.png)
Many process projects suffer because neither the participants nor the project sponsor have shared process management goals. The central questions—what can be improved by working on and with processes, and what process orientation personally brings to them and the company—cannot be answered. In the worst-case scenario, the mandate is not clearly defined, and there is no sponsor or executive champion to firmly support the project during difficult situations.
In this second part of our blog series, we address the first success factor for sustainably effective process orientation: process management goals and a vision for the future.
In the first part of the blog series we cover all seven success factors in general and explain the four-stage maturity model of process orientation.
Over the course of a seven-part series, we will discuss all seven success factors for sustainably effective process orientation in more detail every two weeks.
To define an attractive vision and set of goals, the following checkpoints should be addressed or fulfilled:
- Do all participants have a unified vision of what can be improved by working on and with processes, and what process orientation personally brings to them?
- What are the benefits for managers, and what are the benefits for employees?
- Is there a sponsor or champion within the top management team?
The scope of process projects is vast, ranging from "simple" process recording and improvement to supporting or (partially) automating processes, all the way to organizational development through the establishment of process ownership, which can lead to the stringent further development and implementation of corporate strategy through processes.
As mentioned in the introductory post, processes become dynamic and effective with the goal of economic customer focus when responsibilities for executing activities and managing processes are defined and embraced by all involved. In other words, designing, documenting, and implementing processes is an important means—but usually not the actual end.
And the more advanced your process orientation, the more complex the challenges of information networking and digitalization you can master in a process-oriented way. We have already outlined the four typical stages in which you can unlock different potentials of process orientation—depending on your organization's current maturity level and goals, different mandates and visions will emerge for your process project.
Ideally, process management goals emerge from the strategy process—but reality usually looks different.
How can a company-specific vision for your process project or your organization's process orientation be developed with the management and project team?
Ideally, the target vision should emerge during the strategy process. This process has often evolved from classic approaches toward more agile methods. In this context, the value proposition of products and services, the addressable customer segments—along with the expected customer relationships and appropriate channels—are considered, as are the necessary key resources, essential partners, and all critical activities required for implementation. At the same time, revenue streams and cost structures are developed and evaluated to support the development and decision-making for new businesses or entire business models.
By the time operations begin, the relevant processes must be in place and, for successful implementation, managed, gradually expanded, and improved by designated owners. Transparency regarding the required processes and those responsible is provided by a process map which visualizes and "explains" the business model and is gradually expanded to include all other necessary processes.
However, the reality is usually different. Small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, often lack an explicit strategy process, instead pragmatically integrating the development and review of corporate goals, as well as the derivation of projects and measures, into their annual planning/budgeting and overall management. In doing so, those involved usually have functional responsibilities that also dictate their perspective. As a result, this can lead to "blind spots" regarding the potential of an end-to-end process view and the necessary consequences for the management and distribution of process responsibilities.
How to use a management workshop as an incubator for a shared vision of process orientation
This is where a (management) workshop can help, providing a space to explain the fundamentals of process orientation and reflect them against the participants' own corporate reality. The image of "processes winding through the organizational structure" is used to collectively develop an understanding of how one's own processes interrelate and what the consequences are for a customer-focused alignment.
The image should also clarify at what level the process "winds" through the organizational structure. Usually, tasks that are conceptually assigned to specific roles or positions within the company are linked into a process that then symbolically moves through the involved organizational units. At the same time, existing process management often breaks down the actually modeled processes so finely that an individual process actually crosses very few departmental boundaries, often remaining within a single common area.
This is where it becomes necessary to differentiate between operational process responsibility for one or more processes and a strategic process owner who coordinates and definitively sets process management goals within the end-to-end process with a view toward the required outcomes.
These end-to-end processes connect activities from different areas of the company into an overarching process that runs from "customer requirement" to "customer." Consequently, the "functional processes" reside in different areas/departments of the company and are categorized on process maps within the framework of process management, using structures similar to the organizational hierarchy. With the additional roles of process owners, a multiple assignment of responsibilities emerges within the organizational structure—a matrix organization. This means a manager holds their existing responsibilities (functional, disciplinary, budget) for a department while also assuming operational or strategic process responsibility for one or more processes (functional, outcomes), for which they typically already manage the majority of resources. Addressing the roles of strategic and operational process ownership also necessarily includes defining their interaction with the functional line organization.
Process orientation is therefore not tied to a specific form of organizational structure, but rather defines and develops it to achieve an optimum between efficiency and effectiveness. A pure functional organization allows for maximum efficiency when requirements are very clear and stable. A pure process organization creates speed and the best possible effectiveness—i.e., customer satisfaction—in a dynamic environment with changing requirements. However, as soon as there are multiple product lines and a shared solution offering, it becomes clear that a pure process organization by division would be unsatisfactory for the customer, as they prefer bundling through a (functional) sales department. But stable requirements are the exception today, not the rule, and the degree of process orientation should increase.
Exploring the benefits and potential ways to represent one's own business and responsibilities in a process map are key agenda items for a target vision workshop. How and by whom—or which organizational unit—process management or process orientation should be supported, whether centrally or decentrally, can be further important aspects for the respective project.
A look into the future: Ask yourself what will have changed as a result of your process project
The discussion about what concrete benefits can be achieved through process management or process orientation can be triggered by a simple question and consolidated after a brainwriting session in a moderated group exercise.
Imagine we have spent a year very successfully implementing our process project and have improved our process orientation just as you have always wanted.
You return to the office from your Christmas break on January 2nd, 2023. What do you hear and see? What is different? What has improved? The following graphic shows exemplary answers from participants to this modified "miracle question."
After this session, you will have a much clearer and more shared picture of expectations than before. In the best-case scenario, this also leads to more spirit and commitment, extending up to the project sponsors and stakeholders. Embedded in the workshop format described, it can provide a solid foundation for your process project.
With Aeneis, you can subsequently compare the maturity level of your processes with the formulated process management goals and make them transparent.
Are you looking for insights into a consistently process-oriented strategy process? Our partner Thomas Hardegger and BusinessPartner AG would be happy to support you with their extensive experience.
Best practices in our blogs
For each of the seven success factors, I will be presenting "best practices" in a series of follow-up posts together with colleagues from Intellior AG and our partner network. These practices are supported by the intellior BPM platform Aeneis and will help you achieve effective process orientation.
We welcome your comments, discussions, and experiences—feel free to email the authors directly or schedule an expert consultation with our advisors – Book an appointment now!
