Business process management

Process management in a company or organization

Companies that want to be successful need an efficient process management system. Thanks to this, they develop, respond to customer needs, keep up with changes and, above all, achieve their goals. How to create a strategy that will, in practice, allow you to master all processes taking place in the organization? It is worth looking for support from us – we are a leader in the development and implementation of IT systems that have improved the performance of many companies. Our offer is used by both small enterprises and corporations operating on an international scale. We develop our skills ourselves by working with the best. We create systems with various entrepreneurs in mind. Our efforts are appreciated – we enjoy a good reputation among clients for whom we provide tools for effective process management. Join their group!

Types of processes

Before dividing processes in a company, it is worth answering the question – what is a process? According to a popular definition, a process is a sequence of interrelated activities that must be performed to achieve a given effect. Each of them may consist of smaller units, the so-called sub-processes or itself be part of another, larger process. The type and number of processes taking place in a company depend on its activities, customers, production and many other factors. An individual process management strategy must be established for each organization. It should be remembered that it is a sequence of activities within one link, for example production, sales or advertising. There are many ways to divide processes into individual types, which helps in their efficient management. One of the most classic models is the division into basic and auxiliary processes.

Basic include:

• activities related to the preparation of materials for production,
• product creation,
• sales related tasks,
• advertising and marketing,
• after-sales services, for example customer satisfaction surveys or servicing.

The auxiliary ones are:

• organization and employee management,
• supply,
• improvement of services or products, i.e. development to improve the quality of the offer.

Management of logistics and business processes in the enterprise

Processes in a company can also be divided according to their functions. This is how we distinguish activities:

• logistics – activities from the procurement of materials, through production to the distribution of finished products,
• regulatory – their aim is to adjust the production method and the capabilities of the workforce to produce the assumed number of products,
• information – responsible for information management in the enterprise,
• control – enabling supervision over the quality of the product, its workmanship and the fulfillment of the requirements of a given order.

After completing the list of processes in the company, you need to determine the connections between them. This can be done easily by knowing their diagram in advance, which is very helpful in process management. Of course, this is easy for people who have analytical knowledge or experience in preparing such process diagrams. What is important at this point is to optimize the entire process path, and this is best done by a specialist who, together with you, will prepare the entire business process that meets your expectations.

The process consists of an entry point – the beginning of the process, subsequent events and a starting point – the end of the process, which is the expected effect. Determining the course of the process starts a bit backwards, that is, from the end of the process. List all possible effects of a given sequence of events. It is worth carefully analyzing whether other factors are necessary for their occurrence. Only then do you start determining what exactly starts the process, i.e. all the data that is needed at the very beginning. To do this, you just need to analyze the output elements and consider what is necessary to achieve the intended effects to obtain the full process path. This is a very important point that protects against gaps in the process map. Based on the above information, the next stage of process management begins, i.e. determining the connections between them. This allows you to determine the extent to which they interact with each other. In practice, such a scheme allows you to designate important activities, less important activities and those that are merely a waste of time, funds and human resources. This is the stage at which we can plan the optimization of processes that are already taking place in the company and may be improperly prepared.

Is process optimization important?

Actions that have the greatest impact on other sequences of events are considered important. Processes influenced by other sequences of events are said to be more susceptible, i.e. less important. Designating important processes allows for resource management, which is especially important during a crisis. The organization allocates money or engages human resources in the most effective activities. The organization allocates money or engages human resources in the most effective activities. The following processes are distinguished:

• necessary – whose form cannot be changed in any way and which are necessary to provide value to customers,
• important – providing some value to recipients, but it is possible to manage them better: reduce or improve,
• unimportant – intended for elimination.

Determining the degree of significance is a difficult task, especially when the person performing the analysis already has certain, sometimes subconscious, expectations as to which process is to be the main one. Therefore, it is worth using the help of impartial professionals. Based on our knowledge and experience, we determine which areas give the company real opportunities for development and which ones are better to abandon. Our verdicts are based on thorough analyses. Isolating important processes, i.e. those that provide value, from unimportant processes, i.e. those intended to be eliminated, is the basis for effective process management.

Process mapping

Mapping is about creating a pattern. Processes are subject to mapping, which allows determining the sequence of events occurring within them. It is worth pointing out exactly how mapping supports process management. This action is performed to:

• introducing certain standards or procedures in the company,
• implementation of a quality management system,
• improving the organization’s activities in certain areas,
• checking whether obtaining certain data is actually profitable.

A strategy to make this activity easier is to move from general description to detail. Mapping is divided into:

• Description of activities or events that follow one another – in process management, you should focus on the actual state, not the intended state. It is worth using a block diagram, popular for example in algorithmics. You can do the mapping using computer programs, use sticky notes, or simply draw a diagram on a piece of paper.
• Clarifying the process – determining all paths from one stage to the next. If discontinuity occurs, add another event or activity.
• Assigning functions to people – determining which employee is responsible for a given activity. In large companies, one function is usually assigned individually, while in smaller companies one person may be responsible for several functions. Individual tasks should be assigned in accordance with the competences and rights of employees.
• Supply – providing resources to implement a given process, as well as defining documentation for its description.
• Checking the entry and exit stage – again ensuring that all aspects have been taken into account in the entry and exit processes. If any ambiguities or shortcomings come to light at this final stage of management, the process must be re-designed and the gaps filled.

Process management in the organization

For process mapping to be reliable, people who know the course of events should be involved. Professional process management requires close cooperation between superiors and employees who perform given tasks. Otherwise, the course may be distorted, i.e. desired states may be determined and not those that actually occur. It is worth mapping among a group of employees, so that the diagram contains as much detailed information as possible. To determine whether a given process is working properly, it must be analyzed or measured in accordance with appropriate indicators. The most frequently used indicators include:

• time,
• efficiency,
• qualitative,
• cost.

In practice, individual indicators should be assigned to each process. Adjusting indicators is only the first step in assessing process management. It is also necessary to create a dedicated measurement, control and analysis system, which allows drawing conclusions necessary to improve the process. When setting indicators, extremes must be avoided. What does it mean? The process does not have to have only one indicator – if necessary, you can create more of them. On the other hand, the number of indicators should not be exaggerated to avoid creating unhelpful criteria. It should be emphasized that indicators can and even must change as the company develops.

Summary

It is worth adding that common sense and analytical knowledge are primarily useful in process management. You cannot expect to gain control over all possible aspects of the processes taking place in the company. Too much detail does not give the expected results, on the contrary – it may be harmful or a simple waste of time and effort. Business process management is a key element in every organization. Its improvement brings measurable results. It is an effective tool for achieving set goals and building your position on the domestic and global markets. If you want to improve your company’s operations in these two areas, please contact us. We provide solutions that are tailored to our clients’ activities and enable effective management of processes in a company, organization or enterprise. Together we will make your company achieve market success.

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