Issues with Business Processes
A business process is a set of activities and tasks, that once complete, will accomplish an organisational goal. Common issues that can benefit from process improvement:
- Manual repetitive processes
- Broken processes
- Out of date systems
- Increased workload
- Organisational needs
Outside issues can affect processes, such as set processes never being revised with continuous improvement. Resistance to change from the business or users running the processes not knowing how to improve them.
How to Improve Business Processes
risual can provide a comprehensive approach to business process improvement. Using Lean and Agile methods, to review, score and quickly improve processes in a business. We use a tested approach to process improvement and provide users with the knowledge and skills to continue running the factory in BAU.
Using Technology Amnesty we can:
- Identify who is already conducting process improvement under the radar
- Take process improvement from shadow application to a supported business process (packaged solution)
- Avoid losing access to the application if the creator leaves
- Understand where data is located across the business
We look at using two approaches to process improvement.
- Self-service
- Allow solutions to be built by any user in the organisation
- Lo-code/No-code
- Allow non-programmers to develop business applications without writing a line of code
- Empower Citizen Developers through a Centre of Excellence (CoE)
- Users can automate complex processes whilst integrating with existing systems
Applying Lean principles and Agile key values
- Focus on the business need
- Deliver on time
- Collaborate
- Never compromise quality
- Build incrementally from firm foundations
- Develop iteratively
- Communicate continuously and clearly
- Demonstrate control
There are various technologies available, by using them we are able to improve business processes in any way that is most suitable to the business. Technologies include; Data repositories, Power Apps, Power Bi, Power Automate and Robotic Process Automation. A lot of these technologies are available on Office 365 Portal.office.com.
Continuous improvement is key as it is the most important part of business process improvement. If processes aren’t monitored, it will only be a matter of time before issues can return again. The quality of business processes is made up of multiple stages that continuously work together:
- Identify – Opportunities in the process workflow
- Where could the new opportunities come from>
- What processes aren’t efficient?
- Plan – How can the current process be improved?
- What tools can be used to improve automation or collaboration.
- Execute – Implement changes
- Reinforce the changes and new way of working.
- Knowledge transfer – documentation of processes.
- Review – How are the changes working for the team?
- Regular reviews.
- Feedback surveys.
- Monitor analytics.
Benefits of Business Process Improvement
- Provides a more predictable outcome
- People know what to expect from the process
- Easy to follow, documented processes make it easier for new users to pick up
- Continuous innovation
- Exploiting tools available
- Brings any self-built applications and automation flows into the process
- Upskills in-house teams to continue running the process factory
- Uses Lean, Agile, TOGAF methods in delivery to eliminate waste
- Integrates opportunities for cloud technology to reduce cost
- Increases employee productivity through clearly defined business processes
