Assessment 4 Essay: Designing, Implementing and Improving Processes

This essay offers a critical reflection on the design, implementation, and improvement of business processes, highlighting their importance for organizational success. It begins by defining business processes and their role in enhancing customer experiences, employee satisfaction, and overall efficiency. The essay then delves into the practical steps involved in process improvement, including identifying problems, redesigning processes, resource allocation, and continuous review. The author emphasizes the significance of employee involvement, a supportive work culture, and the integration of information technology. The essay also discusses the benefits of business process management, such as time and cost savings, data management, and improved communication between departments. The author shares personal experiences and insights gained from seminars, underscoring the complexity and ongoing nature of business process improvement. The essay concludes by reiterating the importance of adapting to market changes and leveraging business process management for a competitive edge. The essay emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and adaptability in the business environment.

ASSESSMENT 4 – ESSAY - INDIVIDUAL CRITICAL
REFLECTION
DESIGNING, IMPLEMENTING AND IMPROVING PROCESSES
1

Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Designing, Implementing and Improving Processes:......................................................................3
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................6
Reference list:..................................................................................................................................7
2

Introduction:
The most important step for a business organisation is to analyse, describe and develop business
processes. Business processes refer to various types of business activities, which are required to
improve the experiences of the customers. Organisations always try to make their business more
competent and well organised (Vanwersch et al. 2016). Business processes involve different
types of functions such as proper training, employee management, good customer care service,
customer satisfaction, efficiency and so on. Over the years, the world has become competitive
and many companies take the concept of business process improvement very seriously. The aim
of the essay is to provide my perspective on the topic of designing and improving business
processes.
Designing, Implementing and Improving Processes:
A few years ago, I did not have any idea about business processes and their importance for the
company. But after joining an organisation I understood the value of business processes. It is
very important to create business processes and implement in a proper way. If a company does
not follow efficient business processes it might face many problems such as frustrated
colleagues, dissatisfied customers, missed deadlines, etc. If everything happens in a systematic
way, the employees feel satisfied. All the business processes are created and implement in a way,
which will ensure the employees do team work in an effective way. Management should follow
several steps to improve the business processes, which will develop a good image of the
organisation in the market. First, it is very important to decide which processes the company
needs to design. Employees should discuss the processes with each other in detail to make sure
that they do not miss or overlook any important information. Then they should examine the
processes to understand the problems to their roots. They should talk to the people who face the
problems. The next step is to redesign the business processes to get rid of the problems which the
employees identified. It is important to ensure that everyone involved in the processes
understands them properly. Then they should address certain changes for the betterment of the
processes. Impact analysis might help examine the opinion and the ideas of the colleagues. Then
risk analysis is important to identify the problems and risks associated with the procedures. The
fourth step is to assure the organisation have all the resources required to improve the business
processes. Changing systems or creating new strategies might contribute to the development of
3

the business processes. The company might need to hire new employees, buy new software or
organise different types of training for the colleagues. Finally, it is important to review the
business processes after the implementation of those processes. Therefore, the employees should
check the performance of the business process frequently.
Without the implementation of good processes, it is not possible for the employees to work
smoothly. Proper design and improvement of the business processes also ensure a company's
growth. Business process design ensures the new processes are efficient and they meet the needs
of the customers. There are several factors, which might not work in an organisation. So,
business processes management is essential to address those issues. If a company identify the
problems properly and improve the processes, it will be able to do time management, save time
and reduce costs. Business process management provides a way to store important data of the
employees. Documenting the information help share the policies, guidelines and rules and it also
ensures the information remains confidential. Continuous improvement will not be effective if
the company does not have the support of all the workers. Therefore, it is also important to create
a work culture, which will encourage healthy participation of all the employees. The whole
process is actually a long term approach which involves small improvements taken regularly. If
the company decides to implement one major change at a time, it will not be a good idea for the
company. The process method also supports the implementation of information technology
systems. It creates a connection between the IT system and the rest of the business, which help
overview everything associated with the business (Rosemann and vom Brocke, 2015). However,
before the implementation of the new IT system, the organisation must understand the
importance of the system for the business. This new system must support the needs of the
organisation and should identify the problems before they occur. In some companies, the
departments do not communicate with each other and they are not aware of their works. As they
work independently and separately, it can create problems. Business process management will
change the method of working separately. It will help connect all the departments with each
other and encourage improvement and analysis.
I have participated in several seminars and discussions related to business process management
to understand the significance of the procedure. Good business processes determine a company's
capability of providing the employees with a high standard of service. The business processes
influence the performance, development, service delivery of an organisation. Every organisation
4

