Creating an Environment
for Business Process
Management
Jim Lichtenthal, NASA/KSC
Process Modeling Manager
CQSDI, March 16-17, 2009
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Dilbert
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What We’ll Cover …
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Background and introduction
What is a Process Culture?
Establishing a BPM Support Office
Implementing BPM support processes that interact as a system
Creating system capabilities that appeal to the organization
Recognizing key support activities necessary to support the
organization
Wrap-up
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Process Culture: Key Features (Macro-level)
• Processes used to manage are just as important as
processes used to deliver products and services
• Processes are viewed as part of an integrated system
• Proper integration is key to your capability to manage
• Processes are prioritized
• Core is king
• Core processes are clearly understood by everyone
(at least at a high level)
• Priorities change over time
• Processes are designed to work, not just allowed to evolve
• Bad or lacking processes can be considered a risk to
mission, just as deficient hardware can be a risk
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Process Culture: Key Features (Macro-level) (con’t)
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Management recognizes processes are cross functional across
numerous organizations
Management uses the words “teamwork” and “process”
interchangeably
Management realizes that they must create a culture that cultivates
process thinking, process management, and process improvement
Management considers their organization to be a Process Enterprise (all
work is process work, and is designed and managed)
Management recognizes that information systems and information
management are key capabilities that must serve the needs of all
Management recognizes that all aspects of change must be made to be
as “easy” as possible.
Management realizes that their processes define their capability to
manage
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Process Culture: Key Features (Macro-level) (con’t)
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Management does not consider processes to be “administrative”
Management understands the difficulties and dangers of relying on
“tribal knowledge” to execute and manage work
Management does not allow processes to be “orphans”
When there is a problem with a process, management immediately
talks the need to get with a person (caretaker/owner)
Management ensures the employee performance review system
includes process responsibilities (design/deploy/measure/improve)
Management creates an infrastructure for supporting process
(tools, expertise, structure, a support group, process executive, etc.)
Management recognizes that process design, deployment and
improvement requires a unique skill set that must be developed
Management understands the “employee experience” (what it’s
like to work within the organization)
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Process Culture: Key Features (Infrastructure)
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Process caretakers/owners are responsible for the design,
deployment, measurement and improvement of their processes
Process owners are evaluated on how well they manage the process
that they have been empowered to lead
Process owners get together with the team (or a section of the team)
to work process issues, design process improvements and discuss
performance
Process owners are the “go to” person for the process
Processes are easy to see, easy to read, easy to understand, easy to
update/change, easy to tie back to requirements, easy to tie
to other processes, easy to see where they fit in the overall system,
easy to find, easy to access, easy to search for, easy to find who the
owner is, easy to measure, easy to share with others, etc…
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Process Culture: Key Features (Infrastructure) (con’t)
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Measurement is “coupled”
People (all) can describe:
 What the core business of the organization is….
 What the major activities are within the core businesses…
 What the key enabling processes are...
 Where the core business is in the life cycle….
 How their work contributes to the organization…..
 Who is their customer (internal & external)
 How they know when they’re doing well (or not)
 What current improvements are they involved with
 How the organization is ETDBW
Working in the fast lane versus playing in traffic (Hammer)
 Less “organizational Alzheimers”
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