Every two years APQC conducts a survey that explores process frameworks. How do people use them? What are their benefits? And where do folks get hung up during implementation?
So, what did we find in this year’s survey?
Overall, the applications and implementation of frameworks is static. As we discussed last month, there are an array of ways that organizations use process frameworks from building maps to developing a process library for an ERP system. Most often organizations use a framework to help them understand and codify their processes—usually to create standardization and a common understanding of what each process means.
While frameworks are explicitly beneficial, organizations still seem to struggle with effective implementation.
What’s Holding Process Teams Back?
Most of the challenges organizations face have little to nothing to do with the framework itself. Instead, the challenges tend to fall into two categories: buy-in and engagement and alignment and purpose.
Buy-in and Engagement Ensure Collaboration
This refers to the ability to engage leadership and employees in the value of process work and develop accountability and participation for process work in the business. The top two challenges in this area include:
- Lack of incentives for participating in process work—employees are already stretched thin trying to do more with less. And process work is often taken on in addition to employees’ regular tasks. Consequently, process teams need to sell employees on the what’s in it for me of process work—which means both tangible—recognition and rewards—and intangible incentives—ability to be a part of the solution.
- Front-line resistance—in addition to employees being overburdened, processes can be an emotionally charged subject for employees. In some cases, employees see any criticism or need to rework their processes as a judgment of their own performance. While in other cases the employees may have been involved in the development of the current processes or documentation efforts and don’t see the need for something different.
Alignment and Purpose Create Better Process
This focuses on ensuring that process efforts support the goals of the organizations and provides tangible value to those executing the process.
The top two challenges in this area include:
- Adopt and build maps for all processes, regardless of value—though mapping is a valuable tool, mapping indiscriminately is a waste of resources. When organizations try to map everything, there is rarely a plan for what to do with all the maps: storage, upkeep, and even communication and accessibility to those who conduct the processes. It also keeps the focus on the wrong aspects of process management and does not create value.
- Lack of knowledge management—accessibility to process knowledge is paramount to it providing value throughout the organization. This means organizations not only have to develop process repositories so that people can easily access process knowledge in the flow of work, but it also means that organizations need to include the contextual knowledge associated with the process (e.g., business rules, templates, lessons learned, and best practices).
Process frameworks are foundational elements for many organizations as they either embark on their process journeys or continue to strive for process maturity. While the application of frameworks remains consistent year-on-year, organizations continue to evolve in the benefits they derive from them. Furthermore, by sharing best practices and learning from one another framework users also continue to evolve in their implementation and tackle the challenges around their implementation.
For more insights on this year’s frameworks survey result, join Mellissa Creppel, the PCF product manager, and I on Wednesday, September 29th for a webinar where we will discuss the applications of process frameworks, implementation practices and tools, and key drivers of BPM effectiveness.
For more process and performance management research and insights, follow me on twitter at @hlykehogland or connect with me on LinkedIn.