Process thinking requires us to view businesses as a set of processes rather than a collection of departments that each perform a function. Nowadays, it is widely used by business of any industry to better...
You’ve heard about Lean, the business approach behind Toyota’s success. Achieving more by using fewer resources is just what you want. You love the idea of Kaizen (continuous improvement), and you’re ready to implement these...
There are many ways to analyze a business, but one of the most useful methods is the value chain analysis. In simple terms, it involves looking at every activity that your business engages in. Some of...
The word business process is used everyday in various business scenarios. Business after all, has such a wide variety of applications. As such, the range of business processes has become vaster and vaster each day....
If you’ve been searching for ways to improve business processes, you’re sure to have encountered the term “Six Sigma,” and you may have seen that there are various levels of Six Sigma specialization. There’s also...
When it comes to managing your business, you’re always striving for maximum efficiency. It’s a given that you want to get most out of it, in terms of productivity, profits, and so on. Is your...
John Kotter is a change management guru, and his eight-step change model provides a guide for transformational leadership. His book, Leading Change is considered as one of the twenty-five most influential books on business management...
When you embark on a project, you plan to succeed, but few projects are without their problems. Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) was added to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) in 1996, and...
The legislative environment in which a company operates is one of the external factors that no business can afford to overlook. And even if you’re sure that your business currently complies with the law, or...
In today’s business world, change is a given. Agile businesses that can adapt to changing circumstances and continuously improve their processes gain an edge over their competition. But deciding what needs to change and how it...
Change: it’s meant to be positive. Your intention is to make things better, easier, and to fast-track the route to success. Why, then, do you encounter so much resistance to change? Sometimes, your hard-working employees...
You’re looking into process improvement, and BPM (Business Process Management) sounds like a great idea to fine-tune the way you work. But now, you discover a whole lot of buzzwords and terminology, and one of...
Organizational Structure: do you even need to formalize it when you have a relatively small business? The answer to that question is a straightforward “Yes.” Your Organizational Structure not only captures who is responsible for...
A friend once said that the critical path method is used because “Whatever you do, something else has to happen first.” That’s a trifle overly simplistic, but it’s a good starting point for an introduction...
No matter how efficiently your business carries out its processes, there’s always room for process improvement. Efficient processes can make your business more profitable, help you to improve quality and customer experience, and ultimately, enhance...
“Project Management” may be a term that only takes up two words, but the accumulated body of project management knowledge is enormous! So, What’s PRINCE2? Should you care? Our overview of PRINCE2 will give you...
Quality management is a topic that is close to any business owner and manager’s heart. Whatever business we undertake, we want to do it well – and if we can be the best, outdoing all...
Just when you thought you had a handle on all the business acronyms of the day, up pops PMBOK to mystify you. What is it, and how do you apply it? Is it useful, or...
Project Management can be a complex field, but the project management process itself consists of a relatively straightforward series of steps. When you’re thinking of getting to work on a project, your goals may seem...
Have you ever had a seemingly unsolvable problem? Sure, you have! Your business is going all out trying to reach a specific goal or target, but you fall short. Someone says the equipment is to...
When you’re looking for ways to improve a process, the boardroom may not be the best place to begin. It’s easy to overlook some important detail when you’re considering a process in an abstract way....
What’s the best way to solve product and process-related problems? According to Ford Motor Company’s Team Orientated Problem Solving program (TOPS), you need to take an 8-D perspective. It’s not as complicated as it may...
While you could probably sum up what your business does in just a few sentences, you know that it’s much more complicated than that. To achieve your business’ outputs, your staff completes a series of...
With so many functions to perform, businesses often find themselves working outside their areas of core competency. This is true of both small and large firms, and even the biggest businesses often find that they...
In the competitive world of business, quality isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. Quality failures can ruin a business’ reputation quickly and comprehensively – and that makes the introduction of new products or any...
In any line of business, change is inevitable. If we fail to move with the times, if we don’t continuously strive for improvement and growth, our businesses will stagnate – and they may even die....
The Statement of Work (SOW) is an important tool used internally or externally to govern project activities performed by vendors or by departments within the organization. It is also legally binding and must be approved...
The difference between processes and procedure is quite substantial – a process is more surface-level. It’s used by management to analyze the efficiency of their business. A procedure, on the other hand, is a lot more...
No matter what your project, getting big things done means taking little steps towards the desired endpoint. And just as you can’t begin a journey at the end, your team must complete the first steps...
Is your company wasting its potential profits? Chances are, you’ll say “No!” but it might be time to take a step back and look for the hidden wastes that could be eating into your bottom...
Total Quality Management is an approach that covers everything your business does, whether it’s for an external client or an internal one. Since that sounds pretty vague, we’re going to dive in and explaining how...
When you start working with new suppliers, supplier onboarding is an essential first step. The alternative is a stressful, ad-hoc process that could result in a breakdown of relations, loss of productivity, and lost income....
There are dozens of definitions that try to pin down exactly what case management is. Often, they come from the legal and medical professions – but case management can be used as an approach to...
