How does process modeling contribute to digital transformation?

Processes are everywhere in an organization; therefore, the process models are essential for digital transformation to progress. While only 20–30% of the most high-volume processes of an organization are automated in some way, there are ample opportunities for digital transformation. The easy step is to look at those processes, but sometimes the most essential and costly processes are outside the normal high-volume processes and looking for automation opportunities. For organizations to execute flawlessly, all processes are candidates for digital attention. Organizations can also benefit by finding procedural processes that can prevent risk, compete for skills more effectively, and stay compliant in a changing business environment. Finding these golden nuggets will require some digging. See Figure 1.1 for the common names for processes typically found in organizations. Industry groups and competitive benchmarks can point to the kinds of processes to transform over and above the typical high-volume processes.

Figure 1.1 – Common names for processes

Often, organizations improve typical high-volume core processes by improving the customer experience and start to converge highly automated and internally focused processes to include the goals of the customer, making these processes more outside-in, AKA customer-centric over time. Most often, systems concentrate on internal organizational goals that are aimed at efficiency only. The primary goal of many organizational processes revolves around the cost and speed of transactional completion in a compliant manner, but not necessarily in favor of customer goals. Digital transformation is an opportunity to balance customer goals with internal organizational goals focusing primarily on profit. See Figure 1.2 for ideas on closing the gap between the customer experience and business processes. Many organizations believe they do not inflict pain on their customers when interacting with their core processes. These organizations need to classify the pain they cause and what characteristics cause the pain for customers. See Figure 1.3 for an example customer pain index.

Figure 1.2 – Close the gap between customer journeys and business processes

Many organizations believe they do not inflict pain on their customers when interacting with their core processes. These organizations need to classify the pain they cause and what characteristics cause that pain for customers. See Figure 1.3 for an example customer pain index:

Figure 1.3 – Customer pain index

More than likely, there is an opportunity for more automation in those core processes. Emerging digital technologies combined with traditional technologies used in a new way or in different contexts hold potential benefits for organizations and their constituents. Examples under the watchful umbrella of modern cybersecurity include the following:

• AI / generative / decisioning / learning
• Analytics / poly analytics / mining
• Business Process Management (BPM) / development / automation
• Collaboration / content
• Business application / models / templates / components
• Cloud / integration / data fabrics / blockchain data
• IoT / edge hardware / digital twins

Making the existing processes friendlier and more intelligent is an excellent first step. Consider adding more robust assistance/intelligence to the participants (AKA resources) involved in process completion. Typical process resources include the following in the context of location and state:

• Managers
• Knowledge workers
• Skilled workers
• APIs, data meshes, and data and knowledge sources
• System components, bots, and algorithms
• Sensors, chips, controllers, and edge firmware
• Robots, drones, cameras, and so on

No matter the process that an organization chooses, a process model will point the way to the improvement opportunities for digital transformation efforts, especially when combined with AI, business analytics, process/data mining, and non-self-serving surveys of customers, employees, partners, contractors, and communities.