Businesses worldwide would need to automate their processes not only to cut costs but also to provide Customer Satisfaction which will be the eventual differentiator in a fiercely competitive environment. 

Unless you are from technical background, it can get dicey grasping the fundamentals involved under Business Process Management and how it can be beneficial for your organization. This article touches the basics of Business process management in terms of what it is and how it can benefit an organization.

Business process management (BPM) is a systematic approach to improving an organization’s End to End performance. BPM activities seek to make business processes more effective, more efficient, and more capable of adapting to an ever-changing environment. BPM is a subset of infrastructure management, the administrative area of concern dealing with maintenance and optimization of an organization’s equipment and core operations.

BPM solutions can be broadly classified under 2 basic categories:
1) Front-Office BPM (FO-BPM) 
2) Back-Office BPM (BO-BPM)

Under the IT service management plan of your organization you need to define whether you want more human-centric workflow products (i.e. FO-BPM) or system-centric workflow products (i.e. BO-BPM). Different business life cycle will involve various combinations of the above two.

BPM requires a clear understanding of the existing processes in an organization that would be later on automated by implementing business service management strategy. Those organizations who want to automate processes, should initially take up any transactional process that requires the involvement of many people in a sequential (not compulsory) fashion with approvals and possible movement of paper from one desk to another.

Once an entire business process cycle is identified, it needs to be documented accurately with a definite beginning and an end. This is an important step and often determines the success during implementation stage. While the documentation can be done by any one, it is best that this be done by somebody who is thoroughly familiar with the process. At this point of time, the organization could also take a decision on whether to automate the process as it is or to introduce improvements. (This is a fundamental difference with ERPs wherein changes are forced on to the organization.) The documentation also needs to be structured, so as to answer questions that would come up during implementation.  Drafting a flow chart would be an easy way to graphically represent the work flow, but various elements and decision points need to be clearly marked out and noted.

Once processes are broken into activities, each activity needs to be taken up in detail, defining the ‘role’ that will execute the action, the ‘items’ that need to be captured in the activity, whether the data will be manually entered or electronically picked up. Some activities could be mandatory for the commencement of subsequent activities while some may not and some branches of a process may need to trigger exception reporting which cannot be foreseen in advance and might crop up during implementation stage.

BPM thus in a nutshell means systematization of various manual time consuming repetitive processes into automated process using BPM software customized as per individual organization needs and goals to reduce time involved in work flow and improve overall efficiency by automating the same.

Benefits of Business Process Management

There are three key advantages that BPM can bring to the table:

1. Transparency
BPM makes a business process absolutely transparent, greatly improving visibility and efficiency. Bottlenecks can literally be seen, and removed. It can show where the most delays are occurring, and where is each transaction stuck as it passes from one stage to another.

2. Process refinement
The initial configuration and design exercise coupled with the data that emerges after running processes for some time can allow refinement. This allows testing of application performance and application monitoring ensures improved efficiency in overall infrastructure management.

3. Centralization of Data
Data about each and every transaction is logged and can be retrieved as and when required. Therefore, it is possible to analyze accurately what happened. Referencing is also easier as embedded searches allow for data to be picked up as required for study.

BPM leads to IT monitoring at different phases of business process cycle and creates better, faster sub-processes which can trigger tremendous efficiency gains as the technology does much of the hard work.

Mark Waltzer

Almost every business in the world uses business process management principles whether they know it or not. Any regular process that’s designed to ensure a business runs accurately and efficiently is a business process management tool or measurement. When BPMs, which they’re called for short, involve a number of complicated steps, business process management systems that are computerized can really help ensure proper procedures are followed while also allowing for a system of easy measurement.

A computerized business process management system can help track productivity, ensure policies and procedures are being followed, measure output and more. What a good system does is give a manager an overview of operations to see if there are things that can be improved upon and what areas are running up to expectations. When a computerized business management system is brought into play, the big picture is easy to see and reports can even be generated that enable a company to clearly identify things that might need to be done to improve how work is being handled.

Let’s take a look at a fictional corporate situation that involves the use of business process management system tools to track employee productivity and adherence to company policies.

