Business
Process Management Articles
Without Metrics, Process Improvement Can Be Hazardous
to Your Business Health
Ken
Mullins, BPM Institute Newsletter and Website, September 23,
2008.
The dangers of attempting process improvement without
appropriate selection of proper metrics is highlighted in this
amusing article!
Six Sigma Myth vs. Reality in Financial Services
Joseph Goodman, BPM.com
Newsletter and Website, November
2008.
Although originally developed for manufacturing and
engineering practices, Six Sigma has found a home across virtually
all industry sectors. While most have realized significant utility
in its implementation and adoption, the financial services industry
in particular has struggled to do so. Through his significant
dealings with financial giants and their Six Sigma projects,
Mr.Goodman thinks that the word on the financial street is that Six
Sigma doesn’t work and is impossible to implement successfully. He
has written this article to help clarify some of these misnomers and
explain how Six Sigma does in fact have a purpose and a place in the
financial services industry (multinational banks, regional
brokerages, etc.), where high volume transactions are the
norm.
Improving Process Model Quality to Drive BPM Project
Success
Glenn Smith, BPM.com Website and Newsletter, November
2008.
In recent years, use of BPM systems as a platform for
custom business application development has accelerated. Many
organizations have achieved significant benefits in efficiency,
consistency and transparency of their business operations.
Unfortunately, other organizations have achieved less than
expected. In some respects this is not surprising.
Developing applications on a BPM platform is a new development
paradigm, and in some aspects it requires a new mindset to ensure a
successful outcome. A key element is re-thinking the approach
to initial process design.
How Did Toyota Do
It?
Paul Harmon, BPTrends Newsletter and Website, November 25,
2008.
Paul
Harmon writes a very thought-provoking article on how Toyota came to
be #1 in Automobiles in the world. He does not think it is just the
Toyota Production System but postulates that it is a combination of
three things in equal measure - Management and Strategy, Operations
& Process Focus, and Environment & Culture. He thinks that
all three are needed for someone to emulate Toyota
successfully.
Define Your BPM Strategy Before Selecting a
Tool
Sandra Lusk, BPMInstitute
Newsletter and Website, September
29, 2008.
With
the wide range of available tools on the market today together with
the large number of white papers, articles and books on BPM,
determining the correct solution for your organization can be
daunting. With so much emphasis on the effectiveness of BPM tools
for improving productivity, streamlining the value chain and gaining
competitive edge, it’s easy to get caught up in all the hype and end
up with a much more sophisticated and expensive solution than the
business really needs. A well thought out, phased approach for
selecting and implementing a BPM tool can reduce these risks.
Integrating Intelligence and Process
Management
Alok Mehrotra, Vidhyalakshmi Sundaram,
Satyam, DM Review Newsletter and Website,
November 25, 2008.
This article shares the authors'
experience in executing a proof of concept by integrating BPM with
BI.
Forget Process Excellence, Companies are Process
Ignorant
DM Review Editorial Staff, DM Review Newsletter
and Website, November 18,
2008.
Forty-eight
percent of survey respondents report little to no business process
management (BPM) strategy.
Dashboards: The Fast Lane to Success
During Slow Economic Times
Thomas Grewe, Siemens AG, iSixSigma Newsletter and
Website, October 23,
2008.
In an economy of tightening budgets, IT
dashboards are a technology investment worth their weight in
gold.
Business
Process Outsourcing Articles
Offshore Outsourcing: India Optimistic Despite Global
Financial Crisis
Sindhya Bhanoo, CIO Magazine and
Website, November 20, 2008.
Though financial crisis is impacting all
sectors, the U.S. will continue to outsource projects to India,
officials maintain.
Will the U.S. Recession Mean the End of Offshore
Outsourcing?
Phil Fersht, CIO Magazine and
Website, November 13,
2008.
The
economic recession in the U.S., and President-elect Barack Obama's
tax incentive plan, will change the economics of some business
process outsourcing areas. Could offshoring go the way of the
dinosaur?
Offshore Outsourcing: Kenya Shows
Promise
Stephanie Overby, CIO Magazine and Website, November
03, 2008.
When
examining offshore outsourcing options, Kenya shows a lot of promise
for cost savings, however, it has seen its IT services potential
slowed by political instability and infrastructure improvement
delays. When will this alternative to India and China be
viable?
Rising Asian BPO
Destinations
ValueNotes
Outsourcing Weekly Newsletter and Website, November 26,
2008
While India
has been a dominant outsourcing destination, several companies
(Indian and global) are looking at destinations other than India to
set up their development centers. Apart from India, other preferred
destinations are China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines.
Publishing BPO in
Phillipines: Need to Build Differentiators
ValueNotes Outsourcing Weekly Newsletter and Website, November 26,
2008.
