E Governance in Today’s BPM World

Any government, it is said, is only as transparent as its citizenry wants it to be and as the government functionaries choose it to be. However, with an increasing number of countries now paying due attention to their citizens’ rights to information, this transparency does seem to be on the rise. With e-governance, a government gives all its citizens a common platform to voice their opinions, seek answers, and most importantly, to get work done.

E-governance is not something that is limited to the west any more, and a number of Indian states have also embraced this technology is some form or the other. States that are already part of the e-governance revolution in this country include Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, with more looking to follow suit.

This shift in paradigm is not without reason. Not only does this allow the government mechanism to be available to the common people round the clock, but it also cuts across the geographical barriers owing to the continually rising internet connectivity penetration even in previously unreachable hinterlands. So, not only would this result in saving time and money, but would also provide people with the much needed ease of access. For instance, registration of property could be incorporated into e-Governance, and so could an assortment of application processes.

Governments need to recognize that looking at BPM e-Governance solutions is the way to go because documentation accounts for a considerable chunk of its work, and this would include collecting documents and forms from the electorate, or supplying the electorate with any record or document that it requires.

With a good document management system in place governments would succeed in making their processes more transparent. Moreover, since government processes, like any other business process, require to be cost efficient, incorporating an effective document management solution would work in reducing the costs considerably. Process and documental Security is also a crucial aspect, and with the right document management solution in place the classification of documents and access to the same can also be handled effectively.

Other benefits that a good BPM e-governance solution would provide include ensuring that documents are not lost or misplaced and that they can be tracked easily; that inter-governmental communication is streamlined; that audits can be more reliable; that collaboration between various departments is augmented; and a smoother overall workflow. A good BPM e-governance solution should ideally be able to seamlessly integrate with the process’ existing framework; and should also allow room for reengineering at a later stage if the need arises. Also, owing to the diverse electorate, such a solution should be multilingual. These, in effect, would lead to the smoother overall functioning of all the government bodies involved, which resultantly would lead to a more satisfied electorate.

And since this is the primary aim of every government body (or should be), then not using e-governance to empower the people would only leave them discontented, unsatisfied, and looking for change.

Process excellence in Manufacturing with BPM Technology

Manufacturing houses the world over have to deal with production and supply chain related issues, and this often calls for quick responses and timely intervention clubbed with innovative approaches. Not only does a manufacturing house have to deal with customers, but also with an array of distributors, suppliers, vendors, and its own workforce. While there have been various attempts in the past to streamline production processes through the use of various enterprise solutions, the results have been quite mixed. This is mainly because the focus doesn’t always remain on the business’ individual process requirements. Business units are broken down into smaller assembly units and each use stripped down process modeling with limited interaction. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) typically only support production routing, production processes, and instructions for the work to be done. Hence, MES systems are focused only on production and are unable to execute processes, integrate multivendor applications or play a role in the planning, designing and building phase of manufacturing.

BPM to the Rescue

Business Process Management tools cure this exact pain. It gives businesses the ability to fine tune processes while eliminating any shortcomings, while also automating production processes in order to minimize errors and maximize reliability. Through effective BPM implementation a production house can also utilize its assets to the fullest, thereby getting the most out of its existing manpower and equipment. Besides, in going the BPM way a production house would have the ability to extend its channels of revenue, and this would also give the business an opportunity to gather pertinent customer data from various points of sale.

Managing the Supply Chain:

Since this fast paced technological world that we now live in calls for quick fire and accurate decision making while also maintaining visibility, it is important that businesses and their respective supply chain collaborators work in tandem by quickly adapting to changing market needs and scenarios. Using a BPM solution to streamline a business’ entire supply chain network would help the business adapt to the latest trends, minimize wastage, and run on decreased operating costs.

Operations:

When it comes to the operational aspect of any manufacturing business, one of the most common complaints involves the lack of synchronized data. If the operations part of a manufacturing house is not adequately integrated, it could very well lead to inaccurate reporting of data, loss of man hours, unnecessary inventories, inappropriate planning and decision making, etc. With the help of an integrated BPM solution, one can expect to have access to all information in real time.

Apart from the positives mentioned above, here are some more reasons why a production house would benefit by employing a BPM strategy.

• Collaboration: In keeping common goals and running a unified platform a production house gives its ‘people’ network a place where they can interact and collaborate.
• Workflow: Integrating a business’ technological aspects with the processes and the people behind the processes keeps a due check on prioritization, thereby ensuring a smooth workflow.
• Transparency: Using a BPM solution would tell a business exactly where and how its resources are being used, and to what effect.

Other benefits of using BPM solutions in production industries include the ability to run processes in accordance to specific business needs; reducing the possibility of delays in the supply of materials; using automatic notifications to correspond within various internal departments and with external sources like customers, vendors, and suppliers; as well as the ability to integrate one’s existing range of applications like SCM and ERP.

So do I see more manufacturing houses embrace this technology in the time to come? Of course!

Business Process Management: Why Here, Why Now?

The Business Process Management (BPM) realm continues to evolve at a rapid pace. This is not just in relation to the technology/software that various businesses offer and employ but also with the approach to the process in itself. With these periodical changes taking place in this field, a good source of up-to-date information is often sought.

After all, BPM does play a significant role in the shrinking of most spheres of businesses. Not only does BPM help with an assortment of automation options, but also offers a continual improvement process coupled with various communication platforms. Evolved BPM components now allow businesses to customize their processes, policies, etc. in accordance to the target audience needs, geographical locations notwithstanding.

A good BPM strategy in today’s world would have you focus on integrating aspects like processes, systems, and data, along with your workforce spread across multiple locations. Your BPM strategy would also allow you to associate metrics with the life cycle of your business process, and this would take into account aspects like improving, redesigning, implementing, and managing your business process.

In looking to incorporate a BPM strategy, some basics that need to be addressed include:

• Globalization: Even if you run a single unit today, you should ensure that your strategy takes into account that you might soon operate from one or more remote locations, thereby requiring one common platform.
• Innovation: Ours is a constantly evolving world, and irrespective of the strategy that you follow, you should always look to embrace new technology.
• Productivity: Your BPM efforts should not come at a cost of reduced productivity, and if that is the case, then you are obviously doing something wrong.
• Streamlining the flow of information: Since automating various business aspects is the key to Business Process Management, you can easily collate data from various sources and use it as valuable information.
• Customer Satisfaction: Since this forms the crux of every successful business, it is very important that you know just how you can use your BPM efforts to focus on the needs of your customers. The fact is that through your BPM efforts you can manage to retain your existing customers with a considerably higher rate of success.

Therefore, in these trying times, while most prominent economists are at loggerheads about whether the economy is rising only to fall again, having your core business strategies in place becomes very important. So while you might wish to implement a BPM strategy to simplify your workflow and/or expand your business, it is very important that you go about doing so in the right manner. With the sea of information about BPM that you have access to through the internet, it is quite easy to get lost.

While I do end up referring to a plethora of sources in my quest for BPM knowledge, I understand that not everybody can be as patient (or resourceful). This, therefore, is my endeavor to keep you posted about all the developments in the world of Business Process Management and Workflow solutions.

Also, if there’s anything that I miss, or if there’s anything that you would like to share, please feel free to contribute.