How to manage processes?

Strategy, tactics, operations. The best efforts at a lower level of management will not compensate for the dysfunction of a higher level. Yet, we are still masters of expedition and improvisation.

Organisations work because of the activities that people do. These activities are worth organising and managing – for example, through processes and projects. It is common to map and manage processes in production, but few organisations have well established processes by which they are managed – management processes. We offer our customers a simple process framework that facilitates the complex setup of management processes to effectively use all the possibilities offered by ATTIS software. Management processes ensure (in the words of Mr. Drucker) that people do the right things the right way. The figure suggests the main relationships, the actual process model, will be more complex.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT defines the long-term direction of the company. Its output is theStrategic Framework. This may include, for example, Vision, Mission, Values, Company-wide strategy, Functional strategy and Top-level strategic objectives for the period. The content of the Strategic Framework may vary according to the nature of the organization and the preferences of the TOP management. The strategic management process defines the procedures for how strategy is created, evaluated, updated and communicated. Tactical management ensures that the company is able to effectively execute its current business while implementing changes that will prepare it for future business. It does this through the Rules. These include, for example, the Organizational Structure, Process Model, Directives, Job Descriptions, Metrics and Indicators, Plans and Budgets , or Competency Models. It is important that all tactical tools work in synergy. For this they need a clear strategic brief. Tactical management is a key platform for change management. It should make sure that people know their job responsibilities and relationships and have the necessary resources. For the most part, they should carry out their activities independently on the basis of rules. Not on the basis of day-to-day tasking by their superiors. OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT coordinates the company’s activities within the framework of set rules. Where tactics don’t work properly, operational management steps in with a relentless stream of operational tasks. We all know it. The solution is not to buy a task management program, but to get the higher levels of management – strategy and tactics – in order. On the right and left sides of the picture are the processes that take care of system corrections. MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION ensures that we can measure and evaluate everything we manage. At the same time, it also performs the actual measurement and evaluation. The output is Feedback – information about the results achieved with appropriate suggestions for appropriate action. RISK MANAGEMENT on the right hand side looks ahead. It monitors and evaluates opportunities and threats. It provides Forward Feedback – recommendations on how the company should respond to adequately prepare for potential opportunities and threats. Forward and Feedback can be directed to all levels of management. Sometimes it may be necessary to adjust strategy, other times to change rules or just to be more consistent in day-to-day operations. With ATTIS, management processes are not only set up and reflected in the responsibilities and authorities of the respective employees. We can also ensure the flow of management information needed to make the right decisions quickly – setting and reporting on targets and indicators, information about threats and opportunities and the risks they pose, and a host of other information.