The Daily Gazette Newspaper is one of 100 publications in a chain. The chain’s BPMs involve a prescribed number of certain kinds of stories on a monthly basis, a certain number of photographs, a target number or less of corrections, sales to a certain dollar amount and circulation cold calls that equal X amount. Each newspaper in the chain must meet its monthly requirements or the corporation gets upset.

Understanding the need to meet the BPMs, but not having the time to track the targets manually, the Daily Gazette chooses to institute a business process management system to do some of the work for the publisher. What happens here is that each week the editor and other managers are responsible for plugging information into a computer system that tracks what’s been done and what hasn’t. There is an option for explaining reasons why certain things didn’t get done or why they went above expectations.

The end result on a monthly basis by using the business process management system is a clear report for the publisher to present the corporate supervisors. This report details each BPM and whether it was met during the particular month. If it wasn’t, the system has the explanations at hand to show why and will even enable the creation of trend reports down the road. If, for example, the Daily Gazette failed to get its prescribed number of school stories in a certain month, a trend report might show it’s because the area’s schools tend to slow down in activity during the weeks proceeding a vacation period or even a state-mandated testing period.

In short, a computerized business process management system enables the publisher and the corporation that oversees the paper to quickly see how and what the individual company did during a month. It can assist in goal management and setting and even help managers see what their shortcomings might be without someone having to generate reports manually.

BPMS make it easier to track productivity and pinpoint areas that might deserve concern and those that might deserve kudos. Plus, a good business process management system simply makes it easier to ensure the goals of a company are kept in the forefront of employees’ minds during the course of a normal work day.

Ben Franklin
http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/computerized-business-process-management-systems-are-smart-considerations-78629.html

When we talk about organizational management we are talking about how the leadership is organized to allow the company to function effectively and efficiently. You have heard it before: “I’m the President of the company because this business was my idea.” “I’m the vice-President because I was the President’s best man at his wedding”, etc, etc.

Believe it or not, many small businesses start out this way, but they find it difficult to grow successfully. Don’t misunderstand, larger businesses also promote from within. It’s called nepotism and I have seen it in many small businesses and it exists in corporate America as well.

Business leaders should base the structure of their organization on qualifications and functionality of the position as it relates to the business.

There are many ways to determine how a company should be organized, but we take a unique approach in creating an organization by analyzing the ‘functional’ aspect of running the business. It’s like what computer programmers use when mapping the needs of a computer network.

Start out with a blank sheet of paper and determine a starting point, calling it “A”. Place it at one end of the paper. Next, determine an ending point and call it “Z”. Place “Z” at the other end of the paper. In business “A” equals raw materials, and “Z” equals taking the revenue collected for “A” to the bank.

In other words, ‘what does it take to make money?’ We are trying to complete the alphabet by determining the next letter that will get us to “Z” from “A”.

Some businesses may not be large enough to get to “Z” and some businesses will require more functionality and require two or three alphabets. What we want to accomplish is a review of business functions that will generate cash and identify those functions in a path format.

Once we have determined the function, we can look at who we will need to facilitate that particular function, the amount of time in a day the function requires for resolution, and the functional value to our business.

When we have viewed a business this way, we may actually see redundancies and functions that need attention.

For example, let’s say that for us to generate cash we need to get sales reps into the field. We know, though, that sales reps can be more productive if they are not cold calling. So, we might consider telemarketing.

We think about telemarketing from our offices, and we determine that by mapping the sales cycle, we need three telemarketers and each should produce a particular number of warm leads.

By mapping the sales function, we can determine the number of telephone calls required to generate one warm lead. Mapping functions also creates job descriptions and criteria for each position.

So, if we hire a telemarketer, we know that we want this person to make 100 telephone calls in eight hours, of those 100 telephone calls we want to generate 5 warm leads per day. Our sales reps will then be asked to close at least two warm leads a day.

We can take this information and determine other criteria for each employee and the business itself. Now we are looking at 500 telephone calls per week per telemarketer, which should produce 10 new sales a week. Multiply that number by the sales price, remove labor burden and other expenses, and you’ve got yourself a sales model. This is not, however, what you should be doing with your sales. It is just an example.

Your business is unique, and I’m trying to get you to think about the functions your business requires being successful.

