Let's define business process analysis, consider its benefits, and learn about the five step structure to implement it.
Oh, and we're going to tie this into a $600 billion emerging industry.
Stick around to hear which one.
So first up, we are talking about business process analysis here.
That is BPA.
Not to be confused with BPM.
That's business process management, of which BPA is one such discipline.
Nor is it to be confused with BA. BA is business analysis, and BA relates to high level operational analysis - think financial forecasting and budgeting, whereas BPA focuses on specific analysis of processes.
Now BPA can be used to increase efficiency and increases efficiency in existing processes.
A better employee onboarding process, for example.
And it can also create better governance.
And that's for governance of practices by revealing where compliance measures have faulted and then set an improvement plan in place.
And it can even strengthen your company's culture.
And it can do that by breathing new life into employee experience.
We've all had bad processes sour our experiences like, well, I don't know, a terrible travel expense submission tool, for example.
(So I've heard) Now there are two predominant philosophies that guide BPA mythology.
The first is called Six Sigma.
And there's also a Lean Six Sigma.
What are those?
Well, Six Sigma is a 5 to 7 step methodology that most businesses today use to analyze efficiencies and restraints.
And Lean Six Sigma differs significantly in that it's a combination of the Six Sigma approach and the Lean philosophy.
It's a collaborative approach that focuses on eliminating tasks and resources that don't provide defined value.
So if I have my own process for baking a cake, well, then Lean Six Sigma would aim to optimize and streamline that process by, for example, reducing the number of cooking steps or eliminating an ingredient, that sort of thing.
Now there's a five step structure for BPA, and we'll get to that in just a sec.
Here in this video studio, I've presented on all sorts of topics, from machine learning to information management, some pretty complex stuff.
And do you know what the most commonly asked question I get is?
How do I write backwards?
Well, here's the thing.
I don't. I just write facing me.
And then in post-production, they flip it.
Look, I'm I'm actually right handed and yes, please do consider subscribing.
Let's get to that five step process for BPA.
And it starts with step number one.
Define. Define as in defining the process you want to analyze. Analysts begin with as-is processes, which is to say how things work today, and that could be a formalized, documented process or otherwise.
Then with a process defined, we move to step two.
Step two is to measure. And we measure by reviewing how the process functions against defined metrics such as key performance indicators.
KPIs provide indications of things like effectiveness, quality, productivity and value.
KPIs are process specific.
So, for instance, customer engagement workflows might be measured by KPIs for quality and effectiveness versus KPIs for efficiency.
Now step three is.
Analyze.
And here, business process analysts might run a value analysis, a gap analysis or a root cause analysis. A gap analysis that reveals what's missing in the process.
A value analysis conveys what is a value within the process, and therefore also what's considered waste. And a root cause
analysis applies certain "why" questions and methods that help you to work backwards to the root cause of the problem.
You know, like a like a seven year old child at bedtime.
It's time for bed.
So you're not tired in the morning. Because you have to go to school!
Yeah.
You get the idea.
Now, with a process defined, measured and analyzed.
It's time to make it better.
Business process managers and analysts create and execute plans to improve
the problem Errors in a process
And improvements may mean remapping a process, increasing resources or shifting communication approaches and channels.
And then the final step.
That is control, whereby decision makers can use all of this analysis to better manage resources, responsibilities and processes and also to monitor these changes for future analysis.
Oh, and that $600 billion industry, I teased at the beginning.
That industry is called hyper automation.
And hyper automation is the use of advanced technologies like A.I., artificial intelligence and robotic process automation to automate tasks that are currently performed by human beings.
And BPA can help your organization create a documented, mapped path to integrating automated processes and moving towards a goal of Hyperautomation
good example of that is how customer service centers can lower costs and optimize customer support by moving to fully automated chat bot support.
Look, the net of all this is that BPA defines an approach to perform a detailed, multi-step examination of each part of a process to identify what is working well in your current process, what needs to be improved, and how any necessary improvements can best be made.
Improvements, do you hear me travel-expense tool?
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Thanks for watching.