Which Processes, When, and How Should Change

Many mentors and practitioners apply a specific method to change and improve all the processes. But they should consider an array of parameters to analyze and decide which processes, when, and how should change. To understand the process of analyzing and developing the different approaches, the paper aims to show an action research in an Iranian municipality as a complicated system, how the system should be analyzed to figure out which processes can be improved by which methods. For this purpose, at first, all the processes, including about 200, have been divided in to 46 process groups. Then, they were analyzed according to two major indicators: strategic importance, and process complexity and dynamics. Meanwhile, Strategic importance would be evaluated based on relationship degree between processes and three variables: strategic goals, strategic focus in terms of cost, income, and executing projects, and the number of key stakeholders. Also process complexity and dynamics would be assessed by relationship degree between processes and four indicators: strategic issues, relevant stakeholders, strategic laws and regulations, and direct customer contact points. The findings of this study indicate that 56% of process groups should be changed by ERP -based process automation and others by other methods including the lean six sigma approach (24%), major redesign projects (13%), and outsourcing projects (7%).

Keywords:

Business Process Change , Strategic Importance , Process Complexity and Dynamics