"What to do When Process Modeling Doesn't Work" - a chapter from "Mastering the Unpredictable" by ActionBase

What to do when process modeling doesn’t work?
Using adaptive case management (ACM) for ad-hoc, unpredictable human processes
Jacob Ukelson, D.Sc.
April 15, 2010
jacobu@actionbase.com

Agenda
Are there really ad-hoc, unpredictable business processes that can’t (or shouldn’t) be modeled?
What type of processes can’t be modeled?
How are they handled today?
Is that a problem?
Can adaptive case management (ACM) help?
Does ACM replace traditional BPM?

Most Business Processes are Ad-hoc and Unpredictable
10-20% of processes
80-90% of processes
(aka Knowledge Worker Processes)

Classification of Knowledge Intensive Processes
Davenport, T. (2005)
Thinking for a Living.
Harvard Business Press
Processes that can be modeled
Processes that can’t (shouldn’t) be modeled

When Shouldn’t a Process be Modeled?
Processes that consist mainly of interactions between human participants
Collaboration
Negotiation
Content (aka documents)is an integral part of the work, it is both consumed and produced as part of the process
The participantscontrol the process, and change it on a case-by-case basis
Flow changes
Participant changes
Activity changes

Knowledge Intensive Processes Today
Documents
Email
Group Collaboration
RealTime communication

Information Overload

Ad-hoc, Unpredictable Process Scenarios
Decisions and Reviews
Board
of Directors
international
banking
division
real
estate
division
CFO

Complex and Personalized Processes
Customer
Request
Customer
rep
CFO
Products

Audits and Compliance
>50 audit review documents
~3-4 versions per document
Aggregating findings and recommendations
Tracking ~5000 actions
Compiling reports manually
“Chasing” information and status updates

MoreAd-hoc, Unpredictable Process Scenarios
Complex Project Management
Regulatory Process Handling
Exception Handling
Investigations
Contract Management
RFPRFI Management
New plant planning

Ignoring Ad-hoc, Unpredictable Processes is Expensive
45% of knowledge workers spend over 4 hours a week on email follow-up!
41% spend more than 4 hours each week on passing documents between decision makers to get approvals
8 hours a week ~ 20% of working time ~ $10,000 - $15,000 wasted each year per employee
41%
An ACM system can cut that waste by about 50% (on average)

$6000-$10,000 annual savings per knowledge worker
45%
Disciplined Autonomy, Resolving the tension between flexibility and control Laserfiche and the Economist Intelligence Unit Survey of 227 executives

Ignoring Ad-hoc, Unpredictable Processes is Dangerous
Operational Risk Factors
Process Risk
PéterFehér- BACEE-ISACA Conference on Operational Risk in the Financial Sector 2009

What can Adaptive Case Management Do?
Ensure every process instance has an owner
Ensure every process instance has a goal, deadline and a defined work product
a goal defines what must get done, not how the process is done
may also provide an associated guideline or best practice that gives a generic outline of the process
Provide visibility within the context of the execution of a process instance, or after it is complete
details on both the emerging flow of the process (the hand-offs between participants) and the work done by each participant (either in summary or detail form)
Failed handoffs are the most likely cause of process failure
Provide management and control through tracking, deadlines and goals
process participants decide how to best achieve their goals,
process owner can track the current process state and progress
“Hawthrone effect” can change participant behavior

ACM and BPM are Complementary
Many important business processes are actually a mix of routine and unpredictable processes
e.g. exception handling, environment changes, innovation
ACM can be used for “in-situ” process discovery and as process management quick start
Gartner – Design by doing, not Doing by design
ACM extends process management to new use cases
e.g. MeetingsDecision Management
Case handling
Operational process warehouse
and process system of record

This was an excerpt from the book:
Mastering
the
Unpredictable
The new book on how
Adaptive Case Management
will revolutionize the way
that knowledge workers
get things done.
http://www.MasteringTheUnpredictable.com

http://blog.actionbase.com	40
http://www.slideshare.net	17
http://jisi.dreamblog.jp	11
http://www.businessprocessincubator.com	11
http://mxsmirnov.wordpress.com	4
http://mgmt.talkingvillage.com	2
http://xss.yandex.net	1
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	1

"What to do When Process Modeling Doesn't Work" - a chapter from "Mastering the Unpredictable" by ActionBase

by jacobu on Apr 20, 2010

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

8 Embeds 87

Statistics

"What to do When Process Modeling Doesn’t Work" - a chapter from "Mastering the Unpredictable" by ActionBase — Webinar Transcript