8.4: Study Questions
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- 22772
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What does the term business process mean?
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A business process is a series of related tasks that are completed in a stated sequence to accomplish a business goal.
What are three examples of business processes (from a job you have had or an organization you have observed?)
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Example of processes could include order fulfillment, customer service, recruiting, accounting, etc.
What is the value of documenting a business process?
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Documenting processes allows organizations to standardize procedures, provide training, measure performance, identify improvements, and automate tasks.
What is an ERP system? How does an ERP system enforce best practices for an organization?
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An ERP integrates data and processes across departments onto a centralized platform. ERP systems incorporate industry best practices into their process workflows.
What is one of the criticisms of ERP systems.
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One criticism is that ERPs can make companies more similar by standardizing their processes. Customization may be needed to retain uniqueness.
What is business process reengineering (BPR)? How is it different from incrementally improving a process?
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BPR radically redesigns processes for dramatic gains. It differs from incremental improvements by fully rethinking entire workflows.
Why did business process reengineering (BPR) get a bad name?
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BPR was associated with layoffs as reengineered processes needed fewer employees. Change management was lacking.
List the guidelines for redesigning a business process.
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Organize around outcomes, have users perform process, subsume information processing into work, centralize dispersed resources, link parallel activities, put decision points where work is performed, capture info once at source.
What is business process management (BPM)? What role does it play in allowing a company to differentiate itself?
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BPM involves strategically managing workflows through documentation, analysis, automation, and continuous improvement. Aligned processes can differentiate a company.
What are the key benefits that a Business Process Management (BPM) provides?
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Key BPM benefits are empowering employees, enforcing best practices, building in reporting, ensuring consistency, and facilitating continuous improvement.
What does ISO certification signify?
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ISO certification shows a company has documented procedures and processes that conform to international quality standards.
What are some top reasons a growing business may decide to adopt an ERP system?
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Reasons to adopt ERP include integrating financial data, improving supply chain management, standardizing processes, accessing real-time data analytics, enhancing customer experience, and supporting growth.
What are some indicators it may be time for a business to implement an ERP?
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Signs it may be time for ERP include disconnected systems, limited visibility, reliance on manual processes, supply chain bottlenecks, frustrated customers, stalled growth, lack of standardization, and systems hitting scalability limits.
What are some common reasons ERP projects fail?
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Common failure reasons are lack of clear goals/metrics, insufficient training, excessive customization, poor data quality, technical issues, and lack of executive buy-in.
What are some differences between business process management and business process reengineering?
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BPM focuses on incremental optimization versus BPR's radical redesign. BPM is continuous while BPR is typically a one-time project.A
What is robotic process automation and how does it relate to business process management?
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RPA uses software bots to automate repetitive tasks. It complements BPM's process focus by handling tactical workflow automation.
Exercises
- Think of a business process that you have had to perform in the past. How would you document this process? Would a diagram make more sense than a checklist? Document the process both as a checklist and as a diagram.
- Review the return policies at your favorite retailer and then answer this question: What information systems do you think need to be in place to support their return policy.
- If you were implementing an ERP system, in which cases would you be more inclined to modify the ERP to match your business processes? What are the drawbacks of doing this?
- Which ERP is the best? Do some original research and compare three leading ERP systems to each other. Write a two- to three-page paper that compares their features.
- Research a company that chooses to implement an ERP. Write a report to describe it.
- Research a failed implementation of an ERP. Write a report to describe why.
- Research and write a report on how a company can obtain an ISO quality management certification.
- Interview someone who has experience with an ERP implementation and write up their insights.
- Diagram an order fulfillment or recruiting process; identify ways to improve it using BPR principles.
- Evaluate processes at a retailer; propose an ERP implementation plan to improve operations.
- Compare BPM suites from vendors like IBM, Appian, and Oracle.
- Assess manual processes at your university; recommend process automation technologies to optimize them.
- Interview employees at a company that recently implemented a new process or system. Report on their change management experience.
- Review job listings for Business Process Management or ERP-related roles; summarize required skills and qualifications.
- Find a case study online about a company's use of business process reengineering; summarize the key lessons.
- Select a simple process you regularly follow, like making coffee. Diagram the process as-is. Redesign it incorporating BPR principles.