Comments on: Hidden costs of unstructured processes #GartnerBPM http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/ BPM, Enterprise 2.0 and technology trends in business. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:18:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: When will the Artists take over from the Technicians? | HRM Today http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-13626 When will the Artists take over from the Technicians? | HRM Today Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:29:54 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-13626 [...] and others have suggested that as much as 60% of an organization’s processes are unstructured – and probably [...] [...] and others have suggested that as much as 60% of an organization’s processes are unstructured – and probably [...]

]]> By: When will the Artists take over from the Technicians? | Four Groups' Blog http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-13609 When will the Artists take over from the Technicians? | Four Groups' Blog Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:11:55 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-13609 [...] and others have suggested that as much as 60% of an organization’s processes are unstructured – and probably [...] [...] and others have suggested that as much as 60% of an organization’s processes are unstructured – and probably [...]

]]> By: BPM Frontier: Dynamic Processes - Process Is The Main Thing http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-12979 BPM Frontier: Dynamic Processes - Process Is The Main Thing Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:33:53 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-12979 [...] following estimate was made at Gartner’2009 conference: as much as 60% of an organization’s processes are unstructured – and probably also [...] [...] following estimate was made at Gartner’2009 conference: as much as 60% of an organization’s processes are unstructured – and probably also [...]

]]> By: Sandy Kemsley http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-12968 Sandy Kemsley Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:31:17 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-12968 Hi Jacob, I definitely thought of your product when writing about this. I also agree that Google Wave could be a game-changer here: at SAP TechEd last week, I asked the group that had developed Gravity (process modeler inside Google Wave) if they intended to extend the Google Wave ideas to collaboration during process execution, although the answer was somewhat non-committal. Hi Jacob, I definitely thought of your product when writing about this. I also agree that Google Wave could be a game-changer here: at SAP TechEd last week, I asked the group that had developed Gravity (process modeler inside Google Wave) if they intended to extend the Google Wave ideas to collaboration during process execution, although the answer was somewhat non-committal.

]]> By: Jacob Ukelson http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-12937 Jacob Ukelson Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:46:50 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-12937 Sandy, Hi. These are exactly the kind of processes that we address here at ActionBase. One thing to be careful with is that you want to provide enough structure to the process to add value, but not so much as to strangle it. Given that most of these processes are executed today via documents and email, we built our tool as an extension to those standard office tools - allowing the same ad-hoc feel, but adding a layer of management, tracking and reporting. For many of these processes an initial formal model is overkill (and at odds with the needs of most knowledge workers) - at most you want a guideline or best practice that gets modified as the work gets done. Then these emerging models can later be used to create a more formal model if needed (I've blogged on the topic of in-situ process discovery on our blog http://blog.actionbase.com/in-situ-process-discovery). In general we've found that need to provide most BPMS's with a completely defined formal process model is at odds with the management of unstructured processes. Unstructured processes support needs to be part lightweight process tool, part collaboration tool. Of course, I am an advocate for our tool - but I think Google Wave could also be a game changer in this space - if Google decides to take it in that direction. Sandy,
Hi. These are exactly the kind of processes that we address here at ActionBase. One thing to be careful with is that you want to provide enough structure to the process to add value, but not so much as to strangle it. Given that most of these processes are executed today via documents and email, we built our tool as an extension to those standard office tools – allowing the same ad-hoc feel, but adding a layer of management, tracking and reporting.

For many of these processes an initial formal model is overkill (and at odds with the needs of most knowledge workers) – at most you want a guideline or best practice that gets modified as the work gets done. Then these emerging models can later be used to create a more formal model if needed (I’ve blogged on the topic of in-situ process discovery on our blog http://blog.actionbase.com/in-situ-process-discovery).

In general we’ve found that need to provide most BPMS’s with a completely defined formal process model is at odds with the management of unstructured processes. Unstructured processes support needs to be part lightweight process tool, part collaboration tool.

Of course, I am an advocate for our tool – but I think Google Wave could also be a game changer in this space – if Google decides to take it in that direction.

]]> By: Sandy Kemsley http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-12926 Sandy Kemsley Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:57:18 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-12926 Carol, thanks for the clarification, looks like an interesting technique. Carol, thanks for the clarification, looks like an interesting technique.

