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Business Process Management

 BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT

 Introduction
 For every business there is a process in place. For some businesses, there are a number of laid down processes. These processes actually form the building units of the business which is pre-requisite to end results of the business. Zairi (1997) defined a process as an approach for converting inputs into outputs. Davenport (1993) defined process as a structured, measured set of activities designed to produce a specified outcome for a particular customer or market.W e need to realize that these processes might be performed routinely by members of staff of the organisation who are also the operators, without bearing the ultimate end results in mind. The operators carry out their duties normally as expected of them. This oftentimes leads to business processes being carried out but desired end results not fully achieved and therefore little value added.
 Objectives
 When we say processes here, it is not as per systems or technology but it involves people and the methods of performing these operations, as Smith and Fingar (2003) pointed out, process management is not another form of automation. However, we can view it as increasing the use of information technology to coordinate activities of people and resources. Paim et al (2008). There is therefore a need for the department that will be instrumental in an organisation to drive processes to ensure that these processes are well carried out. Paim et al (2008) state that managing business processes is a "day to day" activity where there are necessary tasks to be performed in order to drive processes in an organization. This department would be the Business Process Management department. Business process management enables organizations to increase productivity significantly and at the same time reduce time cycles in creating and adapting processes, but requires significant changes in
organizations' managerial, and particularly cultural, practices. (Harmon, 2003; Piam,...