2023 Best Guide to Process Management Examples and Benefits

Knowing process management examples is important.

Why?

Every business needs to complete repetitive tasks in order to continue operating.

Think of the quotes and invoices that need to be continuously sent out in order to receive payment for goods or services – the payment collection process. 

Think of all the paperwork, tasks, meetings, check-ins, and performance reviews that need to take place while welcoming new team members – the employee onboarding process. 

Work involved in these processes is tedious and employees often brace themselves for how mind-numbing it will be. But it doesn’t have to be so depressing. 

Process management examples can guide employees through this work in a way that isn’t overwhelming or time-consuming. Here’s how:

• What is the definition of process management?
• The importance of effective process management
• Challenges of process management
• Real-world process management examples
• How you can benefit from using process management 
• Best practices for effective process management
• Integrating your process management plan with software

What is the definition of process management? 

Business process management (BPM) is a strategic approach to ensure business procedures are in place and run efficiently. The goal of process management is to align strategic organizational goals with the way businesses perform their recurring work. 

Not to be confused with project management where focus is on a single project, process management examples handle repetitive tasks that are carried out regularly. Process management examples look at business processes, as a whole and individually. From here, managers plan to work towards a more streamlined organizational structure. 

The importance of effective process management

Effective process management isn’t only about creating actionable workflows that reflect repetitive work. It standardizes all forms of business operations to ensure that they are optimally run. 

When systematically implemented, a business process management system can help companies reduce errors and time wasted on completing repetitive tasks. Data loss and missed tasks can be prevented when there’s a process in place for stakeholders to follow. 

Challenges of process management 

Process management is all about coordinating various resources, tasks, and deadlines, and packing this workload into a neat workflow. You’ll likely encounter these challenges if your process management business strategy isn’t well-implemented: 

• Time management: You’ll possibly be late on deadlines if your resources aren’t well utilized. 
• Communication: Employees need detailed tasks and a good idea of the process management strategy in order to clearly understand what is expected of them. 
• Organizational agility: Outdated process information will make it difficult for businesses to adapt to any changes the organization might face. That’s why adaptive process management software is a must for bettering organizational agility. 
• Onboarding new employees: The onboarding process involves many different people and tasks, which can be challenging to keep track of. An effective process management system can help streamline the onboarding journey and make it more interactive for new employees. 

Real-world process management examples

As I’ve mentioned before, process management needs to embody all aspects of a business to be successful. Here are some examples of process management: 

Onboarding new employees

The onboarding process can be time-consuming and chaotic without a proper system in place. Documents, tasks, and paperwork can be completed and submitted electronically when companies implement a business process management strategy. 

Effective process management software can be used to filter information, schedule interviews, send messages, and offer an overview of all onboarding tasks. 

Take a look at this employee onboarding example! 

Managing logistics 

Shipping companies often have to make their way through a complex chain of tasks to logistics plan out their shipments within their supply chain. These processes can often involve thousands of people and spread to various locations. 

Process management helps create a single source of truth that can be applied to each shipment to ensure consistent quality service. 

Production, quality control, finance, customer service, HR, and other departments are integrated into the process while data is centralized. This centralized database then makes for easy information sharing during each phase of the shipping process. 

Processing loan applications

Processing any loans can be done in a shorter time with effective process management. Loan approval becomes more efficient when information is gathered and laid out in an actionable workflow. 

Tasks like document submission and risk and credit checks can be assigned to the right process stakeholders while information can be listed to ensure everyone knows how the work should be completed. Application tracking can also be used to ensure no bottlenecks arise while processing loan applications. 

Compliance management 

The goal of any business process management is to standardize the way businesses run their operations. Compliance management involves recurring tasks that often need to be completed annually. 

By applying current process management to compliance procedures, businesses can comply with the latest federal and state regulations while completing annual incident response tests, annual disaster recovery plan tests, and other security compliance plans. 

Take a look at this HACCP compliance example! 

Managing customer service 

Customer-centric operations can be documented in workflows. This ensures that procedures around customer interactions are standardized and consistent. This process documentation helps unify all departments and systems to ensure customer needs are met. 

Bottlenecks and a lack of transparency between different departments can be identified. For example, communication between the sales team and customer success. Corrections can be made so that the buyer’s journey is streamlined, customized, and customer-focused. 

Take a look at this call center customer service example! 

How you can benefit from using process management

Effective process management will get you places! Here’s what you can expect to gain from implementing robust process management examples in your company: 

Increased productivity 

The goal of any process management strategy is to better utilize organizational resources and capital. This spreads to the human resources (your valuable employees). Effective process management examples empower your employees to work more transparently, which boosts productivity. 

Streamlined processes

To implement any process management examples, you need to define the tasks of each procedure and simplify operations around the entire process. Your procedures are then put into smooth and actionable steps, which you can run each time the process needs to be completed. This streamlines the process and improves your business agility. 

Reduced expenses

You no longer waste valuable time and resources, as these elements are all properly utilized and accounted for in well-designed process management examples. Any inefficiencies or bottlenecks (that cost you money) can be spotted and corrected. 

