How to Make Your Business Process Customer Focused

Everyone knows that the customer is king, and that business processes should deliver what customers want. But how do you do that?

The 10 steps to business process improvement can help keep the focus on the customer or client. It starts with developing the scope definition (step 2) where you identify the customer and what they want from your business process. The customer is someone external to your company who pays for your goods or services; the client is your internal customer if you work as an internal consultant within your company. Employees have an easy time identifying the external customer, but have a harder time identifying the client because they have become so accustomed to working to please their boss. After all, the boss rewards your performance and controls your salary increases. Your boss though is not your client!

Another way to keep the customer/client at the forefront is to notice, as you draw the process map in step 3, how often (or more likely, how infrequently) the activities in your process touch the customer. Then as you work to improve the business process (step 6), check each activity to determine if it adds value to the customer. If it does not add value, eliminate the activity. Ask yourself if the customer would pay for a particular step in the process if they knew it existed. This will force you to think about the steps in your process from the customer's perspective and, since every activity contributes to cycle time (step 4), you should streamline the process as much as possible. You can also think of cycle time as elapsed time or the overall time it takes from the first step in the process to the last step, including waiting time. Cycle time is what customers "see," and they always want it as short as possible.

Include the customer needs as you develop metrics (step 7) to measure the effectiveness of your business process. Ask them if you are measuring what they care about. You might not be! Adapt your metrics to focus on what is most important to your customers.

When you develop your continuous improvement plan (step 10), remember to think about how often you will revisit the customer needs, e.g., every 6 months, 12 months, etc. Make certain that you follow the schedule you put in place.

You can see how easy it is to keep the customer in mind. I already covered how to include them in six of the ten steps to business process improvement.

Find Time and Money: Business Process Improvement

A compelling vision supported by values, a base business strategy, and a strategic plan are the foundational supports for business success. Strong leadership with the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to implement the plan are also essential. Without processes that are functioning optimally to support both the plan and the employees implementing the plan, outcomes are significantly compromised.

Business process improvement typically includes at least these components: cycle time reduction, focusing on the process, applying "lean" principals, and speed in restructuring and implementation.

The goals of Business Process Improvement include: Making processes effective: producing the desired results Making processes efficient: minimizing the resources used Making processes adaptable: building in flexibility and the ability to adapt to changing customer needs

The tools used in Business Process Improvement include: Eliminate bureaucracy Eliminate duplication Add value Simplify Reduce time Reduce errors Standardize Partner with suppliers Upgrade results and outcomes Use automation, mechanization, or computerization as appropriate

Traditionally, we focused on people as the "problem" when things were not completed in a timely manner. While there are human components, business process improvement focuses on the process. This means: the focus in on the process, not employees as the problem understanding how each job fits in to the total picture instead of just doing a job measuring process, not individuals change the process, not the person remove barriers, as opposed to just motivating people develop people, not controlling employees trust as compared with mistrust looking at what allowed the error to occur instead of pointing fingers at who caused the error reducing variation as opposed to correcting errors customer rather than bottom line driven

Cycle time reduction is defined as reducing the time taken for the transformation from input to final output. We know that time is money and thus reducing time decreases costs.

It is specifically NOT: adding costs to the process decreasing quality rushing the work working longer hours

It IS making processes: effective, by producing the desired results efficient, by minimizing the resources used adaptable, by increasing flexibility and ability to adapt to changing customer and business needs

Cycle Time reduction enables businesses to focus on the customer as it: Better predicts and controls change Improves use of resources Effectively manages interrelationships Provides systematic view of organization's activities Maintains focus on process Develops complete measurement systems Helps employees understand how input becomes output Helps employees understand how good you can get

Cycle time reduction has the biggest impact when it focuses on core business processes.

That means: Linked to external customers Related to internal and external customer complaints Potentially high cost If improved it will provide a competitive advantage Cross functions Inherent to the company's competitive advantage

Many companies look at process improvement, and specifically cycle time reduction without considering the implementation of the new process. Without this component, great work and a lot of time go to waste. Maybe more importantly, the employees who participated in the process feel devalued. The best approaches include swift implementation of the new process, and careful measurement and follow-up.

A correctly implemented process that is management driven, employee supported, and customer focused will deliver a significant return on investment.

