What makes your organization Work ? Part 2 Processes
Process - a collection of tasks which when combined in a particular way provide an output that is acceptable to the organization running the process. So why is this important in making your organization work? Much of the business world is presently focused on the new gadgets that improve our ability to execute processes. The question we should be asking is however it this process a good process in the first place??
Innovation:
The why and how questions are the questions answered by the many great companies and innovators of our time. Apple, does a phone really need to have buttons? How do we actually use the phone and is that (buttons/physical dial-pad) really something critical? The answer the iPhone, and every major successful phone manufacturer has followed since. Tesla does an electric car have to be slow and cumbersome? The answer the Tesla Roadster that opened the way to the Model S, X and 3.
How does this even relate to processes? Well many organizations don't ask the why questions of a process even when its seems to no longer connected to a real/viable purpose. So are we speaking about a full process re-engineering project, or process improvement? And, don't these things cost a lot of money ?
Well... yes and no, great, I did not really answer your question, but let's put it this way. How well a process continues to perform is in the design of the process in the first place. A well designed process has a built-in means of review and update to meet the changing demands of an organization. So what or how is this done?
Measurement
Processes should have several components that help validate the process existence and function. In the design of the process you should answer the why ? Why does the process exist?(to meet a particular need) What is its goal ?(to support the achievement of organizational goal 'X' by these specific means) So that takes care of the why. I now have a process that I can tie to specific goal of the organization or at the very least as a support to the achievement of a goal in a specific way. That deals with its existence. Now to deal with its function.
The function of a process must be evaluated against some criterion. So, how do I set up this criterion for measurement ? The criterion for measurement would be reliant on the purpose, 'the why' which we established earlier. There are 2 main components to the measurement of the process, internal and external. Let's deal with external first. Measurement of the achievement of the organizational goals and purpose. These components help determine if we are achieving the intended organizational goals for the process. The internal actually focus on the performance and viability of the process itself. Combined, these facilitate the measurement and opportunities for re-alignment of a process to the organization purpose and the optimization of the process itself.
Processes designed in this way facilitate the continual improvement of the organization's performance with reduced downtime for major overhauling of the processes within an organization. It carries with it the fringe benefit of internal processes that continually align with the organizational purpose and direction supporting an adaptive and flexible environment.
It is in the processes that the organization runs, the designs of these processes and the initial design flexibility that determine an organizations agility.
Strategic Impact
Process – Processes are what organizations thrive on. At its very core organizations want consistency, accuracy, speed and efficiency to otherwise seemingly long or complex processes. In particular organizations want processes the enable growth clearly defined and optimized to their specific "why".
Aligning specific processes according to the "why" of the organization facilitates optimization of the organization's why, its purpose.. It is in the alignment of all the processed in the correct order that enable one organization to perform better than another organization even in the same industry. Process is the deference between an engine from one manufacturer and another, it’s the difference between a win and second place. All ICE(Internal Combustion Engine) cars are basically the same, air and fuel in, compression, spark, power and exhaust out. So why does one engine make better use of the fuel giving you better fuel economy than another even of the same size?? Process.
Processes in the right order not only give you power as in the engine but with precise timing can provide you greater impact for as it were the "same amount of fuel". The precise timing and order especially in business is the difference between the leaders and the also ran.
Check in on your organization are you doing the right things/process to realize your vision ? Are you clear on your why?