In a way, Cost of Quality (CoQ) is a confusing term. To anyone new to it, it sounds like a term that refers to the cost you incur to produce a quality item. However, the...
When you engage in business, there are many forms of compliance that your company and its employees must uphold. “Compliance” refers to sticking to the rules. Meaning, you need to comply with relevant legislation, as...
When you go into business, you’re playing to win – and to do that, you need a strategy. Organizational strategy and strategic planning aren’t just for big businesses. Even a one-person business should consider its...
Nowadays, it’s as if the world has become one big village. Without much hassle, you can communicate and work with people from around the globe. Some say it’s a good thing. Others condemn it. But...
Have you ever had a plan of action that somehow turns into a plan for inaction? Or perhaps you’ve been to a meeting and received pages of minutes that don’t seem to have anything to...
Potential product defects can be quite harmful to any business. In some cases, a design error could lead to a large-scale product recall, costing you millions of dollars. Even if the design flaw isn’t that...
It’s a scary scenario: your business’ information systems get hacked, and credit or debit card information is stolen. It has happened to some of the biggest companies, and you can bet it sent their customers...
A regular project status report is essential for project management. After all, even if you’re doing an A+ job, the management has to be kept in the know. This helps ensure that everything is going...
There are a lot of great reasons to undergo an ISO audit – not least of which the ability to make sales to clients who specify that suppliers must be ISO certified. You probably already...
Value stream mapping is a lean management tool that helps visualize the steps needed to take from product creation to delivering it to the end-customer. As with other business process mapping methods, it helps with...
Independent analysts like Deloitte warn that companies that fail to include intelligent automation in their work processes will be left behind. It’s an opportunity that can’t be overlooked, but what is it, how are other...
Processes are at the heart of the way every business operates, and the greater understanding of what they are, how they function and what impact they have, the better you’ll manage your business. This is...
Professional services automation is what differentiates the “good” service-company from the “OK.” Using professional services automation (PSA) software, your company can make your interaction with the clients much smoother for both parties. What is Professional...
You’ve always been proud of the way your company adheres to the letter of the law – and then the government moves the goalposts. Suddenly, you have to make changes to the way you do...
You’ve finally found a good candidate for the position. It’s been hard work, it has taken strategic thinking, and now you want the new staff member to settle into the job and be productive as...
You’ve probably heard a lot about employee onboarding, but a smooth exit is just as important as a great start. The employee offboarding process isn’t just about leaving your outgoing employee feeling good – it...
When it comes to trying to get yourself noticed and listened to in the world of business, you’ll probably end up having to write a project proposal every once in a while. Project proposals can...
Whether your organization produces goods or offers services, the service process defines the customer experience. It will either lead to customer satisfaction, referrals, and repeat business, or even disappointment. As a business owner or manager,...
Getting orders and getting cash both sound like things any business will like, but there’s many a slip between getting an order and actually getting the cash in your bank account. We look at the...
Process architecture refers to the hierarchal design of processes and systems that are applied when transforming inputs into outputs. The term can be applied to computing, the processes businesses undertake, and project management to name...
Project portfolio management (PPM) is essential for any large company or corporation. All the projects a business undertakes involve a degree of risk and the possibility of returns on investment. Just as investors buy shares...
The internet and the multiple devices and platforms that connect to it has transformed the way we shop. It should also influence the way we market. “What?” you say, “But I already have a website,...
When it comes to introducing a new process or refining and improving an existing one, there is no better way to begin than to create process documentation. It is a common part of Business Process...
Working in project management means knowing all about several important acronym and PERT is another one that you need to be able to understand and judge whether it is appropriate for use in your projects....
Operational Risk Management is a methodology for organizations looking to put into place real oversight and strategy when it comes to managing risks. Every business faces circumstances or fundamental changes in their situation that can...
If you’ve worked in a corporate environment or within the financial or supply industries, you’ll be familiar with purchase orders. Whether you deal with them on a daily basis or it’s just a phrase you’ve...
Business Process Management is more than just another corporate buzzword that gets thrown around as an excuse for training days, restructuring and promises of internal transformations that never actually happen. Initially, there might be some...
The automation of business processes using workflow software has been one of the most important developments in business process management. And with technology developing at the same pace as it is today, this trend is...
2017 is an important year for business process management – more and more organizations are recognizing its importance and adopting all the new digital tools that are being made available. While it’s impossible to predict...
One of the core principles of any successful business is teamwork, and when teams aren’t functioning well, there is very little chance of the company as a whole achieving its goals. Without a clear direction...
Product planning, by definition, is the strategizing process that spans from idea conception to product market launch. Strong product planning is crucial for the company – if any step fails, then the entire initiative might...
One of the best ways to optimize your business is through the use of Six Sigma software. Six Sigma is a set of techniques/tools that aim to improve company output, which is typically done by finding...
Proper execution of Business Process Reengineering can be a game-changer to any business. If properly handled, business process reengineering can perform miracles on a failing or stagnating company, increasing the profits and driving growth. Business...
Regardless of what the circumstances are for your business, it is always a priority to find ways to reduce operational costs. Doing so is the most efficient and effective way to save money without necessarily...
