INTRODUCTIO

N TO OFFICE
MANAGEMENT
OVERVIEW -BUSINESS PROCESS
PROCESS

 A sequence of interdependent and linked

procedures which, at every stage, consume one or
more resources (employee time, energy, machines,
money) to convert inputs (data, material, parts,
etc.) into outputs. These outputs then serve as
inputs for the next stage until a known goal or end
result is reached. A set of activities or tasks that
help companies produce consumer goods or
services.
 Example –
• accounting
departments involves
several individual tasks
or activities a company
will use to move
financial information
through the company’s
internal processes.
BUSINESS PROCESS
Significance
 • can help companies determine whether they have
any redundancies or unnecessary tasks in their
business operations.

 • can provide some flexibility when owners and

managers need to make a change to operations,
review the process model and find the best way to
add or subtract activities when implementing new
processes
What Is a Business Process?

 At its core, a business process is a repeatable

collection of steps a company uses to accomplish
a goal. Good processes are crucial to making
progress toward your goals and improving your
business’s operations.
 The purpose of a business process is to help your
company reach a specific target. If you want to
accomplish things as a business, processes allow
you to take repeatable, consistent steps forward.
A good process meets three essential
criteria:
 Repeatability: All processes must be designed to be repeated. A
process that you don’t intend to repeat is an action plan instead of a
true process. It’s the difference between routine purchases and
buying a new facility.
 Transparency: Processes also need to be trackable, allowing you to
monitor them for success. A good process has built-in data-tracking
steps, allowing you to compare performance and efficacy over time.
 Agility: Processes that are set in stone don’t hold up in the real
world. A process should be adaptable to multiple situations so small
changes to the work environment don’t cause delays. Furthermore, a
good process should be easy to update in case of more significant or
permanent adjustments.
Business Process vs. Business Function

 Business processes are often confused with business

functions. These concepts are similar but should not
be confused with each other.
 A business function is a collection of related activities
performed by a particular department in your
business. The activities that make up a business
function are interconnected and difficult to separate.
For instance, a critical business function is human
resources, the management and organization of your
staff, and hiring policies.
 Meanwhile, a business process is a collection of activities designed to
achieve a specific outcome. Unlike a function, the activities aren’t
necessarily directly connected to one another. Instead, they come
together to support a single end result. For instance, your company may
have a staff retention process that includes work done by HR,
maintenance, and management with the intention of reducing turnover.
 At its core, a business function consists of tightly related activities with
a general goal, and a business process is a collection of loosely related
tasks with a specific target. A well-run company involves both business
processes and functions. In fact, many functions will be involved in
multiple processes. The HR function will be involved in hiring
processes, retention processes, and disciplinary processes, as well as
many others.
The Importance of Business Processes

 Locating opportunities for improvement: When

developing methods and procedures, you must examine your
current tactics. In the process, you will both identify existing
problems and have the opportunity to fix them. For instance,
if your current processes rely on out-of-date technology, you
can revise them to include modern alternatives.
 Reducing costs: By developing faster and more efficient
processes, you can also reduce your company’s expenses.
You will both save on direct material costs if you discover
ways to minimize waste and indirectly save on payroll as
your employees waste less time on inefficient methods.
 Working toward long-term goals: A critical step
in rewriting your current methods is identifying
the tasks your staff must accomplish during their
daily routine. You can develop new processes that
include actions that progress toward your
company’s long-term goals. Taking daily steps
toward your targets increases the likelihood that
you will achieve those goals in a timely fashion.
Examples of Business Processes

Operational Processes
 Operational processes are the most fundamental
parts of a business because they’re directly
responsible for creating and delivering products
and services.
 Product Development
 The product development process involves creating and improving
your offerings over time. This process looks different at every
business, but the basic structure is the same:
 A market opportunity is identified that the company can address.
 The development team brainstorms solutions to the problem.
 A few promising solutions are chosen for development.
 The demos are tested to see how they work.
 One version is chosen for release.
 The released version’s success is monitored.
 This process repeats whenever the company wants to improve or
update its current products or release something entirely new.
Manufacturing

 Once your offerings have been developed, it’s time to

produce them. The manufacturing process is usually one of
the most obvious and well-designed business processes. It
typically involves steps such as:
 Sourcing materials
 Transporting materials to the manufacturing location
 Following a predetermined order of steps to transform the
materials into a product
 Packing the product for delivery
 Bringing the packed product to the pickup location
Delivery

