Why Globalization Caused a Demand - Assignment Example

QUESTION ONE Why globalization caused a demand for BPM Globalization is an international integration process that originates from interchange of culture, ideas, views, products and services. According to Hopkins (2003), globalization has far reaching effects on economics, business and natural and socio-cultural resources. On the other hand, business process management (BPM) is systematic and structured approach used by firms and organizations to improve analyze and control their processes. BPM can be looked at in terms of its organization, processes, management, products, customers and employees. A good linkage that can be made of the two terms is exchange of products and services in the international market standards which require a change in strategy to produce goods that can match international standards. For a successful globalization process, there need to create a sustainable performance environment hence a demand for BPM (Hopkins, 2003). BPM being a process that is concerned with a culture of high performance in the management level is crucial in globalization. High performance will steer the international business to a higher levels hence speedy linkages. Globalization involves exchange of ideas and views among different cultures. BPM allows for consultancy so as to support the manager in overseeing and analyzing various activities. External consultants can also be important in resolving business barriers. These consultants can be experts with vast knowledge in business fields. Globalization as an international move needs to involve the use of information technology and automation. Automation would results to more products and services availed to different parts of the world at the desirable time. IT would also allow links to be created in different parts of the world. QUESTION TWO How BPM increase customer satisfaction Business process management (BPM) is systematic and structured approach used by firms and organizations to improve analyze and control their processes. To this regard, the relationship between BPM and various technology and management tools such as strategic management, total quality management, benchmarking, performance management, information technology management and continuous improvement outlines how essential BPM is in customer satisfaction. Beginning with benchmarking, it is essential in identifying the highest standards of services, products and processes and finally attaining the best practices by improving the products and services to the expected standards. Benchmarking allows a move away from the tradition as a result of inserting new changes to the changing environment. Functional and generic benchmarking is particularly vital in improving the processes and technology hence pivotal in customer’s satisfaction (Harrington, 2006). In addition, continuous improvement (CI) has strong link with BPM in terms of customer satisfaction. As a process concerned with total quality, CI assures the customers of quality by creating a culture that integrate quality in product delivery. CI involves the use of all staff at all levels of an organization which sets explicit objectives thus quality products and services as the output results. Continuous improvement is a key to identifying the customer’s orientation. This is satisfactory since the products and services due to this survey are tailored to meet the demands of both the external and internal customers. Moreover, to improve both the processes and products, a process orientation is employed to ensure that there is specialization in various activities of the organization (Smith et al., 2002). Conversely, to ensure there is a long term quality improvement, teamwork and a total overhaul in culture are employed. Strategic management sets BPM in a seamless six basic stages of preparation, description, process selection, selecting improvement opportunities and quantification. As a customer’s satisfaction variable, quantification outlines the best cost to customers, time performance and quality. Description outlines the workflows in the organization resulting in desirable outputs from the inputs. Additionally, process selection aims at works on the customers’ demands and feedback, define performance target and put actions in place to achieve these targets. Strategic management also re-engineers processes, compare performances with the targets and adjust performance targets. In overall, all these are aimed at ensuring that the products which are the end results of the all the strategies employed in strategic management meets the demands of the customers and are satisfactory. Information technology (IT) is a strategic resource that has been used to introduce major changes in marketing, competitive behavior and customer service. In essence, IT allows a firm or an organization to attain competitive advantages and operate above other firms. Information technology is important in linking technology exploitation and marketing orientation of an organization. Moreover IT has used in routine paperwork activities for accurate billing to ensure there is efficiency which is a vital component in customers’ satisfaction. It has substantially been used to increase internal efficiencies and for strategic benefits. Human resource management (HRM) system represents personnel administration and labor relations under work systems, employee influence, rewards and human resource flow. There is need for HRM practices and systems to support the business processes that produce better business results. This would lead to efficiency thus satisfaction of customers. QUESTION THREE Importance of flexible and easily adaptable process design An adaptable process design can be flexible to allow redesigning or can be redeveloped to fit an organization’s strategy. In case of a change in the strategies, analysis can be done to direct the business processes to meet the strategic objectives. In addition, it allows processes to be aligned with the way the business is conducted, and as such, are able to provide desirable services and products to customers. Moreover, an adaptable process design allows business architecture to be aligned with the organization strategy. A flexible design process allows for depth, breadth and volume expansion particularly the IT architecture and applications. It is therefore important in adjusting to the business requirement and avoid being irrelevant as a result of accepting deviations. In case of deviations the design should be such that it