Business Process Management Software Enabling Businesses to Optimize Their Performances

Business Process Management (BPM) software and its services, originating from the IBM, enable businesses to go for an efficient optimization of their performances by a process of ascertaining, documenting and not only automating, but also following a path of continuous improvement, to enhance the efficiency factor and at the same time, work on cost reduction. When you install it, the IT infrastructure of the organization, uses its features for enhancing the company profits and manages the processes without difficulty.

Business Process Management Software solutions play an important part in enhancing the positive aspect of the production, not only of the organization, but of the IT staff as well, whose responsibility it is to enhance their capabilities, adjust to the several changes, and in general, work towards reducing the IT operating expenditure. Several people refer to BPM as a holistic management, which endeavors to align the business processes of an active organization with client requirements, thereby advancing the business efficacy, while focusing on creativity, flexibility and integrating it with technology. Some also call it a process optimization process because it is a continuous improvement mode and runs on a more efficient platform than a focused, conventional approach of management.

Business Process Management (BPM) software can benefit an organization in several ways.

- Enhancing business productivity and value by introducing automation at a very low investment cost - It boosts ITIL discipline and best practices across the organization - In terms of compliance, with regulations like Combined Code for Corporate Governance, Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA, besides others, the BPM software appears as a boon to the organization. - Integrate the active involvement of the employees in the program for implementation - Bring about a better amalgamation between the business processes and the profit-making goals - Put on fast track, your responses to business conditions. - Speed up your return on investment and ensure cost reduction

The Business Process Management Software exposes the processes to automation, which facilitates handling of a wide range of business needs and functions, which would include procurement, HR, order management and accounts payable and much more.

Business process management (BPM) software also addresses the following:

- Helps to decrease cycle time and labor intensive jobs - Reduces the time taken for both internal external orders - Helps to recognize low margin or loss oriented businesses - Helps financial services, insurance, government, healthcare, manufacturing, trading and other businesses to derive maximum benefit from a low cost investment like the BPM software, which enhances the user efficiency - Helps IT staff to enhance their competence to fine tune to changes quickly and bring about an effective reduction in IT costs

Business Process Management The Difficulties of Implementation

If you are trying to implement a business process management strategy, then you might have found that there can be difficulties involved. Getting the balance right between effective business management of people and using business process management software can be hard. If you don't get the balance right, then your daily business activities will remain inefficient and prevent your business from prospering. However, there are ways to get round these business process management difficulties. If you are looking to improve the efficiency and productivity of your business and its daily processes, then here is some advice about the difficulties of implementing business process management.

Hard to identify processes

Identifying business processes and separating the exact processes in your daily business operations can be really tough. Some processes will not be ideal for business process management implementation, whilst others will certainly need some form of business process management to run smoothly. In general, processes that need the involvement of many people in a sequential order are the best candidates. If these processes involve approvals or paperwork movement, then business process management should help improve their efficiency. In particular, using automated software can be a real help, and will dramatically improve daily efficiency.

Getting top-down approval

Although your department might know ways of improving business management, without top-down approval and overall cooperation, the plans are likely to fall through. Any good business management implementation requires a great deal of cooperation at all levels of the business. The higher executives need to have faith in the proposed implementations, and pass on this passion and faith to the lower staff that will make the increased efficiency possible each day. If you want your management plans to work, then make sure the whole company is on the same page and understands exactly what is needed.

Making implementations worthwhile

Although business process management can dramatically improve business efficiency, it can also cost a lot of money to implement. It might seem sensible to pick the latest technology and most expensive items for implementation, but approach is likely to cost you more money than the improvements are worth. Make sure that any business management techniques you use cost less than the benefits in efficiency and cost saving that you get in return. This will help you to maximise efficiency whilst keeping costs down.

Choosing the right technology

Choosing the right software can be difficult, especially with the range of items available. From simple multifunction hardcopy devices to fully-fledged business management software suites, there is something for every business. However, picking the right software for your needs will take time. You need to examine your business structure and size, and then identify the processes that you really need to improve. As long as you do this and only pay for what you really need, then your implementation will help to make your daily business run more efficiently. Not only will this save you costs and time, but will allow you to get work done more quickly and so make more money.

Implementing business process management can be difficult, but if you get it right then you will keep your competitive edge.