 The delivery process may or may not be simple, depending

on your business’s structure. It may be nothing more than
bringing products to an on-site showroom, or it may require
navigating international shipping laws. This process will look
different for product-based and service-based companies.
 For instance, a product may be shipped to a wholesaler, to a
retail store or directly to the consumer, and a service may be
performed on your premises or at the customer’s location.
Developing a well-thought-out delivery process can reduce
wasted time, money, and effort regardless of your specific
business model.
Sales Processes

 Businesses need to sell their products, or they

won’t succeed; the sales processes are the
procedures businesses use to make sure they bring
in revenue.
Sales

 The sales process is the collection of steps a company

takes to discover a lead and convert them into a loyal
customer. The overall sales process includes several
subprocesses, such as:
 Lead generation
 Lead qualification
 Contacting leads
 Negotiation
 Closing the deal
 Nurturing current customers
Marketing

 Marketing may be considered part of the lead

generation sales subprocess, but it’s significant
enough to warrant its own department in many
businesses. In the marketing business process,
your goal is to build trust in your brand and brand
loyalty. Marketing may also involve subprocesses
focusing on different types of advertising, such as
social media, search engines, and physical ads.
Customer Service

 The customer service process is part of the

nurturing sales subprocess. Providing your current
customers with excellent service encourages them
to buy from you again in the future. The customer
service process may involve learning what
problems customers often face, trying the most
common solutions, developing new solutions for
unusual situations, and following up to make sure
everything works.
Supporting Processes

 Supporting processes include the business

procedures and departments that are critical to the
operation of a business but aren’t directly
connected to sales or product delivery.
Accounting

 Managing your organization’s current assets and

debts is fundamental to remaining solvent.
Furthermore, accounting is essential for maintaining
compliance with the Internal Revenue Service and
other government regulations. The accounting
process looks similar for many businesses, requiring
in-depth record keeping, careful monitoring of bank
accounts, loans, debts and assets, and staying up to
date on legal requirements.
Maintenance

 Your maintenance and janitorial teams are critical

to your business despite not directly contributing
to sales. Instead, they perform essential upkeep
that prevents future expenses. The vital tasks they
perform keep your equipment and office from
breaking down. Maintenance includes:
 Routine cleaning for your office
 Regular upkeep on manufacturing equipment
Management Processes

 Management processes are the actions necessary

to keep everything else running smoothly.
Management

 There may be dozens of individual teams and departments

in larger businesses. These teams can lose their connection
with one another and the company’s ultimate goals if they
aren’t being managed carefully. The management process
is intended to keep larger groups of people on track. An
example of the management process may involve:
 Scheduling regular meetings with individual teams.
 Scheduling regular meetings with department heads.
 Monitoring results from different employees.
 Assigning projects and work to appropriate teams.
 Rewarding strong performers and working with
weak employees to improve their results.
 The specific order and frequency of these steps
can vary depending on your company’s
management style. However, building a consistent
management process helps your staff know what
to expect and enables you to develop a coherent
company culture.
Finance

 The process of financing is different from that of

accounting. Whereas accounting is responsible for
tracking the assets and debts a company has, financing
is the process of negotiating and managing additional
funds and assets. The finance process involves
applying for funding, negotiating terms and
conditions, and following up with those terms to
remain in good standing. This keeps the organization’s
finances in check and ensures every department has
the funding necessary to do its work.
Onboarding

 Onboarding new staff is essential if you want your employees to

perform at their best from the start. The onboarding process
includes steps such as:
 Training employees on new technology.
 Educating them on safety and security procedures.
 Getting them onto your payroll and into other company systems.
 Onboarding can be overlooked in smaller companies and
departments, but it’s critical for getting new staff integrated into
your business. Building a better onboarding process saves time
and money by reducing mistakes and keeping your entire team
on the same page.
List of Business Processes
 Hiring - the method by
which you construct your
company staff.

 examine how your company

receives and processes
resume

 filter out of candidates to

reach the ones you want to
interview
List of Business Processes
 Manufacturing - reviewed
periodically to ensure its
efficiency.

 be certain that you have a

detailed understanding of the
manufacturing process used by
your outsourced company,

 you must have some idea of

the quality control procedures
used
List of Business Processes
 Quality Control - a
company-wide business
process that is implemented
in every part of the
organization.
 used to reduce the amount of
defective product that gets
shipped to customers

 Can significantly increase

the quality of all of your
business processes.
Motivation

 Say something about
the picture.