Business process modeling is closely related to project management. While projects are one time events – with a well-defined beginning and end – processes are continuous. However, even with these definitions, the world is not so black and white. We have processes for projects, and repetitive processes often are projects. Let me explain with some examples.A manufacturing process – for example, manufacturing wallboard – is a continuous process. It operates 24×7x365 – except for the inevitable planned and unplanned downtime.
A one-time, never repeatable project is constructing a building. The building is a one-of-a-kind.
The extreme case of manufacturing wallboard is still not perfect, although it strives to be and is close. Every piece of wallboard produced is unique, but at the same time is nearly identical to every other piece.
By contrast, the process of constructing a building is similar from building to building. There also are similar characteristics among all buildings, but obviously they are ‘more different’ than the pieces of wallboard.
While these are 2 extreme cases, they illustrate that there is a continuum of processes out there. In the business world, we tend to strive to find efficient processes for everything we do – to systematize, in the name of efficiency and consistency of output. We are essentially looking at ‘mini-projects’ and trying to make them more like processes. Often the resistance to change that we experience is due to people who want to keep an activity as a project, as it seems to give them more power, whereas systematizing the activity takes away some perceived power.
So, what we are often doing is developing a process out of what has been a series of projects. The challenge, from a process and project design standpoint, is to separate out the systematic elements – the elements within the Work Breakdown Schedule (WBS) of the mini-projects – from the elements that require human intervention, as they are ‘custom’ actions.Â
These ‘custom’ elements that require human effort and intervention become fewer and further between, as more automation and technology is inserted. Furthermore, it is often a great challenge for the process designer to make judgments on how detailed to break down the work – the granularity of the tasks at hand. The object is not necessarily to automate or systematize everything possible. It is important to also consider the human element – the skills AND temperaments of the people who will be operating within the process. To achieve maximum efficiency, the people acting in the process must be properly challenged, respected, and leveraged in a way that optimizes their own personal productivity, as measured in part by job satisfaction.
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John Reiling, PMP
Project Management Training Online
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