By this example, we can also determine that maybe we need one sales manager, three telemarketers, and two sales representatives. The team will be effective based on the information provided to them by management through meetings and sales goals reports.

This team will also be effective based on the information the team provides to management, such as the competitive nature of the industry in the field, success stories, and customer needs.

I call this “pushback”. Some larger businesses frown on this procedure but I believe it to be the best market research available.

We need to analyze each of those steps to determine what it takes, to produce the materials and sell the product. We should not look at our business and determine that we need another sales representative because our current sales representatives are generating enough sales revenues that we can simply afford another sales representative.

Instead, we need to analyze how the current sales representatives are going about their day, how effective they are, and how effective they could be if they had the right direction, goals, and objectives.

This takes us into analyzing the structure above the sales representatives and their managers. Here we analyze the same areas as we did the sales representatives. What are the direction, goals, and objectives? Should the direction, goals, and objectives be restructured?

When we look at sales, we must also review marketing efforts to see if marketing is ahead of sales in determining expectations or assumptions that marketing efforts should produce a particular result of sales.

If we analyze marketing we also must review operations and production as it may produce an inordinate amount of product based on marketing assumptions.

One of the most common errors I find in small businesses is that they tend to hire relatives instead of qualified people or experts to facilitate a specific function of the business. This really is not in the best interest of a growing business.

If you have hired relatives in the past, you may understand my concern. Large businesses do it, too, and it really doesn’t help them, either. When we review our business from a functional perspective, we find it difficult to make changes when we have to let a brother-in-law go, for example.

But management decisions must be good for the business if the business is to last into the next generation.

Organizational management is a tricky aspect of business in that it must remain flexible enough to change whenever necessary.

Organizational management does not necessarily apply to the people in the company and what they do in the course of a day, but it does apply to how the different departments function around each other and within each other as a team.

Organizational management is the function of all these departments as a team where one department doesn’t out do the other, for example, the production department producing too many finished goods, based on marketing’s assumptions.

Failure to manage your departments’ functions can get a business into financial trouble; you may have to decrease prices or spend money on rebates to sell the excess inventory. You may have to lay off employees if the revenue stream has been negatively affected.

Organizational management takes in to consideration the human resources of a business as well as the functional requirements of a business. It also incorporates aspects of sales and marketing and operations and production. If you can manage the operational portion of your business, the human resources portion should be easy.

But, remember, the operational portion of your business must be derived from a functional review of what it takes to go from A to Z.

Luis Luarca
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/small-business-organizational-management-97299.html

By James Banks

It happens to people, and it also happens to businesses, debt becomes such a heavy burden that becomes unbearable. The dilemma is that owners seek professional help, in this case, Business Debt Management, too late. Although this financial help is one of the most recommended worldwide, people do not really trust strangers who ask for confidential information about their businesses.

Business Debt Management is just a name given to a group of experts on a specific field, business debt. This group’s main goal of is to manage your current financial situation and find the best suitable way to free your business from debt.

Our Business Debt Management program has various ways of helping business owners, such as Martha Stevens, current participant in the program. She is also looking forward to learning how to handle finances in the future, thus avoid getting trapped in debts again.

James Banks is the senior counselor of the Business Debt Management program, and he assessed Martha’s situation before entering the program.

Martha Stevens:

How does the Business Debt Management process work?

James Banks:

The Business Debt Management program will calculate all your debts and the obligatory interest that you have to pay.

The Business Debt Management program will assign you a personal counselor after assessing your situation. The business debt management counselor will contact your creditors in order to request a reduction in your business’ interest rates be made. Creditors usually accept this kind of request, but only from business debt management companies because they know this is how they will surely recover their money and that the process itself can be trusted.

Martha Stevens:

I would like to know which options are available with this business debt management program.

James Banks:

When a business enters the Business Debt Management program, the company takes a look at the firm’s overall situation and from that point on, the counselor advices the owner to take one of the following steps:

1. Get a debt consolidation loan in order to pay off the majority of the debts. This way, it will get rid of several interest charges and will only have to make a single monthly payment.

