Recovers quite well from some basic mis-definitions!. The authors repeat the traditional definition of a process as a series of actions that takes an input, transforms it and produces an output (page 3). This definition is unhelpful at best and is often totally misleading, as they demonstrate when they try to explain it. Their example of waking up in the morning contradicts their definition - the input is defined as the alarm going off, but there is no way that this (ie the alarm going off) is transformed by the body going through a series of movements. Again, the Payment by Cheque Request process is described as having the bill as the input, but the transformation is defined as the completion of a request leading to a payment. The bill has not been transformed!
On page 27 they state that ...the process that is the company. Running the company is a process (ie a series of related actions), but the company itself most certainly is not a process.
The concept of a trigger to start a process is important and is often ignored, but it is given due attention here. But again the authors let themselves down with their examples. On page 38, they state that ...the trigger that starts Psycho the movie rolling is the money. The trigger must be an action or an event - it is the temptation that triggers the process.
The key idea of an objective for the process is also missing. If it had been recognised, the idea of a clear end point (page 118) would be more understandable and easier to identify. And the concept of instances of a process (whereby different conditions and resources may apply each time the process is followed) is ignored.
The idea of identifying and managing the influences (such as business risks, overall business objectives and key controls) is important and is well covered.
Perhaps the title of the book should have been Business Process Management rather than just Mapping. They are not the same, and it is important that this is made clear to readers.
Business Process Mapping: Improving Customer Satisfaction (ID: 0471079774)
