Defining a Business Process
A business process, also referred to as a business method, can be understood as a grouping together of related, structured actions or tasks resulting in a specific service or product (serving a particular purpose) for a particular customer or customers, either internal or external. By using a flowchart, a process can be visualized as a sequence of activities with interleaving decision points. By Likewise, using a process matrix , it can be viewed as a sequence of activities with relevant rules based on data in the process.
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- Management processes are the processes that govern the operation of a system. Typical management processes include "corporate governance" and "strategic management".
- Operational processes are processes that constitute constitute the core business and create the primary value stream. Typical operational processes are purchasing, manufacturing, advertising and , marketing, and sales.
- Supporting processes are those which support the core processes. Examples include accounting, recruitment, call centercentre, technical support.
A business process begins with a target and ends , (ideally, ) with the achievement of the business objective. Organizations which that are process-oriented seek to remove the barriers of rigid structural departments and attempt to avoid functional silos.
A business process can be further broken down into several sub-processes, each of which has its own attributes , but also contribute to achieving the overall goal. The analysis of business processes typically includes the mapping of processes and sub-processes down to the activity level.
Business processes are designed to add value for the customer and should not include unnecessary activities. The outcome of a well-designed business process is increased effectiveness (value for the customer) and increased efficiency (less fewer costs for the company).
Business processes can be modeled modelled through a large number of methods and techniques. For instance, the Business Process Modeling Notation is a Business Process Modeling technique that can be used for drawing business processes in a workflow.
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Business processes contain a set of sequential sub-processes or tasks, each with alternative paths depending on certain conditions, performed to achieve a given objective or produce a given output. Each process requires one or more forms of input. The input and output may be received from , or sent to other business processes, other organizational units, or internal or external stakeholders.
Business processes are designed to be operated by one or more business functional units , and emphasize the importance of the “process chain” rather than the individual units.
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