Global Business Processes: the means to succeed in the 21st century.

What is a global process and what business benefit does it provide?

Companies with a worldwide presence face many challenges such as globalization, regional trading agreements and the uncertainty of the economic markets. These challenges require a coordinated approach which maximizes the benefits of a world-wide presence and at the same time provide a local focus. Global processes are the way to achieve this balance and include front end activities like customer acquisition or new business processing, support processes like information systems right the way through to back end customer retention and financial management.

How does a company create, implement, and manage global processes?

Co-ordination. Teams need to develop a common process approach which regardless of culture speaks the same language i.e. what is the successful customer outcome (SCO)? Figuring out how work gets done and achieves the SCO is key to global process success. Implementation needs a pragmatic approach which acknowledges cultural perspectives. Bringing a strategic multi disciplinary team together led by qualified process leaders familiar with cultural and economic challenge is a starting point. Rolling out that discipline and process approach through geographic teams provides a means to learn and exchange and grow key processes to maturity.

What are the most common challenges associated with global processes?

Getting everyone on the same page. Even the way we think and speak of processes is different and so developing a common way of looking at work is critical to a successful operation. For instance the ‘collecting the money process’ has a very specific objective however each location may have different custom and practice – how do you ensure a uniform and yet different approach? The underpinning technology that supports a global process can be common, however the business rules that we operate to make sure our endeavour is successful often need to be different.


What is the relationship between global processes and performance improvement?
The relationship is absolute. In the 20th century we may have talked about standardization and conformity. Performance is now much more driven by the capability to act in the moment e.g. a US insurance company has the slogan ‘think global, act local’ which provides both a degree of uniformity and empowers the people locally to act in the best interests of the business – there and then.


Why should the average employee care about global processes?

It is the understanding that there is a framework and common structure to running the business successfully that provides assurance that senior management knows what they are doing and are operating as a team. Process is the way we get work done. It is the way we deliver value to our customers. It’s the way we create profits for our shareholders. This can then be encapsulated in our rewards systems and provide a framework for success, both in process, people, systems and global strategy.

Process Simulation | BPM | Customers – mutually exclusive?

Interesting discussion thread this week on the BP Group LinkedIn is certainly provoking a debate – see http://bit.ly/4Er8N6 for the latest.

The debate was sparked by Mark Barnett (SVP Process Bank of America) who delivered an eye opening presentation at the Lean Six Sigma and Process Improvement summit in Florida in Janaury 2010.
A key contributor to the merger and acquisition program of Countrywide involved the use of process simulation to test and validate certain assumptions. The result? Well let Mark tell you in his presentation here > http://bit.ly/czBdtc – biggish file< Jim Sinur (Gartner) has dusted off his thoughts on process simulation (see http://bit.ly/dvIUv0) so I think we can now officially call Simulation ‘flavor of the month!’

Five Principles for Outside-In (aka Advanced BPM)

What are the guiding principles of moving your company to Outside-In thinking and practice?

Well with ten years of implementation under the belts of leading companies the top five looks something like this..

1. Be Customer centric in everything you think and do.
Outside-In is about the Customer. It is about people. it is about you and me.

2. Be engaged and be collaborative.
There will be others who think like you and you need support to overcome inside-out entrenched mindsets. Together we are stronger.

3. Be Optimistic. Feint heart never won fair lady.
You will need to encourage others and help them realise the personal and organisational benefits of Outside-In.

4. Be Open to new ideas and new technology.
Change happens fast, keep pace and be prepared to elarn new things every day.

5. Be ambitious.
You may have to start small however the longest journeys begin with the first step. Do what you can within your sphere of influence and work for that green light. When it comes get moving and embrace the opportunity.

Would you like to know more?…
> For collaboration and networking visit and join the BP Group
> For Coaching and professional qualifications visit www.bp2010.com
> For more indepth discussion please contact steve.towers @ bpgroup.org

BPM is going Outside-In – podcast

A new 15 minute overview of the challenge of Outside-In. Interview by the facilitators of the Lean Six Sigma conference in Orlando during January. http://bit.ly/6fzUkr

Still a few places left at what the BP Group endorse as a 5 Star ‘excellent’ event. There will be several BP Group presenters and workshops so if you have a chance to book at short notice register here – http://www.leansixsigmasummit.com/

Join us for a drink and BP Group community exchange 🙂

What Price Complexity?

Complexity is insidiously expensive.
When production and service cycles take forever, and costs are high, chances are that most of your processes are mired in complexity. Since Victorian times, companies have felt compelled to offer consumers whatever they want, creating a myriad of choice with goods and services each having their own process and production lines.

In turn these processes are supported by complex systems and require specific skills for bespoke services and products. How often do you hear the recital “oh we’re very different around here. What we are do is unique in the industry.”
And it probably is to the detriment of the very people you are trying to please – the customer.

Consider a few of the not so hidden costs of complexity:

1. Customer inconvenience – Your customers have to negotiate your complex system and its mind-numbing array of alternatives.
Q. Just how many Moments of Truth are there?

2. Unwieldy sales processes – The sales systems needed to support complex product lines soon grow too cumbersome, whether they require filling out complicated order forms, getting indecipherable invoices or navigating endless voice mail paths.
Q. How many rules exist to ‘guide and direct’ and are not out of date slowing things to crawl?
Q. How many handoffs occur in your processes between people, systems and services?

Eradicating those Moments of Truth, Rules and Breakpoints can change everything.

3. Impact on management – Eventually, even your managers will find numerous products and processes too much to track.
Q. How much money have you spent training people to deal with this complexity?
Remove the complexity and legacy approaches geared to streamlining processes may not be required!

4. As an absolute, the greater an organization’s complexity, the less focused its management.
Q. Where does all that management time get directed? Fire fighting and fixing problems caused by the nightmare of complexity.

Refocus management time to helping align processes for successful outcomes.

You do not have to live with complexity. We have a phrase “Fix the Cause, Remove the Effect” – perhaps that can be your guide also?

Outside-In BPM – utilize ground breaking techniques created by the market leaders who have redefined their markets and continue to outplay the competition in every aspect of the game.

You can review the CEMMethod(TM) and the training approach at www.bp2010.com