Successful Business Process Management: What You Need to Know to Get Results - Hardcover

Berman, Paula

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0814434010 ISBN 13: 9780814434017

Publisher: AMACOM, 2014

Synopsis

Too few standard procedures within an organization and inefficiency will inevitably ensue. But too many, and creativity is stifled. This catch-22 is enough to make heads spin! How does one settle on the perfect mix that will streamline activities and create smooth workflows?Successful Business Process Management has done all the homework for you and provides a succinct, accessible overview on the training and tools available for process improvement that fills that gap of being not too rigid nor too blasé. Step-by-step instructions explain how to:• Overcome resistance and apathy to standard procedures • Take a systematic rather than ad hoc approach to process management • Design key processes and capture them in documented procedures • Revise existing processes when feasible • Roll out the changes so people know what to do • Embed them in the organization for reliable outcomesWith the increasingly complex organizations of the twenty-first century, it is vital that companies have standard, documented processes and procedures in order to achieve high levels of quality and productivity--yet they can’t afford to dampen the innovativeness that got them on the map in the first place. In Successful Business Process Management learn how to get it just right.

About this title

About the Author

PAULA K. BERMAN is a Six Sigma Black Belt who has worked with Quality Systems at companies of all sizes and in a range of industries. Her varied experience helped her develop a holistic approach to business process implementation, and practical solutions for getting results.

From the Back Cover

Have you fallen into a process improvement role without formal training? Are you struggling through material geared to experts in Six Sigma or Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)? Have you discovered how difficult it is to locate specific business process information in all the project management books out there?

Successful Business Process Management fills a vital need for complete, comprehensible information on the basics. The book's accessible, step-by-step instructions and tools explain how to:

* Distinguish between a process, a procedure, and a work instruction

* Know when a standardized procedure or a simple checklist will work best

* Piece together the processes into a coherent process system

* Create flexible templates for documenting standard procedures

* Convince upper management that your process system will enhance corporate goals without adding administrative costs

* Manage multiple, interrelated process improvements at the same time

* Write each procedure to be consistent with defined boundaries, scope, and goals

* Map out the process of converting inputs into required outputs using SIPOC (the "black box" approach)

* Draft and finalize the procedure, making it precise, flexible, and free of potential audit traps

* Launch a new or revised procedure using best practices in change management, such as creating roll-out plans and running pilots

* Employ effective communication and training methods to get the organization up to speed

* Select the best process KPIs to monitor and measure, and improve your procedures or targets when needed

* Tailor classic project management techniques to address the specific needs of managing process improvement projects

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

Before we plunge into the details of business process management, it will be useful to begin with a description of what Successful Business Process Management is, why I wrote it, who it is written for, and how it is structured, because for this book to be helpful, it has to be a discussion. You need to bring your own opinions and experiences, together with an understanding of your business and company culture. In order to make processes and procedures work for your company, you need to tailor them to fit, because there is no magic bullet and no one-size-fits-all approach.

There are tools and methods that are applicable in many cases, but you’ll need to use your own judgment: You can drive a nail with the end of a screwdriver, but it’s not an efficient way to work and someone is likely to get hurt along the way. A similar thing can happen if you try to use the wrong tools to create process solutions that don’t fit your problems. For this reason, I’m going to avoid jargon and management-speak in favor of plain language and simple ideas that can be adapted to provide the value you need.

WHAT THIS BOOK IS

In the chapters that follow, I discuss the basic principles of good processes, starting with fundamental ideas. I explain how a process system works (and how to create and maintain one), how to document standard processes so you have something your process users can read and follow, and how to put that documented process in place as a standard way of working that will remain effective over time. I also provide methods that will enable you to use your own work experience to understand your company’s needs, create processes that meet them, and ensure that those processes are optimized, in place, and working correctly in order to achieve your organization’s goals. Whether you are a member of a quality department, a manager, a project leader, or the person who will be performing your process as part of your normal work, you can make your processes effective and productive.

This book might seem simple and almost naive compared to some books and articles on this topic. I am not pitching tools that can automate everything for you, I am not instructing you on the latest object modeling methodology, and I am not promising you a silver bullet cure for everything that ails your company. This is not intended as a criticism; there are lots of good tools and methodologies out there, some of which can make your life and your process management much easier—but you need to understand the basics in order to choose the right ones.

No matter what methods you use, you have to consider the needs of your company and engage your own common sense in deciding how to model your business, in figuring out what procedures you need, and in determining what to include in those procedures. Having standardized procedures will not automatically increase your revenue, decrease your time to market, improve your flexibility, or enhance your creativity—but having a good process system, choosing the right procedures, and keeping them flexible can do all those things. Modeling tools and process improvement methods can facilitate your work and provide visibility into your processes’ interactions and performance. What they can’t do is substitute for understanding what you’re doing at a fundamental level.

Edition details

• Publisher: AMACOM
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814434010
• ISBN 13: 9780814434017
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272