Best practices for effective process management 

Effective business process management is crucial for ensuring that work is carried out efficiently, consistently, and with high quality. Here are some best practices to help you manage complex business processes effectively and see a positive return on investment:

Define clear objectives

Clearly define the organizational goals of the process. Understand what the process is meant to achieve, and make sure these objectives align with the overall business goals of the organization.

Create process maps

Create a visual representation of the process flow. This can be in the form of flowcharts, diagrams, process maps, or other process mapping tools. This helps in understanding the sequence of steps, inputs, outputs, and decision points in the process.

Standardize procedures

Develop standardized procedures and guidelines for each step of the process. Having documented procedures ensures consistency and reduces the likelihood of errors.

Assign ownership

Assign clear ownership and responsibilities for each step or phase of the process. Having accountable individuals ensures that someone is responsible for the successful execution of each part of the process.

Streamline and simplify

Continuously review the process to identify unnecessary steps, redundancies, or bottlenecks. Streamline and simplify the process to eliminate waste and improve efficiency.

Set process performance metrics

Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the process. This could include metrics like cycle time, error rates, customer satisfaction, and more.

Implement automation

Identify tasks within the process that can be automated. Business process automation can significantly improve efficiency by reducing manual work, minimizing errors, and speeding up the overall process.

Continuous improvement

Foster a culture of continuous process improvement. Regularly gather feedback from employees involved in the process, and encourage them to suggest improvements. Regularly review the process and implement changes based on lessons learned. This continuous improvement cycle will help you get the most out of your processes

Training and skill development

Ensure that employees involved in the process are well-trained and equipped with the necessary skills. This minimizes errors and enhances the overall quality of the process.

Communication and collaboration

Foster open communication and collaboration among team members involved in the process. Clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

Risk management

Identify potential risks and challenges associated with the process. Develop contingency plans to address these risks and ensure business continuity.

Technology utilization

Leverage appropriate technology tools and software to support the process. This could include project management tools, workflow automation software, communication platforms, and more.

Document management

Maintain a centralized repository for process documentation, guidelines, and resources. This makes it easy for employees to access the information they need and ensures consistency.

Feedback loop

Establish a feedback loop with stakeholders who interact with the process, such as customers or other departments. Their insights can provide valuable perspectives for further improvement.

Flexibility and adaptability

While standardization is important, allow for flexibility and adaptability to accommodate unique situations or exceptions that may arise during the process.

How Process Street can help with your process management 

Process Street is a top business process management software tool that offers a range of features designed to streamline, automate, and optimize your processes.

Here’s how Process Street can help improve your business process optimization:

Process standardization

Process Street allows you to create standardized templates for your processes using a simple drag-and-drop interface. This ensures that each step of the process is consistently followed, reducing the risk of errors and variations.

Process documentation

You can document all the steps, guidelines, and instructions for your processes within Process Street. This centralizes the information and makes it easily accessible to all team members involved in the process.

Templates and workflows

Create interactive templates and workflows for your processes. This guides users through each step, ensuring that tasks are completed in the correct sequence and nothing is missed.

Automation

Process Street allows you to automate repetitive tasks and actions within your processes. You can set up conditional logic, approvals, and triggers to automate tasks, saving time and reducing manual effort.

Collaboration and communication

Team members can collaborate on processes by commenting, discussing, and providing feedback directly within Process Street. This fosters better communication and ensures everyone is on the same page.

Integration

Process Street integrates with various other tools and platforms such as Zapier, Slack, and CRM systems. This enables you to connect your processes with your existing software ecosystem, enhancing efficiency.

Real-time monitoring

You can track the progress of ongoing processes in real time. This visibility helps you identify bottlenecks, delays, or issues, allowing you to take timely corrective actions.

Analytics and reporting

Process Street provides analytics and reporting features that allow you to track process performance and identify areas for improvement. You can use data-driven insights to optimize your processes further.

Auditing and compliance

For processes that require compliance or regulatory adherence, Process Street provides features to track and document compliance-related activities.

Version control

Keep track of changes and updates made to your process templates. This ensures that you always have access to the latest version of your processes.

Mobile access

Process Street offers mobile apps, allowing your team to access and complete processes from anywhere, which is especially useful for remote or field-based work.

Training and onboarding

Use Process Street to create onboarding and training processes for new employees. This ensures consistent training and reduces the learning curve for new team members.

Integrating your process management plan with software

As I said above, effective process management can be beneficial. But you can maximize these benefits by using business process management software from reputable software providers. With effective process management tools, you get to refine the work you do and streamline your experience.

Automation opportunities can easily be identified within the software. You can set rules that ensure technology completes these recurring tasks and any data-entry work consistently and accurately.

Analytics and other tracking capabilities allow managers to stay up to date with team progress while bottlenecks can be spotted quickly if there is a delay. Tasks and approvals can be assigned to a specific member of your team, which streamlines the entire process and provides maximum transparency.