Process Management

Every organisation strives to achieve its vision, mission, objectives, and policies. To reach these goals, a wide range of activities must be undertaken, from procurement and bookkeeping to customer service and operations. However, without a structured approach, essential tasks can be overlooked, leading to confusion and inefficiency.

To avoid these pitfalls, it’s essential to organise activities into processes. By structuring activities into well-defined processes, organisations can clearly see how each group of activities contributes to business objectives and how they interrelate.

The Role of Processes in Organisational Success

Processes are groups of logically related activities directed toward a specific objective. When an organisation’s process structure is clearly described, it shows:

• What needs to be done.
• What the expected results are.
• How to measure whether the processes deliver the expected results.
• How the results of one process impact another.

This process-based approach is a hallmark of modern IT Service Management. By focusing on processes rather than existing task allocations or departmental divisions, organisations can identify and address uncontrolled, duplicated, neglected, or unnecessary activities.

Defining and Managing Processes

A process is a sequence of activities that converts input into output. Each process should be associated with quality standards that define the desired outcomes. These standards help to create chains of processes that not only show what goes into the organisation and what comes out but also include monitoring points to assess the quality of the products and services provided.

For a process to be considered effective, its output must meet the defined standards. If the process achieves these results with minimal effort and cost, it is also considered efficient. The goal of process management is to use planning and control to ensure that all processes are both effective and efficient.

Process Ownership and Responsibility

In managing processes, there are distinct roles:

• Process Owner: Responsible for the overall results of the process.
• Process Manager: Oversees the realisation and structure of the process, reporting to the process owner.
• Process Operatives: Carry out specific activities within the process and report to the process manager.

This clear delineation of responsibilities helps ensure that processes run smoothly and that quality is maintained at key transfer points within the process chain.

Monitoring and Improving Processes

A logical combination of activities within processes results in clear transfer points where quality can be monitored. For example, in a restaurant, separating the responsibilities for purchasing and cooking ensures that chefs focus on preparing meals rather than purchasing ingredients, which could lead to overspending on items that don’t add value.

Management can control the organisation based on process quality, using data from process results. Performance indicators and standards, agreed upon in advance, guide the day-to-day management of the process by the process manager. The process owner evaluates performance based on these indicators, determining whether the process is under control and whether planned improvements are being implemented.

Processes are often documented using procedures and work instructions. In IT Service Management, for example, the ITIL process model provides a structured approach to managing processes and ensuring they meet the organisation’s objectives.

Cross-Departmental Processes and Service Quality

Most organisations are hierarchically structured, with departments responsible for different functions. However, IT services often span multiple departments, customers, or disciplines. For example, providing users with access to an accounting program on a central computer may involve several departments, including computer centre operations, data and telecommunications, and PC support.

By monitoring aspects of quality such as availability, capacity, cost, and stability, processes that span multiple departments can ensure that IT services meet customer demands. This structured approach to processes enables organisations to collect accurate data on service provision, improving the planning and control of services.

Improve Your Process Management with Pink Elephant

At Pink Elephant, we specialise in helping organisations structure and manage their processes effectively. Our expertise ensures that your processes are efficient, effective, and aligned with your business objectives.