Booming Level in the Field of Business Process Outsourcing

Philippines has been endowed with several talents and resources that made its popularity in business increased. In the same way, talents and resources are the prime factors that made the country on top of business venture globally. Making it to the point of getting into the next level of business process outsourcing, the country's edge has now becoming a big apple of one's eye and slicing a larger pie in the global economic market and seems to lead in every way.

Indeed, Business Process Outsourcing in the Philippines has evolved quickly as it dominates every business sector made it possible to access in every way. Aside from BPO's becoming a global sought phenomenon, it has leverage every business operation to stick on its cost efficiency and time saving factor which made it sparkled in the Philippines as a number one booming business inside the country.

Many businesses still crave for the BPO operations because of its usability and practicability in uplifting every small business' abilities to compete and do better towards economic stardom in the field of global outsourcing business. It is a mere fact that with BPO as a an operation of delegating of one or more non-core business process to an offshore service provider with a certain field of specialization, one is accountable of the benefit it can brought to business development and growth and that is cost reduction and flexibility which are made possible in every business way.

Moreover, being a cost cutting antidote to the pressing tough economic situation, BPO leads by example of a business competition which have motivated most modern small and larger business in a way that every quality of services offered are being increased thus it lead to greater productivity and profit gaining. In fact, Philippines has been wowed for its exemplary performance in the field of business process outsourcing being the topmost outsourcing services hub in the Asia Pacific region and ranked 3rd in the world. That is due to increasing talent pool and proficiencies of the country's populace enough to hurdle the demands of business process business worldwide.

Many have said that the overwhelming population of most call centers in the Philippines has raised the country's fame in the field of business process outsourcing. The country has been a spotlight for BPO commercial and dealings because of the capability and advantage of gaining highly qualified, proficient in English and capacity of Filipino talents to handle business process tasks and compete in the global business outsourcing plus the hard work, loyalty, determination and dedication of the country's service provider are factors to the country's development and continuing success.

In this global milieu of global outsourcing, Philippines has equipped itself to offered exemplary performance in other outsourcing services such as accounting, software outsourcing, HR, and other outsourcing related tasks which have put the country's rank on top of the so many business dealings giving them an edge over the others. Philippines is still surviving and still pursuing its dream to successful global outsourcing now and in the years to come.

Automating Business Processes

Business Process Automation is the task of taking manual computer tasks necessary for the function of your business and automating them. From the day we started in the IT industry we started Rede Software, we saw the same frustrating pattern over and over again. Businesses were relying on their IT solutions in order to succeed. Yet often it seemed like people were working for their IT instead of their IT working for them.

Here is a list of business processes that in our opinion should be automated:

Process - Description of automation

• Data entry: Entering data received via an electronic medium into an application
• Data access & manipulation: Accessing data (e.g. From a database) and using or modifying it as appropriate
• Information Gathering: Gathering information to be displayed for staff
• Information Distribution: Distributing gathered information to required stakeholders or clients
• Report Generation: Generating reports (e.g. end of day results)
• Report Gathering & Distribution: Collecting generated reports and organising them; then redistributing as required
• Backup: Backup off-site over the internet
• Web Crawling: Crawling through known internet sites to collect data
• Integration: Integrating multiple applications to work together and produce any of the above results and more

The biggest reason to automate tasks that are taking so long to finish is that it allows you to refocus your time and energy on things that are important to your business. Imagine if all the man-hours wasted on mindless & repetitive tasks could instead be used on areas of your business that need it most. Instead of Staff having to click away pointlessly on the screen they can be re-allocated to parts of the business that could use them.

Imagine then a staff member who's job it is to mindlessly copy data from one application and input it into another, a task that could potentially take hours at a time. How would they feel about their job? How would they feel about their employer? How would they feel about themselves? Imagine if instead of doing that they could click a button and load up a program that does all that work for them. How could this staff member be better utilised? Could they be assigned tasks that improve customer satisfaction or generate more sales? How much better would they feel about themselves for having a more challenging and less repetitive job? Automation software allows people do their actual jobs instead of a task that could, essentially, be assigned to a robot.

On top of that, there would be no need to hire additional people simply to help with these tasks. Instead of spending money on staff that do nothing real and material, money could be spent improving marketing, sales, support or customer service. There would be no more need to hire temps or seasonal staff to take care of sudden influxes of repetitive tasks.

Business process automation is important for every aspect of business in today's IT driven world.