Human or machine? Who will handle process better?

Dilemma between automation and manual execution is always a challenge for correct management decisions. It is not easy to decide, if an investment to automate a process will bring sufficient benefits and returns, especially, on a long term.

However, decision here should not be voluntary. There exist simple and reliable criteria to clearly distinguish relevance of process automation in every practical case. The criteria is process volatility. Volatile processes are difficult and impractical to automate.

Volatility of the process is easy to measure. Record multiple execution paths of the process. Build an average execution path. Measure deviations of each execution from the average. Measure volatility as median of these deviations. This will give uniform and universal criteria for processes of any nature and scale.

As a rule, volatile processes appear in new and actively developing business areas. With time, these processes become a routine and acquire better formalization. When formalization grows and volatility drops below certain level, it is clear evidence that a process is mature and stable enough to automate.

Comments

CaseAgile Will Show BPMN Data Exchange between Visio and Leading BPMN Tools

CaseAgile announces a new release of Enterprise Composer™ add-on for Microsoft® Visio, which supports transparent exchange of BPMN diagrams designed in Visio with leading BPMN tools. CaseAgile will demonstrate capabilities of Enterprise Composer™ on upcoming "BPMN IN ACTION" event organized by The Object Management Group (OMG) in Seattle at December 10, 2018. Enterprise Composer™ offers a seamless and efficient way for every Visio® user into the world of professional business process management (BPM) systems and process automation. By using Enterprise Composer™, Microsoft® Visio can create executable processes fully compatible with BPMN™ 2.0 standard from OMG®, which is the global de-facto etalon for modeling business processes and can be used both by businesses and IT. Every BPM practitioner working with Microsoft® Visio now can import BPM models created in most popular BPM suites directly into Visio® and can export models cre...

Why processes are so important for the digital enterprise?

Role of business processes in a digital company is far more important than in a traditional organization because digital organization literally consists of the digital business processes it implements. Traditionally, most business processes are in possession of workers or groups of workers, in other words, process stakeholders. Every worker holds in memory, experience, notes or corporate regulations certain course of action to follow in every particular situation. This implicit or partially formalized set of rules comprises a business model of a company. The model is subject to change by mere verbal discussion and agreement between workers and management, happen business environment evolves or new challenges appear. Situation is entirely different in a digital organization. Digital systems do not have any implicit awareness on business aspects, just an explicit algorithm to do exact functions, for which they were designed. Therefore, a digital business system is a manifestation of a bu...

The role of BPM in the future of AI

BPM will become a key driving force behind further development of AI. Machine learning in business applications is blind without guiding role of BPM, similarly as a company is blind without its management. Despite impressive success, AI is still in its infancy in respect to its literal involvement into high level business processes. Concurrently with the increase of the role of AI in principal business contexts, there will grow demand for BPM in coordination and structuring of AI for business purposes . As in any other business domain, BPM is suitable and responsible for proper AI positioning in business. Without precise BPM governance, AI bears excessive risks for a business as any important but poorly managed and not transparent part of ongoing operations in an organization.

BPM for All

Search This Blog