techDaily.info :: Business Process Improvement: More than Just Technology

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Business Process Improvement: More than Just Technology

Posted: 11/7/2002

Posted By:	RFB Communications Group, Inc.		Contact:	Suzanne Boland
Phone:	813/259-0345		Email:	sboland@rfbcommunications.com

TAMPA, Fla., -- (Nov. 7, 2002) – Too many organizations believe that technology cures all business problems, according to consultants at Tribridge, provider of business consulting services for middle market companies.

“If there are problems with your business processes and all you do is automate the processes, you’ll simply have the same problems – but even faster,” says Brian Deming, Tribridge president and COO. “Technology is a tool, not a cure-all. If you view technology as a panacea for business problems, you will inevitably spend a lot of time and money, only to be disappointed in the results.”

Although managers may conceptually understand the importance of business process review, they are often reluctant to make the effort they think it takes to accomplish it. Following are the steps Tribridge recommends:

·Simplification: The first step is to focus on business process simplification and improvement, including front office, back office and operations functions. Far from being a cumbersome process, this should be a practical approach to eliminate redundancies and identify better ways to accomplish mission-critical functions. The challenge is to look beyond the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality to determine how the business should work. Once this has been accomplished, the business can use the new processes to drive requirements in selecting new technology.

·Automation and integration: Using the new functional business requirements identified during the simplification process, the business is now ready to select the appropriate technology. Deming suggests looking first for existing software that can be implemented and configured without costly customization. Then, once the company enters the implementation phase, they can identify which business processes need to be tweaked to achieve the optimal results within the new software.

Deming notes that it’s far more common for businesses to select software without adequate consideration of the underlying business issues. In these cases, Tribridge often recommends a concurrent process that is a two-way assessment. It provides smaller-scale business process redesign, accommodating the capabilities of the technology that has already been selected. “The two efforts actually meet in the middle to yield more effective business processes, within the confines of the technology, but without costly customization,” he says.

He offers the example of a client that requested major business process redesign of its order processing flow, from quoting through shipment, after they had already begun to implement new technology. The keys to success were that the client had selected their software well and that both the process and technology implementation teams worked closely together. By creating linkages and establishing an atmosphere of give and take, the two teams found the optimal fits on both sides. That’s where the real skill lies, notes Deming. “Installing technology may be a science,” he says. “But implementing technology so that it can support good business processes is an art.”

If a company rushes to select its software without considering its business processes, all too often they will spend time and money without realizing the benefits they had hoped for. “Even though they may blame the complexity of the software for the ultimate failure, the truth is often as simple as the fact that they didn’t consider changes to the business before changing the technology,” concludes Deming.

Tribridge (www.tribridge.com), provides business consulting services, ranging from assessment through implementation, to middle market companies. Services are focused in the areas of customer solutions, operations, technology and healthcare. Based in Tampa, Fla., Tribridge also has offices in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Atlanta.
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