means a reduction in the company’s service capabilities. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. When companies need to reduce costs, while protecting their service levels, they often turn to business process mapping strategies that isolate redundancy in the company’s work tasks.

Business process mapping is one of those few business concepts that is easily understood and easily adopted. It immediately isolates those business operations that add time, increase costs and create unnecessary work. It is a proactive approach to streamlining the company’s operations so as to ensure the company has clearly identified and eliminated those time consuming work procedures. Therefore, what are the essential approaches to benefiting from this simple and extremely effective way of eliminating needless work tasks?

Companies that look to improve their operations typically do so by mapping out their processes in a working document. To be successful means to map out the company’s business processes using various color coded lines and shapes. These colors and shapes designate work tasks, roles and responsibilities, internal departments and most importantly, the flow of work from one department to the next. It’s ideal that one color represent how work flows and another color for decision making situations. The purpose is to isolate those flaws in the company’s internal processes.

Identifying these flaws must coincide with pinpointing those redundant work tasks that add time and increase costs. In most cases, these work tasks pertain to unnecessary approvals and signoffs. Companies must therefore be willing to do away with these needless approvals and empower their employees and managers to take decisive action on business operations. However, the only way to do that is to first map out the company’s operations, identify its bottlenecks, apply an estimated time to these bottlenecks and then proactively eliminate these bottlenecks altogether.

Companies use business process mapping because it is a simple and extremely effective tool to identify and isolate delays in the company’s operations. It speaks directly to the time needed to complete work tasks and helps to pinpoint those redundant processes that add time and increase costs. When companies need to reduce costs, without negatively impacting their service capabilities, they rely upon the straightforward and simple strategies of mapping out their business processes. In fact, if done correctly, the company will not only reduce costs, but improve its overall service performance.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

What is Business Process Methodology?

Business process methodology is an approach of order and function which can be illustrated in a document such as a flowchart. It’s a technique that describes an intended outcome or result. The process uses a form of measurements to determine standards and acceptance levels according to imposed criteria.

There are two principle methods in which the process methodology can be used and the first is in the development of a new item or function. The processes purpose is to establish acceptance levels and define substandard ones.

The second principle method can be used on existing systems with the same intended purpose, which is to identify failure or non-acceptance of the existing performance. In this case, existing processes of the established measurements are used to determine if improvements can be applied. The measurements also provide a level of verification to the proposed function in which the defect or substandard occurred.

Process methodology is also a form of study of the methods that have established the standards being used. The studies look for tendencies that enable repetitive functions, which are unique to the specific practices or methods. The studies also provide research for improvements to increase consistency, predicting required results.

Typically there are a series of steps in process methodology. They are:
  • Establish the goal
  • Design the function
  • Define the measurements
  • Identify the defects
  • Propose the improvements
  • Validate the performance
The goals or objectives are directly connected to the intended results, whereas the design incorporates the how and when the order of function occurs with the measurements establishing the acceptable standards.

The most crucial order of functionality is the identification of where the defect occurs, the cause of the defect and the necessary correction to prevent future defects. The research analysis becomes critical for adjustments that need to be made according to the recommendations or findings in the prevention of future defects.

Improvements need to be entered into the process without altering the order of successful operations. The collection of data, observation from the experimentation, results of testing and acceptance or validation are required to be documented.

Throughout business process management, documentation of the findings from the actual or initial function of operations order is essential parts of the process methodology. It provides archives and provides the collected information for review and further study ensuring that the desired results can be reproduced again and again.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Important Benefits of Business Process Analysis

The way a company goes about doing its functions are very important. This means that all companies should pay special attention to their organizational processes. In order to pay close attention to these processes a company must implement some type of business process analysis management method.

Those organizations who keep a close eye on their business processes should consider this beneficial characteristic as an asset. Those companies who do implement a business process analysis method or management system have experts who analyze their management requirements, create models, different business procedures, manage any of the company assets, and also advise when organizational processes should be transformed.

When a business process analysis service provider is hired by an organization they can then optimize their company in a very structured, effective way. Company managers always decide whether to hire a business process analyzer, and if they choose to do so the service provider can assist in making sure he or she makes responsible choices for the organization. It is important to remember that these types of service providers do not take over the responsibility of business managers decisions. This allows a company manager to always have the say-so when whether he or she thinks a company investment will be worthwhile.

