{"id":1310,"date":"2013-06-27T11:16:09","date_gmt":"2013-06-27T11:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cmwlab.com\/blog\/?p=1310"},"modified":"2024-04-12T08:09:24","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T08:09:24","slug":"manage-unstructured-processes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cmwlab.com\/blog\/manage-unstructured-processes\/","title":{"rendered":"Manage Unstructured Business Processes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Process management states that you have structured and unstructured processes in your business, whether you discover them or not, they are simply taking place. Structured processes are most often typical, like client support tickets or bug fixing<\/a>: they repeat the workflow scheme each time and don\u2019t involve a lot of collaboration or decision-taking.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n\"CMW<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\"tetris\"\r\n\r\n

Unstructured processes involve decision taking, discussion, and professional collaboration in order to deliver process results. Due to the nature of the process, its structure can be slightly different each time so it is quite difficult to describe this process once, set corporate rules on it, or automate this process inside business software<\/a> as is the case with structured business processes which are largely automated with the help of ERP and CRM software.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

For example, your company plans to adapt the BYOD policy<\/a> which describes how your employees can use their own devices for work, including corporate rules, IT security requirements and so on. How exactly will the CIO, HR and CTO collaborate on this task? There is definitely some process behind it, yet you cannot say what it will look like until it\u2019s over.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

However unstructured the process is, it doesn\u2019t mean that the process cannot be described, optimized or automated. It simply needs a different approach which adapts to the unpredictability of the process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Managing structured processes by email or with the help of Excel files<\/a> has proven to be inefficient and we see these kind of processes automated in large companies with the help of ERP and CRM systems. Meanwhile, unstructured process are quite often left \u2018untouched<\/em>\u2019 and just \u2018happen<\/em>\u2019 ad-hoc, without any possible optimization. Why? Unstructured processes can be managed, controlled, optimized and improved as well as any other kind of processes it\u2019s just a matter of the right approach which has to include three basic steps:<\/p>\r\n\r\n