Explore key strategies in business process hierarchy, uncovering effective governance and ownership in end-to-end processes, as discussed by an experienced BPM professional in recent client meetings.
A new podcast episode of BPM Insights was published on Feb 28, 2025 with the original title:
Process Hierarchy and Politics
Overview:
This episode discusses the importance of establishing a process hierarchy for effective business process management. It emphasizes the need for both functional and end-to-end hierarchies and addresses the complexities of process ownership within these structures.
Core content:
- The episode highlights the significance of maintaining two connected hierarchies: a fully functional decomposed hierarchy and an end-to-end process hierarchy.
- A functional hierarchy begins with the highest level domains such as Purchasing and Finance, which are further decomposed into sub-domains and specific business processes.
- End-to-end processes like procure-to-pay require careful management due to their cross-functional nature, influencing how process ownership is assigned.
- Ownership assignment can be politically challenging; focusing on the most impactful process helps in determining the process owner.
- Different conclusions can arise from various client discussions, despite many shared elements across conversations.
Learnings:
- Understanding the dual hierarchy approach is crucial for effective process governance and management in organizations.
- Specific business processes must be aligned with broader functional domains for coherence and clarity in ownership.
- Recognizing the political implications of assigning process ownership helps navigate organizational complexities.
- Engaging in discussions about process hierarchies reveals varying perspectives and solutions across different contexts.
- Applying a practical framework in real-world scenarios gives insights into managing business processes effectively.
The original content was published in English.
