Enriching Context for Business Processes

[Fran]

Instead of plugging people into processes, why not wrap processes
around people?

In a recent blog, The Winds of Change, Gartner's Jim Sinur suggests
this and more:

"Processes need to wrap themselves around people in way that seems
unthinkable today. This will only happen when the processes are
context enriched.

Carol Rozell picks up the theme with Context Enriched Processes add a
Social Dimension to Work, commenting "Applying context awareness to
processes is a natural extension of technology to collaborative work
activities. Today’s gadgets can tell us where the nearest restaurant
is based on our current physical location. So why shouldn’t context
information help us find a expert in, say molecular biology, who works
for the same company I do, has an office in the same building and is
currently available for a call?"

Shameless plug for the latest blog at www.valuenetworks.com:

Value Network modeling is a fast and effective way to capture the
context behind business processes. The Enterprise Edition can bring
together data from workflow and process tools along with HR staffing
tools to predict exactly where your work packages or processes are
most likely to break down - and show how to more effectively deploy
people for top process performance.

[Fran]

Apologies for links not showing up.
Here is Jim Sinur -
http://blogs.gartner.com/jim_sinur/2010/02/03/dont-let-the-winds-of-change-blow-bpm-away/
Here is Carol Rozwell -
http://blogs.gartner.com/carol_rozwell/

[Michael _P]

I do agree with << Value Network modeling is a fast and effective way

to capture the context behind business processes. The Enterprise
Edition can bring together data from workflow and process tools along
with HR staffing tools to predict exactly where your work packages or
processes are most likely to break down - and show how to more

effectively deploy people for top process performance>> because this
is about the People-around-Process model, not other way around.

Here are two examples.
1. We construct a boarder between the road and pavement to protect
pedestrians from the machines. However, we cut and smooth the boarder
for those pedestrians who use carts. This is the Process-around-People
model.
2. We are constructing a high-rise and the workers must work at the
elevated floors. However, there are the workers that afraid of the
hight. If we follow the Process-around-People model, we have to say
'Good buy' to the high-rise. Is this the right decision?

I disagree with the Process-around-People model as the main model/
driver for Value Networks. If people gathered to perform an activity
and reach the goal, the activity's objectives require certain skills
and experience from the people. If somebody is a very good person but
does not fit into those requirements, this means s/he does not fit.
That's simple.

Many say that the process is for people, not other way around. It is
true to some degree as well as the opposite statement is true to the
same degree. For example, when I come to a KFC in the US and see that
a person with 'another abilities' cleaning the tables, I am going
away. Why? Because cleaning the table has to result in clean tables
while such person can barely take care of him/her self and gets mostly
the fun instead of cleaning the tables. The Process sets certain
constraints that may not be compromised to adjust them around THE
person.

So, I think that neither the Process-around-People nor the People-
around-Process is the right model for the Value Networks.

- Michael