Implementing new workflows and identifying process improvements are staples of Business Process Management (BPM) initiatives. Key factors in BPM projects are cross-departmental collaboration and design thinking. For process analysts to be successful, they depend on analytics, data, and emotional intelligence. Regardless of where the BPM team is situated within the organization (IT, Operations, KM, etc.), the team must work with others to achieve goals.
Implementing New Workflows
Review Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and any training materials available on the line of business or process. In this exercise, aim to learn as much as possible from a high level and ask lots of questions. If formal materials are unavailable, ask for presentation materials used for clients or conferences.
Immerse process analysts into the affected practice area as much as possible; literally. The best way to do this is to join the team and do the nitty gritty work. In doing so, the perspective gained will be greater than if a lengthy series of interviews and requirements gathering had been performed.
Focus on the process as-is. It is too easy to find ways to improve on a process and practice areas will surely have suggestions on improvements; but, save some heartache in implementation. When the initial workflow process is built for what’s really needed, training the affected team to use new tools or systems will be easier. If the practice area starts on day one with foreign task names and different documents, the “new” feeling will be more overwhelming. It may feel anti-empathetic to not improve right away or to not focus on feedback but make a note of those items and come back to them later. A successful implementation with subsequent improvement projects can build momentum and relationships in favor of the BPM team.
Build the normal or most average process. New users may focus on outlier cases; the files that happen once every ten years, that are complex, and risk prone. It is important to adjust the workflow for such exceptions; but, the chance of having the once in a lifetime case tomorrow are slim. Build the most average process and come back to the complex one later. Hypothetical cases tend to be more complicated than the real ones and the work will be easier to define once that special case in the door anyways.
Identifying Process Improvements
Finding the right improvement projects can be tough. End-users tend to focus on tasks that are difficult or inconvenient but not necessarily ones that are ripe for automation or reap large benefits. Here are actionable tips on how to find areas for improvements.
If the firm has workflows in place, what analytics exist around it? Look for:
- High task completions either by task type or by person. If Jane Doe answers 1,000 ‘email document to client’ activities each month, email automation could assist. By comparison, if John Doe answers 10,000 activities per month, maybe the workload needs a re-balance.
- Analyze cases of high-volume clients or processes. Are the same couple of steps repeated? Can task items be combined? Does the amount of automation available to the top clients and processes correlate with the percentage of volume they bring in?
- Activities that take the most time. Can they be broken into smaller pieces? If an activity is accompanied with a checklist to be done before the activity is complete, it’s probably a candidate for splitting.
- On the other hand, don’t create so many task items that users are ‘tasked to death’. If it takes less than a minute, can it be combined with something else?
When reviewing a workflow, does the position of the employee align with the workflow items assigned to them? For example, it may be ill-advised for Lawyers at a firm to have the sole responsibility of maintaining document templates for a process. Errors in template changes create risk, but a simple review process, in lieu of the Lawyer making the changes, can suffice.
Look at work that is done across all platforms. This can be the case management system, intake or CRM, accounting system, client websites or extranets, etc. Keep a list of potential improvements to be made by the software provider, measure their benefit, and submit enhancement request for changes that cannot be made in-house.
Focus on using the technology available to its fullest extent. The simplest fix can be the best fix. Using email templates, document quick parts, and other basic tools can provide significant benefits.
When measuring a potential project to determine benefit, consider:
- Time saved in hours per month or time in salary cost;
- Percentage of workflow per process, per team, or per client;
- For small teams or small processes, find a way to explain the benefit in relation to the work done. For example, saying a project will save two hours per month is less appealing than saying the project will reduce the process workload by 25%. For firms that have limited resources or that prioritize projects based on benefit, this can be especially useful.
By immersing BPM teams with operational teams, empathy and understanding are gained and as the process of implementing workflows and improving those processes continue, the BPM team and the organization can reap the rewards.
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