Summary
The article talks about the implications of business processes and business process management for operation management within organizations. It also highlights the application of operation management techniques to the different types of business processes within organizations. The article defines business processes as interrelated activities that cross-functional boundaries and have the required inputs and outputs.
One of the main points in the article points to the significance of business processes and the motivation behind the management of business processes. Business processes are important because they enhance flexibility, promote the reduction of costs, improve the marketability of new products and services, and improves the quality of goods and services. Processes are vital parts of vital awards such as the European Foundation for Quality Management, total quality management (TQM), and the Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award.
The article entailed the use of the quantitative research method to investigate the management of business processes. Organizations interviewed in the final stage of the research included Rank Xerox, Nortel, Hewlett-Packard, and Texas Instruments. One of the key findings of the research was that business process management is crucial for the coordination of various activities across the organization. Additionally, the findings indicated that processes facilitate business structuring. The management of business processes requires a clearly defined culture, and all the approaches taken should match the culture of the organization.
Another key point is that organizations moving toward business process management start by addressing their operational processes and end up by focusing on support processes. They are always determined to improve both their operational and support processes as they adopt business process management in their structures. The article concludes that organizations must be ready to manage boundaries between different processes to ensure efficiency and the realization of objectives. Organizations must be ready to embrace methods such as total quality management that improve performances and bring about organizational success.
Critique
The article is clear in the definition of business processes. The author gives a clear view that business process management does not necessarily translate to business process re-engineering (BPR). The definition of the business processes is simple and can be easily understood by readers. This definition is vital because it forms the basis of the entire article and it ensures that readers gain an in depth understanding of the significance of business processes within the organization. The clear definition of business processes and their significance in the organization is vital because it ensures that readers understand the key points of discussion in the article. This is academically appealing because it gives readers the urge to continue reading the other significant areas of the article.
Scientifically, the author does not give readers the clear methodology used during the research. The author only mentions the fact that quantitative research was used in the collection of results in four different companies. However, it would have been scientifically more appealing in instances where the author could have given the different processes involved in the quantitative methods that were used in the collection of results about business process management in organizations. Therefore, the methodology utilized in the article is not clear, as readers would have expected the definition of different processes of the quantitative research.
However, the article is effective in the presentation of the findings of the research. The findings are efficiently categorized into different elements and each one of them has been clearly discussed hence making it understandable to the audience. This is vital for academic understanding of the article. For instance, the findings are grouped into different categories such as cultural fit, measurement, process definition, and organizational structuring. The in depth analysis of the different aspects of the findings is academically relevant to the understanding of this article. Readers are able to get a clear understanding of process management within organizations and their way to the realization of the set objectives.
Overall, the article is academically relevant and appealing in terms of the presentation of the results of the study. It is relevant to a management course because of the diverse perspectives it adopts in the description of business process management within different organizations. Again, the findings presented in the article are reliable and directly applicable to all organizations wishing to improve their operational and support processes. However, its relevancy could be improved by using a clear methodology that helps readers follow the research process.
