Last time I already summarized about BPM’s meanings, etc. Continuing to the benefits, well, I thought it wouldn’t be that difficult, but it was quite hard for me to see the ‘real thing’. But, I read in some papers and agree that they mentioning about efficiency, effectiveness and agility. Please search in the net, and you’ll find lots of it =’] I don’t wanna talk much about it now, coz I still think I haven’t seen the whole picture and the real thing that I can figure out one of it at my workplace long time ago. =p
I’m thinking, even though an organization does not claim that it performs BPM, actually, being realized or not, all organizations in nature will manage all business processes to achieve their objectives.
And now I’m wondering to classify business processes. At first, I thought that an organization will have lots of business processes. Second, not all business processes are the core ones. Third, regarding the social software tools, not all business processes can be supported by those tools. So, I have to find out business process and tools characteristics so they can match and perform in maximum way to benefit the organization.
And yesterday, I met my advisor. She successfully made me confuse with “process improvement” now =’] Seeing BPR vs BPM, I was sure that BPM is a lot broader than BPR, that now, I can think that BPR can be a part of BPM. Actually, I’ve checked in “System Analysis and Design with UML version 2.0″ book, it discussed about BPA (Automation), BPI (Improvement), and BPR (Reengineering). But I think the scope of that book is limited to the technology part. BPA means changing manual process into automation process, means faster process, more efficient (have to make financial analysis) and more effective (have to measure, example by comparing before and after comparison). BPA projects are usually short term projects since it doesn’t change process. The process flow is still the same, it’s just being delivered to computerized applications. BPI means improving the as is system (whether or not it’s still manual or already computerized), maybe cut or add some process in the to be system to make the process more efficient, or add process’ validation that the to be process can be more effective in performing the processes. BPR, as discussed in the book also, is focusing on the to be system that it is said that its goal is to create a “new” process that analyst only spend little time on seeing the as is process. The to be process is supposed to be different from the old one. BPR projects take more time to finish and more risks, more costs, but also can give significant benefit among the 3 approaches. It’s very technical.
That I think, BPM is not only about technology, even manual process can be improved through BPM practice. So, BPM refers to broader scope.
And, what is process improvement? In broad term, it can be any process –> software process improvement and business process improvement. But, if process improvement can refer to any of those, it means that it’s quite the same with BPM? I mean, BPM can be manual, but it is getting closer to IT. BPM sees business as processes, and one of its goal is to optimize those processes. Process improvement’s goal is also to improve process of course. BPM’s other goal is to be able to adapt to the changes happen in business environment, and it is also one of other goal of business improvement. So, what’s the difference between those two?? =’| I consider about BPM lifecycle which is a continuous cycle. I don’t know much about process improvement, does it have a method or something in applying it? Process improvement will not happen in only one time. It’s like a never ending story, and so does BPM. waaa… ok, this will be my homework, huhu..
BPM and KM. They relate to each other, they support one another. It’s like mutual relationship, but I don’t know is there any paper that discuss about this relationship. Does poor BPM can lead to poor KM? Does it apply on the reverse also? Is there any research about this before? How would they prove it? KM practice is more like intangible, hard to measure the benefit I guess. But, anyway, I still wanna find their relation.
Ok, I think there’s a lot :’] Lotsa work to do now!.. Ganbatte ne! 
