Skills and functionalities
A well documented business process includes not only the building blocks – being the activities or process steps. It also describes the capabilities that enable the actual execution of these activities. For human tasks, these are the skills and the knowledge that the employees need to carry out. For automated tasks, these are the functionalities which can be executed by a system. Below figure illustrates the capabilities (skills and functionalities), necessary for the activity “Weigh the load of raw materials” of the process “Receipt & inspection of raw materials” (see the process in the blog of 5th february 2015).
The yellow rectangle indicates the “role”, so who is supposed to carry out the activity “weighing the load of raw materials”. In this case, the role is the “receiver of raw materials”. As capabilities (blue-green rectangles) we distinguish:
- the skills the receiver needs to have, i.e.
- User knowledge of the weighing equipment
- User knowledge of the registration system
- the functionalities of the systems, being
- Determine the weight – a functionality of the weighing platform
- Register the weight data – a functionality of the software
Notice that you can also describe lots of other elements in addition to skills and functionalities with regards to the activity. In the example we also see following symbols :
- Blue rectangle who represents the information system (registration system)
- Grey rectangle who represents what the registration will generate as “document” (ouput)
- (little) grey rectangles which represent the data that are registered: gross weight, net weight, product (type of raw material), vehicle (brand, ID), supplier
Process and business architecture
When business processes are described in a similar, detailed way, it is referred to as process architecture, being a part of the overall business architecture. An organisation that applies business architecture, generally uses a software application for this purpose. Such a software application does not only register all these elements (activities, roles, skills & functionalities, systems, etc.), but also the relationships between these elements. This enables several forms of reporting. In our example, it would be possible to e.g. read all the skills the “receiver of raw materials” needs, in just 1 report. This report would also include other skills than those needed for this activity. For example also skills s/he needs in order to be able to take samples of raw materials; another activity which is supposed to be performed by the “receiver of raw materials” as well.
Why efficient and effective human resource management?
With the same application for business architecture, you can also determine and document who (by way of function or name) is responsible for which roles. Imagine for instance that the role “receiver of raw materials” is one of the roles of the quality manager, as illustrated here below.
In case of replacement of the quality manager, it will be easier to determine which roles s/he has, as well as which skills s/he needs. This is quite efficient, because when you need to publish a vacancy, you know immediately all the skills his/her successor will need, based on 1 report. This is of course also valid for potential changes of roles between mutual positions or functions. For example, if the role “receiver of raw materials” shifts from the quality manager to the production manager, than you will know quickly which new skills the production manager needs to acquire.
Such a process documentation will also be very useful for the training of new staff. Don’t you think it is motivating for a new employee when s/he understands even better which higher purposes his/her skills will support? And when s/he clearly knows how his/her work will contribute to the results of the process and thus to the overall organisation results?
This undoubtedly improves the intrinsic motivation of staff. Hence, it enables an even more efficient and effective human resource management. Efficient thanks to ad hoc available information on skills; effective through even better motivated personnel.
Would you like to know more about how process and business architecture may be of added value for your organisation? Don’t hesitate to contact us here …
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