Projects

It is easy to extend the process-based approach described elsewhere in this section to include projects if you view a project as: "a process with a start and end date".

There is a common lack of appreciation that processes are dormant until triggered - they don't 'do' anything; much as a sleeping dog doesn't bark (or bite?) until you step on its tail.

And a process is not a generic, uniform entity that is always the same. Each time a process operates, some of the elements will be different or may not even exist.

If you manufacture to order, the customer and requirements may be different, different staff and machinery may be involved and different suppliers and raw materials may be used.

The trigger and the result (the order and the satisfaction of the order) may be the only "constants". Each "journey" through the process is a unique "instance" of the process.

It can be useful to think of each instance of a process as a separate "project", to be managed individually.

Systems

And what is a management system? It is:

"the structure, processes and resources needed to establish policy and objectives and to achieve those objectives" .

This definition includes (or alludes to) all the important elements of an organised approach to management. A "system" is defined as a "set of interrelated or interacting elements, considered as a connected whole" - not very helpful, but vague enough not to cause any bother either.

It is the elements of the management system that need to be considered in more detail. When you apply a "process approach" to running your business, you need to:

- clarify your business objectives
- specify how you will achieve them (your strategy and processes)
- recognise all the resource requirements and influences which may affect the business processes
- manage them effectively.

It may help to think of a Management System as a reflection of the Business Plan - the Plan sets out what you intend to do over the next 12 months (say), and the System says how you will manage the doing of it.

An organisation’s business operations (and therefore its management system) can easily be defined as a complete hierarchy of processes by describing:

- what it does and how it does it (plan, get work, do work)
- what it needs to manage to ensure that these processes are efficient (resources, people etc)
- how it ensures that it complies with its chosen standards and plans (review and improvement).

If required, it is then easy to refine those processes affected by an external standard to ensure that the requirements are addressed at precisely the step in each process where they apply.

Next (Flowcharting ...)