Why+are+Business+Processes+important?

There are some truths and sayings that stand the test of time. One I like is along the lines of: > //“if you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”// In other words, when you are looking for a different outcome, think about what you do and change it. Too often we think about the detail. We look at the activity we are involved with and try to find a better way of being more efficient. We may indeed be more efficient if we keep the stapler on the right hand side of the desk, or arrange the furniture better. In the office world, the ‘what you do’ should be broader than the activity, the document, the technology. The organisation should focus on the sum of all these and how they flow together in **complete business processes.** Of-course the ‘different outcome’ we all crave is a business that is more efficient, drives down costs and improves customer service. A business process will therefore cut across the whole organisation and does not focus on the individual department. The ‘whole process’ must be looked at. Let’s for a moment look at the world of manufacturing: If the final sub-process is to move a car in to the paint shop and the paint shop can only handle 5 cars per day, there is little point in having 10 cars per day ready to be painted. This principle applies as much to case work in the office as it does to manufacturing. So what else can we do to improve efficiency if not the process? An organisation is built on the three pillars of People.

Having the right people, motivated and performing is naturally a key requirement to performance. Technology