We define a business process as a set of activities (human or computer tasks) that are sequenced and structured to produce a desired output from a given set of inputs. An example would be a sale (output) from a sales inquiry (input) produced by a sales process (see also
off-the-shelf business processes supported by the
Sharepoint Workflow Factory).
The best way of visualizing a business process is the use of a workflow activity diagram, complete with swim lanes. The power of this is best seen in the implementation of a purchase order business process in this workflow walkthrough.
Main Types of Business Processes¶
Business processes can be view as being in one of three different categories
- Management processes, which govern the a system as a whole, are high-level processes such as those used in Corporate Governance.
- Operational processes run the business and govern the intrinsic business value produced. A Purchase Order Process, Order Entry Process, or Production Run process are examples.
- Adjunct or subsidiary processes support operational process. A New Hire Process (HR), Expense Reports Process, or Software Installation process are good examples here.
Business Process Life-cycle
The life cycle of a business process is from customer/client request to fulfillment. They can be very long-lived, or short in duration. Consider a Fed-Ex shipment which is very intensive, but often lasts less than 24 hours, vs. an annual employee review process which can last, theoretically, throughout the year.
Long-running, highly complex business processes are often broken down into small processes automated by workflows. Each of these workflows implement divisions of labor, governance methods, attributes and roles which, when combined, produce a core product or service with limited or no redundancy.
Definition and Ownership of Business Processes¶
End-user accessible workflow design tools are now available that simplify the definition and development and deployment of business processes. These have the potential to give ownership of business processes directly to those who are really in charge of them, rather than IT. Furthermore, rather than waiting weeks or months for IT to find the bandwidth to make changes to a process based on a change in business climate, executive staff can make these changes on their own.