As the year draws to a close, it gives us all a little time to stop and reflect on how the current year went; what we would like to change or continue in 2024. While I have done some of my own reflection on the research conducted in 2023, I also met virtually with process professionals during our November roundtable to hear first-hand what they thought of the past year, and what they plan to focus on in the upcoming year.

Skills for Process Professionals to Consider in 2024 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been all the buzz in the latter half of 2023; but technology in process work isn’t new. Process automation and robotic process automation (RPA) has been around for quite a while. Roundtable participants had a good conversation about how AI and machine learning will begin to play a role in the process; however, they were all in agreement that organizations will always need to consider the human component in their process work. Thus, it’s critical to build these skills into your organization’s workforce. 

Earlier this year, APQC surveyed over 500 process professionals on the skills and responsibilities they saw necessary for process management roles. The top eight competencies that professionals feel should be developed in the next 18 months are:

1. Artificial intelligence (AI)/AI Chatbots 
2. Process automation/robotic process automation
3. Human-centric design
4. Lean/Six Sigma management
5. Technology fluency 
6. Statistical analysis
7. Innovation
8. Business strategy acumen 

These skills are overwhelmingly technical, which I think aligns with the “we will always need the human component” train of thought. While future technologies and automations can make work more efficient, process still needs the brain of a human to digest what the automation is doing and how it is working. For example, even when reporting is automated, and AI or machine learning makes a suggested action to perform given the data being reported, in most cases humans will still need to be involved to perform analysis and make strategic decisions. This could be something like figuring out if option a or option b is the best route for the organization given their business acumen and overall objectives. Learn more about the People of Process Management research in our full content collection.

Continuous Improvement Remains Top of the List

In the past couple of annual priorities surveys, continuous improvement has continued to be number two on the top priorities list for process professionals and was a common theme during the roundtable last month. Here are two suggestions roundtable participants had for process teams.

1. Always Ask Why

When it comes to continuous improvement, it’s important to ask “why”. For example, why do you perform that step or why is there a roadblock here, or why is the delivery late. It’s also important to not only ask it once, but sometimes ask five times. This really pushes your customer to dive into the root cause and/or need for the improvement at hand. 

      2. Stop Making Random Acts of Improvement 

Time and time again, organizations will decide that they have a really good idea; only to not be able to support the data once someone asks probing questions (or even “why”). Organizations should instead take a step back, evaluate what the data is telling them, and allow the data to guide their improvement efforts. 

In our 2023 Frameworks study, APQC found that performance improvement is the second most popular application of process frameworks. Here is quick guidance for organizations when evaluating improvement opportunities:

1. Standardize first. Improve second. 
2. Objectively measure the success of improvements.
3. Be sure to prioritize the improvements.
4. Manage process variations with a framework.

Key Themes from the Year

Throughout the year, APQC covered different topics in the process and performance management area, and three key themes appeared across all projects:

1. Change management - At its core, change management is the act of proactively managing change and minimizing the resistance to organizational change through a set of structured processes or set of approaches to transition employees, teams, or an entire organization to a desired future state. However, as you may have heard before, change is hard. Organizations continue to struggle with effectively implementing change. Throughout the year we hosted several webinars, recorded a four-part podcast series, and produced numerous articles and infographics on change management. The resources can all be found in our change management content collection.
2. Communication – Communication is a critical component of project management, change management, and business in general. One of our change management podcasts highlighted how to effectively communicate change and this infographic details which communication methods most organization find beneficial. 
3. Measures – As organizations continue to put greater emphasis on data-driven decision making, the ability to provide relevant measures and timely access to data has become more important than ever. However, picking and aligning the “right” key performance indicators (KPIs) to an organization’s goals is often easier said than done. Throughout my multiple webinars, roundtables, and phone calls with clients, the terms: measures, KPIs, and data came up multiple times. Our 2024 priorities survey includes an entire section on KPIs and measures, and I’m excited to report on that data early next year. In the interim, you can download this measures-focused recap article from our September roundtable discussion. 

Where is your organization headed in 2024? 

Let us know! Please take a moment to take our 2024 process and performance management priorities and challenges survey