The problem: create a system that can be used across various countries. The solution: formulate a standardised process.
This was the scenario unpacked during a case study presentation by Fleur Morris, global design authority lead for SABMiller, at ITWeb's fifth annual BPM Summit, in Bryanston, yesterday.
According to Morris, SABMiller had processes in place but realised it had to come up with a better way to link tasks and functions in an end-to-end approach so that there would be a single thread linking all processes.
"We developed a bit of a foxy, out-of-the-box way of thinking. We have used BPM for something very different to what other big organisations typically use it for," she said, noting that the planning process started off with asking exactly what the company needed. In this case, that was a single standardised process that could be used across many countries to bring uniformity into the brand's global business processes.
"It was important for us to find a common language between IT and business and we did so using BPM. To develop this language, we needed to develop a common understanding between business and IT."
She outlined how the initial planning for this standardisation push involved gathering information and then getting business to sign off on the new processes. This was a complicated procedure, as things in business change constantly, resulting in a fairly low accuracy level, she said.
SABMiller created a single, live repository, which is easily updateable and operates in real time. "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what work you are doing, companies need the right information at their disposal at all times in order to make informed decisions."
To get this right, said Morris, the company needed a good recipe. It needed to apply key principles, implement a simple architecture, agree who is in charge of what information, incentivise to keep these processes alive, and provide relevant information across all projects.
"The result was a single version of the truth, via a simple, yet effective, process architecture," she said.
While it is a good idea to have standard processes across various countries, this can be complicated, said Morris, noting that this is a sound approach as long as any deviations from the standard template are documented and contained within the business process repository.
Successful implementation of the revised process ensured staff understood what impact their actions would have on their colleagues should a process guideline not be followed correctly, she said.
To get staff to embrace the new process, there needs to be adherence to the process at every phase of the project, said Morris, concluding that business needs to demonstrate that efficient processes can improve how business tackles the issues at hand.
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