An intense analysis process is the first step of Business Process Management (BPM). You must understand the current state before you can make recommendations for improvement. Following the analysis phase, recommendations are categorized any number of ways: short-term vs. long-term, inexpensive vs. costly, and so on. Depending on the corporate culture, business analysts often try to identify “low-hanging fruit” or minor, relatively inexpensive changes that can be quickly implemented. I agree that if an organization identifies something quick and easy that boosts productivity that the improvement should be strongly considered. However, the quick and dirty low-hanging fruit should NOT be the focus of a BPM program. Instead, analysts need to identify and provide recommendations around the major pain points within a given system.

Experts: Your Ally in Analysis

When analyzing a system, pay close attention to people, processes, and technology. It is important to identify your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Your SMEs are the key to understanding key areas to improve. Your SME can vary. Although it’s helpful to interview someone who has a long-standing history and expertise with specific subject matter, it is also beneficial to speak with someone who is relatively new to the area. The two perspectives provide a comprehensive snapshot about the way the system currently works. Your seasoned SME can provide historical information about specific decisions and the business overall. Your novice SME can provide fresh perspective about the training and messaging associated with the current system. Both SMEs need to advise you of their pain points – those complex situations that are urgent and difficult to address. Pain points go by many names – dilemma, conundrum, hassle, etc. Yet that place in the process where your target audience – SMEs, users, or customers express frustration, confusion, or crisis, is a golden opportunity to drastically improve the quality of their work lives.

Slaying Dragons

Ultimately, we are in business to make money and there is a direct correlation between addressing pain points and impacting revenue. It often takes a lot of investigation, collaboration, and justification to slay these huge dragons that drain resources, disrupt process, and increase costs. However, energy invested in addressing pain points is never wasted. Whether it is automating a manual process, improving communication channels, or introducing a new workflow for faster turnaround – financial impacts in terms of reduced employee turnover, increased customer retention, improved cycle times, and so on make the quest well worth it. The most successful corporate cultures are increasingly open to ideas and innovation from employees and customers. If you identify a pain point and recommendation to decrease or eliminate the existing pain, chances are, someone is your organization is very willing to listen. A couple of years ago, one Harvard Business Review blog encouraged workers to collaborate to grow the pie, not just split it.

Happy Thanksgiving!