Title: How to get started with your BPM initiative.
Introduction
Hi everyone, let me introduce myself by saying that I have over 30 years deep-seeded knowledge in the areas of Business Transformation and Enterprise Architecture. I have been in this area as a Customer, a Partner to SAP and at SAP herself. I would like to share some of my learnings and experiences with you.
You could read in my colleague Carolin’s latest blog post “Navigating Change with Business Process Management: A Strategic Imperative” what BPM is, etc.
I would like to continue from where Carolin left off with, how to get started with Business Process Management? You will never find the perfect time to start, however we at SAP can support you. SAP have been doing Business Process Management for decades and we continuously try to improve our processes. In this blog I will address some of SAP best approaches and leverage what exists “there is no need to re-invent the wheel if it already exists”.
How to get started with BPM:
We mentioned earlier that BPM can be viewed as continuous improvement of various practices and initiatives or increasing automation to save costs. Whatever your decision, there is more to continuous improvement than what you may realize.
The first part is to look at this holistically, here I focus on three main disciplines which are: governance, method and tooling. Here is an example below:
In this picture above we can see that there are processes for each discipline itself. I know it might look confusing, but it really is not. When customers ask me about how to get started, I always try to leverage from my experience and tell them to always start with Governance first and then follow up with a Process Management Lifecycle. The BPM Process Methodology can hold off in the beginning even though it is still relevant and should not be dismissed. I also use these same topics when creating a BPM Process Office which I will address in a follow-up blog.
Let’s focus on the Governance part first. If you follow a strong governance and stick to a given framework that works, then this will bring good results down the road. Let me break down this topic a bit more.
Within this discipline we focus on the following:
Aligning your BPM Initiative to your company’s strategic goals
Your BPM initiative must align to the strategic goals of the organization. First you need to understand the organization’s strategic objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs). Secondly, identify areas where process improvements can directly contribute to these objectives. If you establish this link early on, you can realize that your BPM efforts, have a clear purpose and by doing so, you can see that you can deliver tangible business value.
Use a Framework & Structure as a baseline that works – Governance & Building Blocks as a foundation
We all need something to support us to get going with our BPM initiative, and many pre-defined frameworks can be used as a baseline. If you have not defined a foundational set of building blocks as a framework, use what already exists and is available. Here, we use these building blocks to establish governance structures, roles and responsibilities, and selecting BPM tools and technologies. We also think about our Process Management Lifecycle and what is required to increase the level of automation across the cycle from analysis to design, modelling execution and monitoring.
It’s also important to mention that each building block has a level of maturity and requires consistent improvement. It’s not just about continuous improvement of the process. I often use the BPM Building Blocks as a checklist to help me in phased approaches in achieving success out of various initiatives. It brings good structure and practice.
Select a path or the building blocks that is right for your situation
Identify a path that is good for you. There are so many ways to execute an initiative, which can involve multiple paths to realization. You also need to consider;
- what the maturity level is of your organization and whether or not the path you have chosen can be achievable within the timeframe
- if there are any existing projects you can leverage before you decide on an approach. An implementation project might be the right thing to focus on or any available project where there could be a small improvements eg. Operations, that you latch onto.
- The amount of resourcing and skills that are available and whether these resources have time to support, do they require training and if so, what types of training is available to support them.
- Any existing pain points and topics that are prioritized in the organization or something in a particular area of interest that are considered catalysts or North Star. Usually these are tied into existing projects within the organization.
Think carefully before selecting the building blocks that are right for the situation at hand. Again, as said earlier, it’s not just about process improvement with the process management lifecycle it’s more. But let’s start small, there is no need to “boil the ocean”.
Summary:
Once you have established a good governance and framework to work within you should be all set for a structured approach to any BPM related topic. Ensure that you always align with the right key stakeholders and start your continuous improvement exercise within these parameters.
The core of BPM is organization (including people), process and technology. However, for these three dimensions to connect and align is through, the process management lifecycle and to do this, we need good process leadership and management dealing with good governance and ownership.
I have two more blogs coming which is a continuation of this one, which ties nicely into the BPM Governance Building blocks. On my next blog, I will focus on how to put these building blocks to good use that will bring value in a short term. Also, stay tuned on how to set up a BPM Process Office, here I will address how to go about doing this in a sustainable environment that will enable good practices and processes. Stay tuned 😊
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me here in the blog.