SSF's Journal - Aug'18

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A Scientific Art & An Artistic Science SIMPLIFYING BPM – THE LIGHTER SIDE OF SERIOUS BUSINESS • KRISH VENKAT A line is a dot that went for a walk. – Paul Klee The dot taking a predictable walk results in a straight line, which is what most readers would visualize spontaneously while reading the above................................. ‘ A random walk – a walk deviating from the routine – might lead to something new, something creative, something that could possibly change the world around us. Managing processes There is a ‘process’ in everything that is occurring around us, if only we learn how to ‘see’ it. From as mundane as getting ready and leaving for work every morning to readying a flight with 500+ people for take-off, there is a process involved, whether we are aware of it or not. This is where Process Management comes into picture. There is a ‘process’ in everything that is occurring around us, if only we learn how to ‘see’ it. From as mundane as getting ready and leaving for work every morning to readying a flight with 500+ people for take-off, there is a process involved, whether we are aware of it or not. But somehow, people think of processes consciously and intensely only when it comes to anything related to business. ’ Hence ‘Business Process Management’ (BPM) seems to have acquired a unique significance. Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Bill gates and numerous others have had the requirements of replicating their inventions and scaling their businesses up to the sky and even beyond. The way they have conquered the world, even Alexander of Macedon would envy. To achieve this, the tens of thousands of their army had to bring out outputs in the same way they had envisioned. Hence, Business Process Management assumes utmost significance. Continuous Line Art Courtesy: darkroastedblend.com A straight line or a drawing of a specific shape and size is formed if it is drawn in a particular way, through a ‘process’. Especially, if there is a need to replicate it many times over, there is a need for a standard process that needs to be understood, designed, agreed, tested and implemented. PROCESS EDGE | AUGUST 20<strong>18</strong> | 36 “No institution can possibly survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it. The business must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings.” Peter Drucker. But, successful organizations would want to sustain their ability to add value and thus, their competitive advantage. They have to create new products and also retain the best of brains. Thus, Business Process Management must look beyond mere awareness of the processes or the robotic repetition from the manuals. BPM has to ensure sustained excellence, thereby naturally assuming the nature of an art. www.sharedservicesforum.in
Peter Drucker called management a liberal art and he in fact brought lessons from sociology, psychology, philosophy, culture and why, even religion into his teachings on management. BPM thus embraces art throughout. The art dimension would dominate, if an individual or a team is involved in BPM with passion, reasonable freedom, creativity and empowerment. Looking Beyond the Function Most professionals, especially in finance and accounting, may not be process oriented. Some of them would have understood the function well, while missing the process. BPM increases the visibility factor. A person who has a process orientation is able to see the “whole”, identifying bottlenecks and visualizing risks and enabling proactive action. Understanding the relationships and the end-to-end flow is science while improvising and adding excellence is more of an art. “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.” –Warren Buffett BPM is thus not a routine, predictable, boring job. BPM is not merely documenting what is. It is doing all things required to reach where you desire to be. In short, you design excellence. BPM & Technology BPM is not just about technology. It goes way beyond technology. In fact, technology is just one part of BPM. Unless there is excellence in the business process, there is not going to be any excellence merely by using the most expensive or the most modern technology. At the same time, business and technology have become so woven together. As part of BPM, it is very rare that you talk about one excluding the other. Hence, BPM is more or less like an AR Rahman composition. It is about music. It is also about technology. You cannot exclude one from the other. But a novice using the same technology would not produce the same music that AR Rahman produces. ‘ BPM is thus not a routine, predictable, boring job. BPM is not merely documenting what is. It is doing all things required to reach where you desire to be. In short, you design excellence. ’ “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” –Steve Jobs To a crafty batsman, the cover drive is akin to an artist’s brush stroke. But for those who study it and use it to coach others, it could be more of a science. Art is more internalized. Even for the batsman himself, when he is made aware of a flaw in his game, the science takes over in precisely measuring, for example, the extra unnecessary leg movement or the bat lift. Once he rectifies his flaw by repeated practice, he gets back to the ‘artist’ mode and even improvises on what he just learnt. He shifts from ‘doing’ to ‘being’. ......automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” – Bill Gates The End User The ease of use for the consumer - internal or external - is directly proportional to the vigorous efforts during the process design. Be it a smart phone or an app, the harder you work during the programming or the designing, the easier it would be for the end user. Thus, in BPM, while creating the process, there is a need for deliberating all relevant factors and even proactively visualizing the challenges. This will ensure that it simplifies life for the end user. Singing for the ‘Emperor’ “No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.” – Oscar Wilde In most organizations, the employees are shown the process. They are merely expected to understand it and just keep repeating it. Once, Akbar heard the divine song of a fakir and found that it was far more melodious than that of Tansen, his most favorite court singer. He asked Tansen “Both of you have the same heavenly voice, but his song is far more superior to yours. What could be the reason?” Tansen replied “While I sing to please you, he sings for himself and his divine Master. That’s the big difference.” www.sharedservicesforum.in PROCESS EDGE | AUGUST 20<strong>18</strong> | 37
Page 1: AUGUST 2018 Innovation in business
Page 4 and 5: Table of Contents 3 COVER STORY Inn
Page 6 and 7: Few decades ago, by evolving and ad
Page 8 and 9: PCaaS: A Transformation Centric App
Page 10 and 11: The ‘Execute’ stage opens up wi
Page 12 and 13: Benefits Galore The Industry Agnost
Page 14 and 15: www.sharedservicesforum.in
Page 16 and 17: 8 th ANNUAL GLOBAL SHARED SERVICES
Page 18 and 19: multiple domains and a range of pro
Page 20 and 21: The Levels The Level is the final m
Page 22 and 23: Deployment of the Model The Process
Page 24 and 25: Calling the Attention of Financial
Page 26 and 27: The government of this country howe
Page 28 and 29: of senior executives with otherwise
Page 30 and 31: Front Office Middle Office Back Off
Page 32 and 33: SSF Excellence Awards, Recognition
Page 34 and 35: Awards & Recognition for Excellence
Page 36 and 37: THE HALL OF FAME - SSF Felicitation
Page 40 and 41: BPM, in many organizations, is very
Page 42: DOMAINS RvaluE Group is Celebrating

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SSF's Journal - Aug'18