Process improvement is a relevant topic for any organization. Recently, the BPMTrends portal undertook a study on how the market has addressed this issue. The main objective was to understand the focus of companies when it comes to process improvement. Each company consulted was able to choose one of the three options below:
- Implement small and incremental improvements;
- Redesign processes;
- Transform processes, completely changing the way business is conducted.
See the results of the study on process improvement
Business process management (BPM) enables organizations to be more efficient and implement changes more easily. This has a direct impact on the costs and revenues of the company. According to the study results, most organizations (70%) focus on small changes. Effort needs to be made on a constant basis to keep processes up to date. This work is usually undertaken by employees and leaders directly involved in the execution of the process. Often the concepts of Lean and Six Sigma are used as support tools.
The study also showed that 20% of the organizations interviewed were focused on Process Redesign. This approach affects existing processes, and requires a lot of effort for the changes to be implemented. Generally, it is applied when there is a need to solve major problems related to costs, or to replace technologies.
The rest of the companies interviewed (10%) were focused on business transformation. Literally, looking for completely new ways to generate results.
Process redesign occurs in parallel: the existing process continues to operate while the new process is being defined. A team usually monitors all the changes. In the case of transformation, it ends up also involving the highest levels of leadership.
Processes have different life cycles
These three approaches reflect phases in the lifecycle of any company’s processes. Eventually, new processes need to be defined when the organization decides to offer a new type of product or service. In the same way, an existing process can undergo radical changes to adapt to technological or market changes.
In all cases, the collaborators directly involved in the process should be motivated to seek more efficient ways to carry out their activities. Small innovations generate incremental cost savings, but they are critical to maintaining process efficiency.
Organizations need to prepare people and maintain adequate resources, so that the different tasks inherent in process improvement can be done. Leaders and employees need training to carry out their activities.
A process can undergo major changes to incorporate newer technologies. However, when a process needs to be improved, usually the redesign is sufficient. The use of software can automate business regulations and make decision making easier.
SoftExpert can help your business gain visibility and control in business processes. SoftExpert BPM is a user-friendly, people-focused solution that manages the entire process lifecycle. Based on BPMN notation, the solution assists in modeling, optimization, automation, execution and monitoring, promoting the continuous improvement of processes throughout the organization.
