The fundamentals of project management present various classical definitions, including the distinction between projects and ongoing operations. Projects are temporary endeavors undertaken to produce a unique result, service, or product (for example, a construction project or a new software application). In contrast, ongoing operations, such as payment processing, are repetitive.
In this context, the concept of a process becomes significant. Processes are sequences of activities that transform inputs into outputs. These are crucial for establishing operational and workflow streams, standardizing routines, and ensuring compliance with predetermined and required steps—standards such as ISO or quality models like MPS.Br (Brazilian software development maturity model) regards processes as the foundation for certifications.
Both operations and projects consist of processes. As previously described in the PMBOK (up to version 6) and the PMI Process Group: A Practice Guide, the five process groups are well-known in projects. These include Initiating, Planning, Monitoring and Control, Execution, and Closing. In predictive approaches, the sequence of Monitoring and Control Execution may be cyclical due to the progressive elaboration of the project or project phases. Agile approaches may define these processes according to the framework used. For instance, the Scrum cycle establishes processes like Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint, Sprint Review, and Retrospectives, thus iteratively and incrementally building the project's defined outcome.
Defining processes in organizations plays a fundamental role in documenting and establishing work standards. This enhances communication and understanding of operational or workflow streams, particularly crucial in highly regulated industries. Moreover, process flow representation is a powerful visual tool to foster team collaboration.
Understanding a company's critical processes, their connection to strategy, the stakeholders involved, and related assets, such as documents and tools, is essential for defining the current state ("as is") and the desired scenario ("should be"). In consulting and process mapping activities, designing flows (when nonexistent) supports a common understanding of work points. It helps identify bottlenecks, wastes, redundancies, inconsistencies, etc., that could be optimized, for example, through automation. Furthermore, it is crucial for performance measurements.
The more automated the processes, the greater the assurance that the workflows will be adhered to. When I led the implementation of the software development maturity model, MPS.Br, we initially established an understanding of the existing workflow to assess its modifications based on the model's requirements (either by removing, reviewing, or adding new activities). We also sought to automate the workflow within the company's ERP system as much as possible, ensuring that mandatory activities and checks were performed. In addition, the collection of measures related to the processes was facilitated. Moreover, from a macro flow of processes (Context Map), we designed and detailed each process, described by its inputs, tasks and work instructions, tools, and outputs.
Process mapping skills can also be applied in creating Value Stream Mapping, which helps identify activities within a process that can be optimized to reduce lead time and cycle time. This process involves creating a visual map of the process flow, where the total cycle time is the sum of value-added time and non-value-added time (e.g., waiting in a queue). It also allows for the calculation of process cycle efficiency. Detailed descriptions of this subject can be found in various sources, including Mike Griffiths's "PMI-ACP Exam Prep."
Similarly, process design can help understand user journeys, which are common in software development but also applicable in broader service provision. A User Journey Map is a visual representation that illustrates users' actions as they interact with a service, product, or experience. It's a tool commonly used in user experience (UX) design and marketing to gain deeper insight into customer behaviors, motivations, and pain points.
I always suggest starting sketches manually on workboards or using post-its for process design. This practice allows for rapid changes and interaction among stakeholders, who can better describe related activities and identify improvement points. A critical viewpoint and openness are essential to assess optimization possibilities through tools or operational flow revisions.
Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a graphical notation that elucidates the logic of steps in a business process. Maintained by the Object Management Group (OMG) since 2005, this consortium ensures that BPMN diagrams can be easily exchanged in a standardized format across different modeling tools. See these references: Bizagi BPMN Quick Start Guide and IBM's BPMN blog.
BPMN divides the activity flow into objects (activities and decision points), connectors, lanes, and artifacts (such as annotations). Market tools for process modeling, such as Microsoft Visio, IBM Blueworks Live, or BizAgi, can be used for process documentation and analysis. Here is an example of a process flow using the BizAgi tool from the above guide:
Source: Bizagi BPMN Quick Start Guide
The book “Sincronismo Organizacional: Como Alinhar a Estratégia, os Processos e as Pessoas” ("The Synchronization of Organizations: How to Align Strategy, Processes, and People") by Alan Albuquerque and Paulo Rocha, provides valuable insights into organization and process design and can serve as an additional reference for those interested in exploring this subject further.
Have you participated in process design initiatives? Please share your experiences to enrich our discussion.
Kind regards,
Priscila
#opperationalexcellence #valuestreammapping #userjorneymap #organizationaltransformation #businesstransformation
Comments