Industry best practices often serve as a guide for organizations striving to improve operational efficiency. However, best practices only go so far, as companies often face unique problems that require specialized solutions. According to a recent iTWeb report, business process management offers organizations one such solution, and companies should look to competitors, clients and employees if they want to get the most out of BPM.
Looking at key BPM drivers
Speaking at the recent iTWeb Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, industry expert Grant Field explained that clients, competitors and workers often serve as the most important drivers in any BPM initiative. Using BPM for process innovation is becoming vital for many businesses. Looking at the competition, analyzing how workers get the job done and conforming operationsto client needs is vital to maximizing revenue.
When it comes toclients, organizations have to consider what their customers expect of them and adjust processes accordingly. This often goes beyond simply focusing on industry best practices, Field told audiences at the event, according to the news source.
"If you are only looking at business best practices and industry norms, you'll only be as good as best practices and industry norms," said Field. "Use these as a benchmark, not goals: you have to have goals that are way better than the industry norm. Design your processes around being customer-centric.If you want to understand them, you have to stay close to them, listen to them and identify with them. It sounds obvious, but many organizations don't get that basic truth right."
According to Fields, maximizing the value of processes also depends on being able to understand what competitors are doing. Researching competitor solutions, and actually using them if possible, can provide vital insight into how organizations can improve their processes. While focusing on process improvement creates value, it can also disrupt workers. Effective BPM strategies will also emphasize the employee experience, ensuring that BPM innovation helps workers and does not get in their way.
Maximizing the core value of BPM
On its own, BPM is an effective management scheme focused on vital processes and streamlining operations to the greatest extent possible. BPM software can play a vital role in taking the initial benefits of a BPM strategy and making those gains more accessible to end users, leading to exponential value gains.
Ben Farrell
Director of Corporate Communications