It is a difficult task for a company process analyzer to build a business case. Below are three common improvements that organizations should consider:

-Rid of any faulty procedure results and outcomes. Do not use processes that produce negative outcomes; this is a waste of time, money and resources. One way to rid of these faulty procedures is to implement a systematic reduction of waste system.

-Eliminate all pointless activities. Links of chains are often put together as a company grows. Most times it is beneficial for a company to redesign their organizational procedures, rid of some of the links, and let other service providers carry out the combination of tasks.

-Always improve the company's business process management methods. Implementing more effective methods allows a company to create a dashboard that is ‘dynamic action oriented’ and allows the company to take control of their organizational processes.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Tips For Effective Business Process Management

Business Process Management (BPM) is what companies use to manage, monitor and improve their business activities. BPM software tools and consultants help make these activities faster and cheaper by monitoring the execution of business processes so that managers can analyze and change their operational systems in response to data, rather than just a hunch.

Successful BPM should help with -

Understanding business processes:
Managing and limiting the impact of process risk, having a back up plan in case an identified process risk occurs, ensuring that information is available to identify the causes of a problem and promoting rapid and accurate decision making by company management.

Benefits of business process management:
BPM should make business simpler and help deliver better customer satisfaction. Customers won't be able to see the actual management, but they should be able to see the benefits in service it brings. Companies should take a critical look at their operations and constantly evolve, develop and improve their systems by monitoring and reviewing. When reviewing business systems for effectiveness, always involve staff because they already know what is right and what is wrong with your processes – they live with them everyday.

Implementing process management:
No business process strategy will be successful without proper implementation. A step-by-step approach should be utilized, which begins with identifying process management goals that are in line with corporate objectives. Companies must know what they expect to achieve before documenting a new process. Companies must also be aware of and evaluate what they are currently doing before designing a new process. Once designed, a simulation model should be created. Simulation models should help represent relationships between process tasks and activities to help determine cost and risk factors. Once a new system has been simulated, plans for organizational change should be introduced slowly and evaluated with key performance indicators.

Summary:
Business process management should allow an organization to have a competitive edge over its competitors by making end-to-end processes more transparent; improving decision making, facilitating faster response to change and reducing business risks. A better management system enables the organization to operate more efficiently, resulting in increased work capacity and improved productivity. Source: http://www.businessmapping.com/

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

What Exactly Is Business Process Management?

Networking has become a very popular and successful way of doing business these days. Business process management simply utilizes this dynamic by focusing and aligning all aspects of a certain business or market.

Through a series of network assisted, value-added activities performed by expert associates and collaborators, an organization is able to achieve common goals and business practices.
The networking process makes use of specialists in each category. For example, those whose specialty is planning, a course for generating income work this part of the business. Associates whose expertise is following and planning technology will focus on these points. This business process management team will work hand-in-hand without stepping on each others toes as they proceed to success.

This type of organization process can encompass a single company or a network of same goal organizations. In this way no one department has to focus on standard operating procedures, service level management, or task management. Each process is departmentalized with each group aware of what the management's ultimate goal will be.

Many companies are now using applications to monitor this process, but these applications can only do so much and need the human touch to make the changes. Therefore, as time goes on, many management teams are realizing that using these applications may simply slow down their processes. Optimizing time and the retrieval of data in a timely manner is important. Human contact through every step of the way, without constantly relying on an automated processing system, is crucial.

Business process management isn't just for large companies or corporations. Many small businesses are finding that it is really worth the time to have a good process management agreement with local like-minded companies as well. In this way a common bond can be used for each business to connect and thrive in their own realm of interest by social and business networking.

The four critical components of business process management are:
  • Process Engines - incorporate modeling and execution plan to follow.
  • Business Analytics - follows trends, and reports on important opportunities, and business issues.
  • Content Management - is responsible for storage and securing of important documents.
  • Collaboration Tools - removes any communication barriers with a good communication system between groups.
With this type of business process management system in place, any company, or group of companies, can thrive with a precise, sound system of planning, follow through, good record keeping, plus solid and continuing management communication.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Process Mapping

Using our proprietary business process mapping methodology, developed over the past fifteen years, we quickly and effectively identify, capture, develop and deploy processes. This methodology includes the opportunities for improvement, that are then grouped according to importance. Typically, we identify up to 300 process mapping opportunities in an enterprise-wide consulting assignment.