]]> By: Sandy Kemsley http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-12925 Sandy Kemsley Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:55:48 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-12925 Dennis -- the BPMS vendors are looking for ways to incorporate "barely repeatable processes" into their systems, allowing users to create their own ad hoc processes on the fly but still capturing the audit trail so that it's not just happening over email or the phone in an unaudited fashion. The idea is not to pre-define all of these processes, but to provide tools that allow process participants to have a sufficiently unstructured environment to do what they need to do, and augment that process with their own call-out at that point. Dennis — the BPMS vendors are looking for ways to incorporate “barely repeatable processes” into their systems, allowing users to create their own ad hoc processes on the fly but still capturing the audit trail so that it’s not just happening over email or the phone in an unaudited fashion. The idea is not to pre-define all of these processes, but to provide tools that allow process participants to have a sufficiently unstructured environment to do what they need to do, and augment that process with their own call-out at that point.

]]> By: links for 2009-10-11 « Ex Orbite http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-12842 links for 2009-10-11 « Ex Orbite Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:17:08 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-12842 [...] Column 2 : Hidden costs of unstructured processes #GartnerBPM (tags: BPM gartner process productivity business enterprise20 consulting unstructured structured) [...] [...] Column 2 : Hidden costs of unstructured processes #GartnerBPM (tags: BPM gartner process productivity business enterprise20 consulting unstructured structured) [...]

]]> By: thingamy http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-12421 thingamy Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:50:01 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-12421 <strong>Is Gartner "getting it"?...</strong> (At least they've found a huge issue, but not so much a solution.) Always a pleasure to read a blog post with "revelations" like this: "...the hidden costs of unstructured processes: although a lot of focus of BPM efforts (time...... Is Gartner “getting it”?…

(At least they’ve found a huge issue, but not so much a solution.) Always a pleasure to read a blog post with “revelations” like this: “…the hidden costs of unstructured processes: although a lot of focus of BPM efforts (time……

]]> By: djebar hammouche http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/comment-page-1/#comment-12394 djebar hammouche Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:49:54 +0000 http://www.column2.com/2009/10/hidden-costs-of-unstructured-processes-gartnerbpm/#comment-12394 from my experiences: before to structure unstructered/complex things decide if it was useful or: feasable try to structure social, km, case management or cep process. Another reflexion : minimum of chaos is source of imporovment/adaptation/agility. cf frozen process vs hot process some tips: -follow an learning by doing/show me aproaches are more easy to build an first version of "main process" models: record each step/branch of the process steps graph -you can discover and improve by considering exceptions case and simulations : whatif scenarios. -Use process logs to build concrete facts as support for modelling decision elements -follow more than one end to end process execution to consolidate bp -consider an management to operationnal agent roundtrip to refine descriptions (multi scales/multi level approach) --ask to all stakeholders processes to consolidate terms and rules. -Try to use paperboard and animated models to validate models. rewind features are very useful. -ask to Enterprise people to play bp game and comment theirs actions: Run more than one this game, and each time , changing each role performers to consolidate these models. in final paraphrasing this sentence from Stebdhal, famous french writer : Business Aechitecture is an mirror that walk along the enterprise landscape... kind regards djebar from my experiences:

before to structure unstructered/complex things decide if it was useful or: feasable try to structure social, km, case management or cep process. Another reflexion : minimum of chaos is source of imporovment/adaptation/agility. cf frozen process vs hot process

some tips:
-follow an learning by doing/show me aproaches are more easy to build an first version of “main process” models: record each step/branch of the process steps graph
-you can discover and improve by considering exceptions case and simulations : whatif scenarios.
-Use process logs to build concrete facts as support for modelling decision elements
-follow more than one end to end process execution to consolidate bp
-consider an management to operationnal agent roundtrip to refine descriptions (multi scales/multi level approach)
–ask to all stakeholders processes to consolidate terms and rules.
-Try to use paperboard and animated models to validate models. rewind features are very useful.
-ask to Enterprise people to play bp game and comment theirs actions: Run more than one this game, and each time , changing each role performers to consolidate these models.

in final paraphrasing this sentence from Stebdhal, famous french writer : Business Aechitecture is an mirror that walk along the enterprise landscape…

kind regards
djebar

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