2. Get a property equity loan. This loan has got to be at a lower interest charge than the ones from the debts, otherwise the company will not be able to pay off the others debts.

3. The business can apply for a new credit card at a lower interest rate to transfer all of the other interests to the new one. This way you can save money by paying all your debts and keep the credit card with low interest charges.

Martha Stevens:

What are the benefits of using the business debt management service?

James Banks:

Although there are many benefits, the most important one is that your business will surely be debt free once again, and you, as the owner will have the chance to learn how to stay away from incurring this situation ever again.

Take a look at the many benefits of applying to the Business Debt Management program:

- The counselor will request your creditors a reduction of your debt, making it easy for to afford the monthly payment

- The program reduces the monthly expenditure of your business.

- The business Debt Management program helps maintain a good credit rating

- The owner only has to make a single monthly payment instead of several

- And the program also aims to show the person himself/herself how to manage the business in order to avoid future complications.

Martha Stevens:

Is it safe to give the information over the Internet the Business Debt Management program requests?

James Banks:

Although people think that the Internet may be dangerous, it is not. These days the internet is considered one of the safest means to send information, and it is also faster.

The counselor has the advantage of sending the different deals that the creditors accept and offer them to the clients in a matter of minutes. Owners have to pay attention to all the offers they receive because it is imperative they give an answer before the offer expires.

Clients need to make sure they listen to the advice from the business debt management counselors because this is the fastest way for them to be debt free.

The Business Debt Management program’s aim is the clients comfort and also the best deals for their current situation.

We have different articles of interesting topics and current and former clients’ experiences with our programs. Take a look at topics related to Business Debt Management, situations in which people can fall into and how to keep yourself a debt free person.

http://www.commercialdebtcounseling.com

http://businessdebtnegotiation2.blogspot.com/

James Banks
http://www.articlesbase.com/debt-consolidation-articles/business-debt-management-107486.html

Business process optimization can be the key element to make a business successful. In today’s competitive market place, a business needs to leverage all its resources and knowledge base to enhance its performance to remain get the edge and stay ahead of the competition. And this is where Picaso Consulting can help.

A leading Management Consulting, systems and technology consulting firm, Picaso has been helping businesses improve performance by analyzing the existing problems and then developing plans that can solve them. Each client is different, and not only that, each business problem is different too. And that is precisely why there cannot be any ‘one-solution’ that fixes all kinds of problems. Picaso’s Management Consulting thus offers customized solutions that are tailored to solve the unique business problem of a customer. Nothing but the best is always offered.

Picaso Consulting excels as an external objective advisor and delivers optimum strategies for growth and effective IT strategies that are guaranteed to enhance performance. Often what we do leads to breakthrough products and processes and major business transformations as well. As a consultant, we assist our clients in this change and also deliver strategy development, operational improvement and technology implementation – all to ensure that the client is able to maintain the leading edge in business.

Management consulting has become necessary for so many big and medium sized businesses today as they want to stay competitive and benefit from the knowledge and the experience of the consulting firm.

Projects, big or small, are the key to the success of a business. Projects need to be delivered in time and the quality of the output needs to be high as well. But often, many companies fail to meet the deadlines and this happens even though the company had efficient workers and an experienced Project Manager. Does the company lack project management skills? Has the scope of the project been properly defined and is the business environment conducive? With our project staffing, PMO and project auditing services, Picaso Consulting will do everything to ensure that each and every deadline is always met. With Picaso’s project management service plans, delivering solutions that work, and that too on time, is never a problem anymore.

Enterprise Resource Management or ERP implementation is another area of Picaso’s operation. The aim of any ERP is to plan and implement the information system that will coordinate everything – the resources, activities and information that is needed for various business processes. Our ERP implementation is carried out only after the system of the client is analyzed and optimized, and this in turn enhances performance of course. Business functions like Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Financials, Human Resources, Projects and Customer Relationship Management can al gain from ERP.

As a client this is how you can benefit from our ERP implementation…

· We can create a comprehensive ERP implementation strategy for you.

· We work with other professional firms to ensure that you get the results always.

· We can help you in the planning.

· ERP System Implementation Project Management

· Our services include post implementation support as well to ensure that everything works just fine.

Picaso Consulting