has employees who execute business operations. To perform the business operations in an
effective way, the employees need to use various resources and information technology support.
The customers play the most important role in the system of designing and implementation of the
business processes. If a company can satisfy the customers properly, it will create a good
reputation of that company in the market. A group of different activities can be applied to
improve the methods of business operations. Business process management is also a way, which
connects the departments of the company and the IT department with each other. The system of
the business process is to identify the problems, study them properly and solve them to improve
the experiences of the customers and to make the work culture better (Schmiedel et al. 2013,
p.293). The process creates a culture of working together, communicate and develop trust for
each other. The interaction between the management and the employees is also crucial to
enhance the process of business processes. Employees should have a clear idea about the
organisation's goal. They must feel connected to the business strategies, mission and vision of
the company. It is very important to inform the employees so that they will be able to contribute
to the organisation. Improvement of the business processes also ensures that the senior
management trusts the capabilities of the employees. They should show open-mindedness
towards the new ideas which the employees offer. Therefore, the work culture remains
interesting and creative.
After joining an organisation and attending several seminars, I understood the development or
implementation of the business process is a complicated procedure. It involves the evaluation of
processes, proper workflow design, strategy and optimisation. However, the procedure is
necessary to make the organisation more efficient. If it is implemented in a proper way, there
can be many benefits. Many companies begin their journey in a small scale so that they will be
able to implement the processes easily. Every employee needs to understand the objective of the
processes. The management of the organisation should hire the employees carefully because they
will provide ideas and perspectives to contribute to the execution of the business process
improvement. Before the implementation of the process, employees need to identify the
problems and ask questions regarding those problems. They need to be clear about the
advantages, which the business improvement processes will provide.
There are several other aspects, which one must understand to contribute to the procedure of the
business process improvement. Managers should stay on the top of the procedure of business
5

process improvement. Employees need to have a clear idea about the steps, which should be
implemented to improve the process. The organisation must believe in a work culture, which will
help the business process improvement in a productive way (Wang et al. 2014, p.679). The
procedure must not include the fear of losing jobs. If the management decides to fire an
employee all of a sudden, it might create a sense of fear among the other colleagues. No one
wants to lose his or her jobs, as security is extremely important for every person. If the managers
think a particular employee is not doing his work well, they should transfer him to another
department. He might prove his skills if he contributes to a different department. The
organisation should develop an efficient channel of communication, which will also contribute to
the implementation of business processes. The business process management should not be
exercised for one time. It needs to include a continuous examination of the processes and taking
proper decisions to improve the business process management.
Conclusion:
Companies implement the business process management for various types of reasons. The
companies face huge pressure to maintain their good image and stay competitive. It is extremely
important to make changes or modifications to stay up to date with the current conditions of the
market. If the management and the employees perform the business processes in a proper way, it
will provide a positive result. The business process management also uses a few software
programs, which keep track of the whole procedure. It also enhances the safety and security of an
organisation. I feel glad that I came to know about the business process management in details
because I joined a reputed organisation.
6

Reference list:
Rosemann, M. and vom Brocke, J., (2015). The six core elements of business process
management. In Handbook on business process management 1 (pp. 105-122). Springer Berlin
Heidelberg.
Available at: http://otgo.tehran.ir/Portals/0/pdf/Handbook%20on%20Business%20Process
%20Management%201_1.pdf#page=122
Schmiedel, T., vom Brocke, J. and Recker, J., (2013). Which cultural values matter to business
process management? Results from a global Delphi study. Business Process Management
Journal, 19(2), pp.292-317.
Available at: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/59228/1/acceptedManuscript_17077111.pdf
Vanwersch, R.J., Shahzad, K., Vanderfeesten, I., Vanhaecht, K., Grefen, P., Pintelon, L.,
Mendling, J., van Merode, G.G. and Reijers, H.A., (2016). A critical evaluation and framework
of business process improvement methods. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 58(1),
pp.43-53.
Available at: https://pure.tue.nl/ws/files/3910951/378232305160706.pdf
Wang, Z., Chen, L., Zhao, X. and Zhou, W., (2014). Modularity in building mass customization
capability: The mediating effects of customization knowledge utilization and business process
improvement. Technovation, 34(11), pp.678-687.
Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lingfeng_Chen3/publication/266561961_Modularity_in_bu
ilding_mass_customization_capability_The_mediating_effects_of_customization_knowledge_uti
lization_and_business_process_improvement/links/552f18940cf22d437170da0d.pdf
7