Recently at the APQC 2012 Process conference, several people asked about how to adopt and adapt APQC's Process Classification Framework (PCF). A previous post, Case Studies for Implementing a Process Classification Framework, identified several organizations that implemented the PCF in their unique environments. We have another to share.
ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, highlighted in the Using Process Frameworks and Reference Models to Get Real Work Done Best Practices Report, implemented the PCF when it built a new plant. The organization wanted to use the framework to establish an efficient, effective culture from the start. The goal was to increase productivity for all workers from operations to office staff. This could not have been possible without the adoption of a process framework, as it quickly established an enterprise-wide mindset through a focus on collaboration across functional areas.
The parent organization provided clear objectives that required the process team to quickly define, assign responsibility for enterprise-wide processes. The team understood that framework adoption should not take place until the organization determines both the scope of the processes and levels of governance. Once the team determined how it would proceed with these issues, it chose to adopt the PCF.
At that point, the framework gave ThyssenKrupp a starting point from which to define key business functions, develop category-level processes, and assign ownership for high-level functions. These decisions led to creating detailed operational processes and activities, all defined and managed by individual process owners.
ThyssenKrupp uses a framework for both business process definitions and content management. Because process-related content coincides with process definitions, employees better understand how to do their work, manage their processes, and store/share content. For each defined process, four levels of documentation exist and are managed by an automated process tool. Documentation covers a variety of topics and details, and they are stored and managed through their entire life cycle, including content reviews and checkpoints. The automated process tool has led to a consistent management approach since it identifies processes and activities, incorporates them into a process model, and automates model management.
ThyssenKrupp’s success with framework adoption is not the only story of this type. Please share others you know.