"A process-based management system should be a simple description of what an organisation does".
"Business processes have always existed because that is how an organisation operates from day to day".
"Processes have not replaced procedures".
Flowcharting
"A picture helps understanding, which is the first step to improvement"
The best way to map a process is now accepted to be as a flowchart. A process flowchart shows "what has to be done", and a deployment flowchart also shows the departments and job functions involved -"who should do it".
The deployment flowchart is a matrix, typically with job functions along the x-axis and tasks or activities down the y-axis. A process defined as a deployment flowchart takes far less paper than the equivalent narrative description, and it gives a clear and concise presentation of the steps involved. It integrates customers and suppliers into the process definition and highlights where departmental boundaries are crossed.
It can help to identify misunderstandings and gaps, to show relationships and to identify skills required. It allows you to take a "systems view" and to visualise improvements - in short to "manage the process".
The benefits of this approach are two fold, namely the added insight into an organisation brought about by focusing on its processes and the extra clarity of the deployment flowchart presentation. The result is documentation which is easy to understand and use. An organisation can expect to save up to 60 per cent in paper, photocopying and printing costs, even before it looks at the reduction in staff time involved in editing documents on an ongoing basis.
The system gives everyone a clear picture of what they have to do and how they interact with others, whether individuals, departments or external organisations. This leads to faster learning for new staff and an increased ability to cope with staff turnover. It helps to generate a shared vision and a better team spirit. The process of converting to this format helps to identify and simplify complexities and to identify improvement opportunities.
Most critically, this approach should be the trigger for an organisation to create a single, coherent and usable management system which still allows external standards such as ISO9001 to be incorporated easily.
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