| | AUGUST 20208CIOReviewIN MY OPINIONDo you know what is common to a car, a motorcycle, and a naval ship? Perhaps you are thinking of responses such as "iron and steel", "heavy machinery", "complex manufacturing". Those maybe the correct answers, but did you think the answer could be "software". Yes. Software. These heavy machinery and highly industrial products are more computers and less machinery. Cars have become giant, complex, mobile computers. Ditto your shiny new motorcycle. Ditto that jumbo, gray, naval ship. The information age has transformed that hulk of steel mass into the intelligent, information rich "creatures" powered by chips, CPU's, microcomputers and sensors. And just like that, the information age has transformed companies and industries. So where does Business Process management fit in this new world? It's a misfit. When entire industries and organizations are undergoing deep structural changes, focusing on business process management is like protecting the grand staircase of the Titanic, when the entire Titanic was about to sink.Business process managers must shift their focus from process improvement to business transformation management. They must be an active player in helping organizations morph or reborn as new identities as industries are disrupted by technology. Given that reality, it will be useful to understand what will the future of business process management be like. Here are some thoughts to ponder on: 1) From "continuous improvement" to "strategic transformation". In the past or maybe even currently, process experts and continuous improvement leaders helped organizations improve their processes, led change management projects or even led enterprise wide process reengineering efforts. In the information era, process experts and continuous improvement leaders will play a bigger role of "strategic transformation leaders". They will help organizations identify potential market disruptions.With an understanding of the business strategy, they will help identify the transformation purpose for their organization. They will guide the organization from evolutionary changes to "transformative big bets". The book Exponential Organizations talks about "Massive Transformation Purpose". One can call it the "Big Why"­which provides the reason and the soul for the transformation. Most organizations cannot determine the "Big Why". They are so steeped in meeting the daily revenue and profit numbers, that the winds of change are often left unnoticed. The transformation leader needs to be that constant voice that reminds the organization to keep an eye on the future, to ask questions that spur disruption, and to prevent the organization from burying their heads in the tyranny of today. 2) From "pursuit of excellence" to "pursuit of innovative ways". Strategic transformation leaders become the flag bearer of new ways of doing things. Transformation leaders constantly strive to find the latest and best practices in the industry (or even across industries). From Robotics Process Automation, to crowd sourcing, to creating communities, transformation leaders drive "big bet" change across the organization.Most managers are deemed to be successful because they have mastered the ability to scale their processes and organizations, while maintaining stability and consistency in their operations. BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT IN THE INFORMATION ERABy Anu George, Chief Quality Officer, MorningstarAnu George
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