One lesser known but fast growing approach to quality is to leverage business process management (BPM) technology to help drive process improvement.  BPM is particularly effective because it helps organizations identify opportunities for improvement, analyze process changes, and then actually implement and monitor the improvements to realize desired gains.

In a recorded audio podcast with Six Sigma IQ, a Quality executive at a major global Insurance group (a Metastorm customer) recently shared his insights on the value of BPM for delivering quality improvements.  Listen to the podcast which covers the following:

• An overview of the company’s process improvement program
• How BPM fit in with this reengineering effort
• The decision making process in selecting a BPM solution
• How the BPM solution was deployed against targeted processes  
• Implementation challenges
• Results and benefits of BPM and Quality efforts
• BPM deployment tips and recommendations

I always get energized when I hear end user organizations talk about the value they are getting from business process management and business architecture initiatives.  Read more of these success stories or listen to more BPM-related podcasts.

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A little over 2 years after the first Earth Day in 1969, the single chip microprocessor was introduced to the world. In great part this invention catapulted us into a technological revolution.

To put things into perspective, the crew of the Apollo 13 mission – another 40^th anniversary celebrated this month – were working with a computer that had about as much memory as a pocket calculator; and today, in less than a minute, my cell phone can assess highway traffic, propose a new route, and then provide me with real time instructions as I navigate (I’m sure the crew would have had a much easier trip had they had their smart phones on them).

Our attitude towards technology and its Green capabilities has also changed dramatically.

During the era when “Going Green” was still a grass roots movement it would have been laughable to suggest that computers could help clean up the environment – and the phrase “Green Technology” would have been considered an oxymoron!

Today we have only begun to explore the benefits of green technology.

A few months ago I wrote a post, Lean process agility breeds green viability, which examines the relationship between the business attitudes that make up the New Normal – “we need to ‘Lean out’ and eliminate excess waste; being bulky causes us to operate ineffectively” – and the longstanding mantra of the Green Movement – “we need to change our wasteful ways.”

For businesses, the Green Movement isn’t just a moral choice, but it also makes a lot of sense. In a recent article about pharmaceuticals employing green practices, Mike Whaley, senior director of environmental health and safety at Allergan Inc. noted the business value of being Green – “The more efficient you are the more profitable you are,” he stated.

It’s true – when it comes to “Getting Lean,” and when it comes to “Going Green,” efficiency is the name of the game. At Metastorm we are proud that our software solutions can help organizations do both.

Through the use of our Enterprise Architecture (EA), Business Process Management (BPM) and Business Process Analysis (BPA) software, organizations have been able to identify “Fat” in their organization – or areas where they are wasting resources, and running inefficiently – and adjust their processes to eliminate unnecessary overhead and accelerate their performance; minimizing impact on the environment while maximizing their bottom line and competitive advantage.

And it keeps getting better! With new technologies (like the ones we will be unveiling at the 2010 Metastorm Global User Conference) that enable employees to collaborate more effectively without necessitating as much travel, organizations will also be able to further reduce fuel consumption and other associated costs.

To learn more about how we can help you “Get Lean” and “Go Green,” check out this complimentary eBook, Green BPM- The Best Kept Secret for Meeting Your Company’s Green Mandates. This eBook is absolutely a must-read whether you are looking to Lean out your enterprise for greater business value, to “Go Green,” or both!

Happy Earth Day everyone!

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In this blog post, I will draw parallels to Metastorm’s “Get Lean for 2010” program with the goal of helping organizations that find themselves stuck at certain points in a process improvement initiative to get themselves back on track and avoid failure. The article describes three phases of a typical process-improvement project:

Stretching Phase- Those involved are flexible, open to change and have the proper level of support to guide their focus.

As during the initial success of a weight-loss program, at this point in the initiative the team is focused on what is important and necessary for the greater success of the project. With the support and insight of the improvement expert, the team sees significant results.

Yielding Phase- With the project being deemed a success in initial results, the team loses their process-improvement expert and champion to other projects. The team begins to struggle, finding it difficult to match the success of their earlier achievements.

As enthusiasm for the project begins to fail, morale suffers and everyone begins to return to their old ways of executing processes  – just as we so often give up on our weight loss or fitness goals and surrender to our old lifestyles.

Failing Phase- At this point the team questions the purpose of the project. After all, they aren’t experiencing any real benefit from their efforts. As enthusiasm for the project hits an all-time low, nobody steps up to reinvigorate the failing initiative, and everyone ultimately reverts back to their previous level of productivity.

Now, and only now, the executive level is informed that the process-improvement project has been an utter failure. In the weight loss paradigm, we just gain our old weight back and are really no better off for our efforts.

I think the reason that many process-improvement initiatives, like weight loss initiatives, fall into a pattern of destruction is because they are viewed in the wrong light. The true benefit of any process improvement project should be the overall enhanced health of the organization. When you look at the project this way, and provide it with the proper amount of support that it truly needs and remain committed – even after that the initial excitement wanes –you will achieve success.

Technology solutions like Metastorm’s software suite of business process management (BPM), business process analysis (BPA) and enterprise architecture (EA) can be the support that your project needs to keep it focused while enabling your organization to holistically model and analyze, tweak and perfect, and execute more agile, productive and streamlined processes – allowing your organization to turbo-charge its process-improvement initiatives and providing complete visibility into the project.

Having the right technology and tools in place to monitor progress and make process improvements easier helps. BPA tools help you identify your “fattest” processes – giving you the right focus. BPM software gives you the foundation you need to generate efficiencies, track results, and fine tune activities to achieve the desired outcome – and most importantly to maintain it long term.

Learn more about how you can shed fat from your business processes here.

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