Business Process Transformation
As we have previously discussed, digital transformation has been at the forefront of most companies’ minds since the start of the pandemic. This area has experienced exponential growth, and for businesses to remain relevant, they need to accelerate the adoption of innovative and emerging technologies.
Objectives of business process transformation
The introduction of any new process into an organisation is based on a need that is generally focused around improving processes within the company to achieve one or all of the following:
- Increased operational efficiency
- Optimised business processes
- Improved business outcomes
- Reduction of risks
- Improved cost-saving
- Differentiation in over-saturated markets
- Alignment of processes to new strategies
Manual processes are inherently flawed. They waste time, incur unnecessary costs and increase a company’s risk due to human error.
In addition, regulatory and compliance demands are growing, and businesses are under operational pressure to meet these obligations. As a result, many companies are competing for business, requiring them to undergo due diligence reviews. Companies with streamlined and automated processes are far more likely to be short-listed.
Implementing effective business process transformation
Before you can rush in and improve operational efficiency or align your processes to your new strategy, it is imperative to understand your existing processes. It is critical to the success of your project to review all existing processes so that you can effectively identify what needs to be changed or improved.
Creating a detailed operational view of all your workflows will significantly improve your ability to identify gaps and duplicated or unnecessary processes. In order for your project to be successful, you will need to ensure that you have certain steps in place.
What is the expected outcome of the change?
As an organisation you need to have a clearly articulated objective in mind. Therefore, it is imperative to communicate what outcome you are expecting from this change. This will dictate the direction you follow, and you are more likely to obtain the buy-in of all your internal stakeholders.
Communication
When communicating the upcoming objectives, you need to involve all stakeholders to ensure the success of your business process transformation.
Detailed analysis of existing processes
As mentioned, you need to perform a detailed analysis of your existing processes to identify gaps, etc. Many businesses make the fatal error of creating project management teams which often fail to include the staff who perform the actual work.
Identifying which processes need to be transformed is the only way you will be in a position to determine which digital solutions are the best fit and most likely to make the most significant impact.
Implementing changes is always best done in a phased approach. Firstly this is far more manageable and less overwhelming for everyone involved. Any form of change can be challenging and stressful. Reaching and celebrating milestones is key to keeping everyone on board.
Collaboration
Collaboration with the relevant teams is crucial to the success of your project for two main reasons. Firstly, they are better positioned to identify which tasks should be improved; secondly, without their buy-in, implementing new changes will most likely receive push-back, and unnecessary delays will most likely occur.
Identifying your partners
Another area that can make or break the successful implementation of business process transformation is which providers you partner with. Companies should always research various technology partners and their solutions.
Your external partners need to be involved in each phase, from planning and implementing to testing, so it is imperative to identify the type of support they are willing to provide.
CONCLUSION
For your business process transformation project to be successful, you must first define your objectives. In addition, all of your existing workflows and processes need to be reviewed to identify what needs to be improved and which solution will be most effective.
But without effective collaboration between all internal and external stakeholders, your project is unlikely to succeed. Everyone in your business needs to be able to see the benefits and be willing to work towards your goal.