Like the heart within the human body, an enterprise application is what keeps the various systems of the enterprise’s brain functioning at optimum efficiency, for the good of the entire body. Without a cohesive system, an...
Process maps can be very confusing – without a single, unified procedure for documenting processes, understanding them can be hard for anyone that’s not directly involved with the mapping. Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN)...
Everything a business does involves processes that are designed to achieve a certain result. But sometimes, those results aren’t what we would like them to be, and we realize that it is time to ring...
Business process engineering refers to the study of business processes so that they can be improved and streamlined for optimum efficiency in terms of both performance and cost. This term scares some people so badly...
It’s important to have a sound business strategy, but who is responsible for carrying it out in order to fulfill an organization’s goals? A human capital strategy is a strategy that outlines the human resources...
Kanban is a system that schedules lean manufacturing. It controls the supply chain to realize cost savings through implementing the just-in-time inventory control system. The term “Kanban” is a Japanese word that means “billboard, ”...
Having a great start-up idea is only half the battle when it comes to being the next Google or Facebook or Uber. There are thousands of wannabe entrepreneurs flocking to Silicon Valley with a world-changing...
Any form of business process needs to be future proof and adaptable when it comes to technological advances. One of the biggest changes in the business and consumer market that are taking place at the...
The fishbone diagram or Ishikawa diagram is a cause-and-effect diagram that helps managers to track down the reasons for imperfections, variations, defects, or failures. The diagram looks just like a fish’s skeleton with the problem...
Processes turn inputs into outputs. A process map visually depicts the workflow that achieves this. If you’re thinking “That’s just like a process flowchart!” you’ve hit the nail on the head, because the two terms...
Total cost of ownership is the sum of the purchase price of an asset plus operating costs for its lifetime. A simple example would be the cost of owning a car. You can buy a...
A change control process is followed to improve service, product, or project-based outcomes in B2B and sometimes B2C relationships. It begins with a clearly defined request for change from a client. Options are then identified and...
In a world full of start-ups with great ideas, smart services, and innovative products, one of the biggest questions out there is how to build on that initial success, scale operations and grow your company...
One of the main challenges facing businesses of all sizes is how best to manage the number of processes and services they operate. Whether the problems take the shape of out-of-date procedures holding up or...
Customer Experience Management, abbreviated as CEM or CXM, describes the processes used by companies to follow and organize interactions with clients. It describes all interactions that occur throughout the customer lifecycle. The aim of applying...
When implementing large-scale changes within an organization, it’s generally considered that you need standard change management processes and procedures to ensure that key factors aren’t missed. However, as with any bureaucratic process, this can also...
When it comes to content marketing, there can be the temptation for businesses to treat it as a function that needs less quality control in place. After all, anyone can write to a reasonable standard...
User adoption is a situation in which users adopt a system that works to fill a specific need. They transfer from an old system and adopt a system that is newer, better, faster, more comprehensive, and...
Process variation happens when processes fail to follow a precise pattern. It’s a leading cause of quality issues both in transactional and production processes. Simply put, we aim to perform processes in such a way...
In business process redesign, vital business processes are overhauled to achieve specific goals such as increased return on investment, service improvements, or cost reduction. Any business process, be it production, sales, or financial management workflows...
The most important thing to understand about quality assurance for content marketing is that is not the same thing as quality control. Both are essential parts of any process where a product or service is...
A service level agreement is a formal or informal contract between internal or external and the end user of the service. It specifies what the client will receive and clarifies what is expected of the...
Management by exception (MBE) is a management strategy in which managers will only step in when there are significant deviations from planned outcomes. These can be either operational or financial outcomes. Assuming that businesses recruit...
Process automation refers to the use of digital technology to perform a process or processes in order to accomplish a workflow or function. The term “business process automation” is also used to describe digital process...
Automation has been a goal of business bosses since the Industrial Revolution in England and it’s been a cause for consternation for staff for exactly as long. But in the 21st Century, there’s no reason...
The importance of content marketing for any marketing strategy has been clear for many years, with quality content being essential for search rankings, thought leadership and simply for effective communications. However, achieving the right level...
A business process consultant is an external consultant who helps businesses by researching and analyzing the processes and systems that a business implements. Once this has been done, he or she will make recommendations to...
Every sale your business will make follows a predictable progression of phases that, if completed, will lead to a sale. This is the “sales funnel,” and the way in which its navigated will determine whether...
Workflow analysis is a process in which businesses examine the progression of workflows in order to improve efficiency. Workflow analysis identifies areas for improvement, for example: Bottlenecks Redundant tasks or processes Inefficient workplace layouts By...
If your business has been seeking the advice of software developers in automating any of your business operations, they may have already used the phrase “human in the loop” to describe the process by which...
Unless you’re already using business process management, you might be lagging behind your competition. Companies around the globe have been recognizing the importance of process management, planning on investing in workflow or BPM software within...
For businesses wanting to survive in ever more competitive markets, where technological solutions are changing faster than many businesses can keep pace with, it’s difficult to take advantage of the benefits of automating manual processes,...