Process 101 is the place to start if you are new to business process management. This section covers the basics of process, what it is, why it is important, what goes wrong and what you can do about it.
If you are already familiar with business process but found standard BPM solutions lacking, the concepts and solutions outlined in the Unstructured Process section may be of special interest.
I get a lot of calls asking if I “do” Six Sigma. While I use some elements of the Six Sigma tool kit, no, I don’t do Six Sigma. I am not a black belt or even a green belt. Now, the reasons are not what you might be thinking. I am familiar with Six […]
People frequently confuse projects with processes. Even software companies that sell great process management apps typically pitch them as project management software. You could argue that this is a matter of semantics. What’s in a name? Either way, you are going to perform a set of tasks to get something done. Calling it a project […]
I do a lot of process mapping with small teams. Usually I am the guy at the whiteboard with the marker pen trying to capture all processes from what people are saying. I know the team is making progress in a process mapping session when everyone is so engaged that I can barely keep up […]
This article is the third and final part on how to classify processes so you can choose the right approach to improving them.In parts one and two, I introduced the idea of the parameters of predictability and frequency of process. And so far, I have discussed what kind of processes fit into three of […]
In part 1 of this 3 part series, Classifying Different Process Types, I introduced the idea of the parameters of predictability and frequency of process. And we looked at how we might plot these two parameters against each other. Then I showed why processes that fall into the high frequency-high predictability quadrant are suitable for standard […]
When something works for you, it’s very hard to consider using something else. If that’s true in life, it certainly works for consulting. Most consultants have a “one-size-fits-all” approach to process improvement. And in the sales pitch: surprise, surprise that just happens to be the right methodology to fix your processes. But the fact is […]
Business Process And Information Technology – How They Fit Together Sometimes it’s hard to see how IT and business process fit together. So here is a simple way of thinking about it. Let’s start with … what is process? Business process happens in the real world. We have a hiring process,and a new guy […]
So, what is a business process? Well, first, what’s a business? At root, a business is an organization. It’s a group of people that coordinate their work to create value. Now, there are few things of any worth created by a single person working alone. Nearly always, it takes the combined efforts of […]
I once had a client who loved a project management tool called Basecamp. I like it myself. I have used it with great success a number of times. (If you want to check it out, here it is). My client’s team was struggling with their volume of email. They really had no other workflow […]
FPM vs BPM There are several key differences between Business Process Management (BPM) and Flexible Process Management (FPM): FPM does not define the process path BPM attempts to control the process. It does this by defining it in advance. FPM doesn’t even try to control the process. It leaves the user to define it as […]