accommodates without stalling. As Gabryelczyk et al. (2009) note, a flexible design process in organization does not allow fragmentation of information hence avoiding confusion, duplication and inconsistencies. This has been necessitated by a regular evaluation to ensure appropriateness and usefulness of the architecture. It therefore allows information consisting of guidelines and foundations are made explicit and can be referred to easily. The attribute allows important decisions and high-level processes to be presented in an easily understood manner. As dynamic the architecture is to the evolving process and enterprise changes it gives a basis for realization and design of processes. Additionally, the decisions arrived at allows the organization’s strategies to be optimized. QUESTION FOUR Importance of effective communication In most cases, it is very difficult for organizations to determine where to start a BPM project. However, the Launch pad phase helps in identifying the scope, launching and establishing the project regardless of the operational issues and inefficiencies. Nevertheless, communications will help identify the impacts of the project on personnel, the conduct of the management and the details of the available opportunities for the participants. As further stated, communications at the stakeholder’s interview will also be vital in obtaining a high level understanding of the current business and process operational issues. In addition it helps in building rapport with the stakeholders involved and identifies their passions not to mention that point it is in a process walk-through provide an opportunity to know how the business is conducted and helps in identifying process differences and similarities. Other essential benefits of communication include: a. Helps in identifying the both the internal and external project stakeholders and the impact of the project on the stakeholders b. Aim to define the scope of the project, goals and agreement of the outcomes for the understand phase c. Communications in BPM will enhance in the development of implementation plan d. Communication in BPM will help in establishing and defining the project team structure including the project director, project manager and project steering committee. Conversely, communication at this level also will help separate their roles However, if communication is not efficient then the project would collapse. This will be contributed to by factors such as poor funding of the project, ill definition of the scope, failure to engage all the stakeholders and identification of inexperienced project managers. Points to be considered by Managers in Launch pad phase a. Project goals b. Project scope c. The timeframe to complete the project d. Unity among the stakeholders QUESTION FIVE Automation is not always the perfect solution in improving processes. This can be brought by mishandling of the people aspect. Advantages involved in Automation Involving people in automation is vital in creating the right culture and motivation. Additionally, it gives a sense of responsibility and accountability hence performance measures can be identified and improved. Automation is an efficient process in improving processes. According to Bill Gates “The first rule of any technology is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency.” (Gabryelczyk et al, 2009 p 23) Disadvantages involved in Automation Automation can lead to withdrawal from work by the staff if management issues are not addressed (Harrington, 2006). The implementation of the automation can be seen as a threat by staff hence withdrawing and refusing to use it. Overall, the change management should be handled to avoid the risk of failure. Inadequate finances to absorb the write-off incase the initiative fails to take off should also be a point to note. Automation can lead a larger number of lay-offs which cannot be manageable in case of any failure. Automation requires a much time and a high level of competencies to be executed. Initializing automation requires skilled manpower to brainstorm the best way to execute the process which might not be easy to find. In relation to this point, automation in some cases may be ineffective as it is not managed from an end-to end but from an individual perspective. An effective process should be done in stages with each stage not overlapping into the other. QUESTION SIX Explain “people don’t do what you expect but what you inspect” As a matter of ensuring that the project is successful, it is important to handle people with care in the people phase in Business process management (BPM). This concern has also been noted by Harrington (2006) who notes that the effectiveness of a process performance can only be realized by inspecting the customers’ complaints register and not on the delivery of services following all the laid structures and systems. It implies that the value created to customers and their satisfaction is the most important factor in an organization. People in an organization will always execute the processes effectively and efficiently when they are provided with the tools such as the infrastructure and systems as well as a working environment. As such to optimize the results, there is need by the management to measure performance by looking at how people react to changed roles and measurement targets. Role description and set of tasks are agreed upon between the personnel and people to enable the organization to inspect whether the target has been met. This will consist monitoring of capabilities and competencies, and introduce training plans during implementation of processes to ensure results are produced. The personnel in the workshop floor executing processes can put a good performance against a good system (Smith et al., 2002). Defining activity coupled with communication also ensure that people only do what the management deem to give results. The activities must be assigned targets to achieve to ensure that results are produced. References Gabryelczyk, R. and Sliwinski, B. (2009), Development of process modeling for Facility Management, In: 1st CEE Symposium on Business Informatics, Vienna. Harrington, J. (2006), Business Process Improvement. The Breakthrough Strategy for Total Quality, Productivity and Competitiveness. McGraw Hill. New York. Hopkins, A. (2003), Globalization in World History. New York City, NY: Norton. Smith, H. and Fingar, P. (2002), Business Process Management – The Third Wave. Meghan-Kiffer Press. 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