Assignment: Processes and Controls
Every organization needs defined Processes and Controls to assure quality and consistency.
The question is who should create these?
In the traditional mindset, the owner or some other authority specifies, designs, and mandates the organization's Processes and Controls.
With the machine age, efficiency experts, process engineers, and other experts. Lookup the work of Fredrick Taylor, Henri Fayol, and other innovators in the field of "scientific management" (Scott & Davis, 2007, (Bolman & Deal, 2003). These "scientific management" experts took a structured view of work (tasks and sub-tasks) and measured/recorded every second spent at work.
The management revolution of the 1980's and 1990's was primarily based on Business Process Reengineering. Business Process Reengineering is based on the idea that the persons who know a process best are those who do the work. Once you accept that you can look at processes, process controls and hand-offs effectively and look to see how technology needs to be integrated, you can begin to create dynamic organizations that self manage and will scale organically. The goal of Business Process Reengineering is to make larger organizations function like dynamic Entrepreneurial startups. This is done by giving ownership over processes to the process owners.
Business Process Reengineering has had mixed results and has earned a negative connotation due some very poor applications of the process. According to Dennis, Carte, and Kelly ( 2002), Business Process Reengineering fails when:
- The implementation team fails to identify the right audience in the requirement gathering phase.
- Does not involve the right audience or associates in the testing phases.
- Does not conduct proper root cause analysis sessions and as such does not truly understand the process.
- Fails to have sufficient the senior, executive, and middle leadership support.
Have you seen or been a part of a Business Process Reengineering effort?
Was it successful or just an excuse to eliminate jobs?
References:
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2003). Reframing organizations artistry, choice, and leadership (3rd ed.). 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103-1744: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint.
Scott, W. R., & Davis, G. F. (2007). Organizations and organizing regional, natural and open system perspectives. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 07458: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Dennis, A. R., Carte T. A., & Kelly, G. G. (2002). Breaking the rules: success and failure in groupware-supported business process reengineering. Retrieved from http://dns2.asia.edu.tw/~psuhjw/paper/bpr-8.pdf