What is Business Process Management All About?

What is Business Process Management, Really?

People are creatures of habit. If a restaurant manager has always scheduled employees by hand, it's second nature to do so. Other chains may have ditched manual processes long ago in favor of automated solutions, and that's fine for them. But why change course when everything seems to be going just fine?

The problem with this attitude is that outdated processes eliminate any chance at a competitive advantage. When the competition uses BPM solutions to streamline the reservation process, their brand aligns with consumer needs. They will be the ones who attract new patrons and generate more sales, not you.

Customers expect more than they did 20 years ago due to technological advancements. After the digital revolution, process improvement and workflow management are a must. And that's where process automation and a BPM discipline come in handy.

Business process management is a discipline that optimizes a company's performance. It is the review of outdated manual business processes that are inefficient and redundant. In the restaurant industry, it's imperative to continue improving processes. This enables owners to streamline internal operations and increase customer satisfaction.

BPM tools allow restaurants to drill down into each workflow to ensure it aligns with company objectives. Using modeling techniques, trial and error, and automated tools, restaurants can revamp set activities. This provides the competitive edge required to stay on top.

Read ahead for more insight into BPM tools and the BPM life cycle.

Elements of Business Process Management

So, what about BPM helps organizations? Restaurants use BPM to review each business activity and pinpoint any inefficiencies. Examples of business processes include inventory management, taking orders, reservation management, and cooking food.

Every BPM discipline has 6 different elements. Any business process management initiative that does not cover these elements will not be effective. Read ahead for more insight.

1. Business Process Management Element Strategic Alignment

BPM business process management must align with the restaurant's goals and strategies. This is referred to as strategic alignment or synchronization. If BPM does not align with these core values, then it will not be effective upon implementation.

For example, purchasing an automated tool to streamline scheduling is only effective if the restaurant's goal is to minimize time spent on scheduling. If the owner simply buys an automated system because everyone else is doing it, then it is probably a waste of money. Not all manual processes need to be eliminated, only the ones that aren't working.

This is where a full-scope BPM approach is useful, as it drills down into each activity to determine its effectiveness and efficiency.

Fast Facts on Strategy Implementation:

• 50% of leaders rate strategy as more important than implementation
  
• 98% of leaders believe strategy creation takes more time than implementation
  
• 33% of leaders believe their organizations are poor at generating and implementing strategies
  
• Only 2% of leaders believe they will achieve 80% or more of their business objectives
  

2. Business Process Management Element Governance

Who is in charge of which project or task? Where does each business process begin and where does it end? Answering these questions is an imperative part of business process automation and BPM. An effective BPM initiative must establish and review the governance of workflows within the restaurant. It may require different people to take on different tasks or to switch the chain of command.

This will optimize project management and ensure the restaurant achieves desired business outcomes.
Governance also establishes accountability and transparency within an organization. If everyone knows who is in charge of what, it's much easier to get questions answered and enact disciplinary measures. It also tends to improve morale.

3. Business Process Management Element Methods

A BPM business system typically requires some type of robotic process automation. The reason why business processes tend to be inefficient is that they are outdated. For example, data entry wastes time and resources, and can easily be performed by a computer. Methods facilitate the review of BPM software and other tools required to optimize business activities.

If implemented properly, the majority of workflow automation tools increase productivity and efficiency. They also streamline collaboration and minimize errors, which improves morale. Furthermore, the customer experience tends to improve when a restaurant uses the right set of management tools.

Top BPM Tools: Top BPM tools include Kissflow, ProcessMaker, Zoho Creator, Nintex, and Bizagi. These systems use workflow and collaboration to extract meaningful insights that are delivered to restaurant owners.

4. Business Process Management Element Information Technology

Each BPM tool must be coded properly so it follows specific business rules. The software must comprehend exactly what process should be executed for it to be effective. Otherwise, team members will waste a lot of time and energy using a new system that doesn't work. Owners should hire a specialist who understands how to align artificial intelligence with a specific business strategy.

5. Business Process Management Element People

What's a business process without people behind it? While automated tools can perform a lot of human tasks, there still needs to be a person running the show. Across the supply chain, various stakeholders interact with processes to ensure they are completed on time.

In a BPM discipline, people include the individuals who apply their skills to optimize business performance. This encompasses everyone from a BPM manager to the server who greets customers. Each of them interacts with a robotic process tool or contributes to the process itself. Managers must enact effective employee onboarding and training to ensure everyone can perform their assigned roles.

7 Common Roles for a Successful BPM:

• Business Process Director - Oversees entire process improvement program
  
• Business Process Consultant - Most advanced BPM experts
  
• Business Analyst - Identifies and suggests improvements to existing processes
  
• Project Manager - Work is delivered in a timely and effective manner
  
• Business Process Architect - Team members with skills between an architect and a director
  
• Business Process Champions - Facilitates continuous improvement in processes
  
• Solution Architect - Provides technical support on any applications or tools
  

6. Business Process Management Culture

To carry out an effective BPM discipline, a restaurant should first list its core values and goals. What is the restaurant's brand? What gives it a competitive edge? Is the goal to make more money? Or is it to increase the number of repeat patrons? Regardless of the set of values or goals, BPM business process implementation can't work without first defining the culture. Experts define the BPM culture as those collective beliefs and values that optimize a process-focused restaurant.

Key Takeaways for Business Process Management

In conclusion, here are the 6 elements of BPM -

• A business process management initiative must strategically align with company goals and objectives for it to be successful.
• BPM must be overseen by the proper people, and individuals must interact with processes as designed. This is referred to as governance. Furthermore, a BPM discipline employs various technologies and tools (methods) to streamline processes.
• Information technology must follow specific business rules for an executed process to be effective.
• The people are all of the individuals who control and interact with revamped business processes. The culture includes the values and objectives of a restaurant.