Over the last few years,
the Philippines has been increasingly gaining traction as an
offshoring destination, especially in niches like call centers,
medical transcription, animation, publishing and legal services.
Outsourcing: Expansion By
Diversification
Tholon's Services Globalization Review
Newsletter and Website, November, 2008.
Diversification is the strategy for
reducing the risk of investing in a single industry, market or a
small number of companies, by spreading the risk over several
industries, markets or a larger number of companies. Has Outsourcing
adopted Diversification as a strategic vehicle and is this evolving
into a sustainable trend?
Communication Strategies for Six Sigma
Initiatives
Carolyn Pexton, GE HealthCare, iSixSigma
HealthCare Newsletter
and Website,
November 19,
2008.
The
decision to adopt Six Sigma has been successful in many industries -
including healthcare. However, the best plans may go awry if the
focus is just on the technical side, without considering cultural
and communication aspects of the initiative. The leadership team
must communicate early and often - clearly conveying the vision,
strategies and benefits for all concerned. Overlooking this piece of
the puzzle may undermine the institution's efforts and could leave
employees to fill the gaps with rumor, speculation and
cynicism.
Services Can Improve By Taking Lead from
Manufacturing
Sharad Sharma,
Reliance Money, iSixSigma Newsletter and
Website, November 03,
2008.
Many have
thought the traditional definition of quality – meeting the
desired specifications of the product’s fitness for use – does not
apply in the same sense in the service sector as in manufacturing.
But a closer look reveals that today’s services, with a little help
from technology, are similar to products in the manufacturing
industry. With so much similarity, the concept of quality can be
incorporated in the services “factory” along the same lines as in a
manufacturing setup.
Notable
News
Counting on the Domestic BPO
Market
ValueNotes
Outsourcing Weekly Newsletter and Website, November 5,
2008.
While the offshore (international) BPO market
faces pressures with economy-wide slowdown in developed markets, the
domestic BPO market in India is getting ready to take off. The total
market being catered to by third-party players is estimated at Rs.
18 b for FY08 and is expected to reach Rs. 77 b by FY12.
9 Ways Leaders Can Boost Morale and Lower Stress
During Tough Times
Diane Daniel, CIO Magazine and
Website, November 20, 2008.
Today's workplace is fraught with difficult
emotions and tension. As a leader, be sure you deal with those
head-on or risk the consequences.
How To Recession-Proof
Yourself?
Meridith
Levinson, CIO Insight
Newsletter and Website, November 17, 2008.
Five tips for saving your job
when layoffs loom.
Windows 7: The Five Most
Talked-About Features
Shane O'Neill, CIO Insight Newsletter and Website, November 17,
2008.
From less annoying security prompts to an improved taskbar,
here's a look at the five features of Windows 7 generating the most
discussion and what they'll mean to you.
As Layoffs Spread, Innovative Alternatives May Soften
the Blow
Knowledge@Wharton
Newsletter and
Website, October 22,
2008.
Just how bad will the economy get? For
employers facing tough decisions about layoffs, the question is far
from rhetorical. If the current economic turmoil is contained sooner
than expected, premature layoffs could be a disaster. If not enough
employees are laid off and the recession continues, the company's
bottom line could suffer. What options do employers have when it
comes to cutting payroll without adversely affecting the talent
pool, employee morale or the future of the company?
More Insurers Realizing Benefits of e-Payments and
Remote Deposit Capture
Technology
Nathan Conz,
Insurance and Technology, November 10,
2008.
With increased broadband penetration,
consumers have begun to expect electronic payment capabilities. And
insurers are beginning to learn the benefits of meeting those
expectations.
IT Will Power Insurance Industry Response to
Crisis
Anthony O'Donnell,
Insurance and Technology, November 10,
2008.
Insurance budgets will remain relatively stable as
carriers see IT necessary not only for ongoing transformation but as
a key tool for addressing crisis-related challenges such as the need
for better underwriting results and improved risk
management.
Credit Crisis Reshapes Banking
Landscape
Orla O'Sullivan, Bank Systems & Technology,
October 30, 2008.
All has changed, utterly changed, to paraphrase
Yeats. Major mergers, a decline in consumer trust and the prospect
of increased regulation are sure to influence banks' technology
spending for the foreseeable future.
Notable
Events
10th
Annual Lean, Six Sigma, and Process Improvement Summit
January 18 - January22, 2009, Orlando, FL.
IQPC
6th Procure-To-Pay Summit
February 23 -
February 29, 2009, Miami, FL. IQPC
10th Annual Process Excellence Summit London
April 20 - April 23, 2009, London, UK.
IQPC
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