Automating Business Processes

As you know, I’ve devoted a whole book to the many reasons for capturing and analyzing business processes. Certainly one of the most important reasons is to determine which functions within your organization can be effectively computerized and automated.

With the web’s coming of age, opportunities for automation abound. But it takes some savvy to know which processes will bring more money to the bottom line when they’re turned into computer applications.

I recently discovered EcoNet.com, a company that specializes in converting business processes into web-based applications. They also ensure that their level of quality stays consistent by employing a methodology—proven and repeatable processes—a company after my own heart!

According to their website, they were founded in February of 1995 and help clients “exploit web-centric technologies, and acquire competitive advantage in a changing technological marketplace.” The copy goes on, “By integrating service, technology, proprietary software, and confidential business methods, EcoNet.com provides a complete suite of Internet products and services that growing companies must have to compete in ‘The New Economy.’” Among other things, EcoNet.com is also building a reservoir of patentable business methods that differentiate the company.

EcoNet.com serves over 100 clients in a broad range of industries, including The Texas Society of CPAs, VHA On-Line Publications, Muzak, Anadarko (formerly Union Pacific Resources), and UT/Southwestern Medical.

I spoke to EcoNet.com president, David Lissberger. I had first envisioned that they simply placed flowcharts and procedures on websites. No, I quickly understood that they actually convert processes such as billing, ordering, site content management, scheduling and other functions into interactive and automated processes managed through web-based applications.

Translating Your Business Model to the Web

Mr. Lissberger filled me in on the key to successful automation. “If we’re going to move a piece of a client’s business to web-based technology, we have to make sure that their business formula is effectively translated to their presence and applications on the web. We’re going to focus on functionalities that make them successful now, and try to make them even more successful.” To ensure that happens for every client, his team takes a process-driven approach in the form of “to.delta,” the company’s proprietary methodology. “We will make adjustments to the way we do business if our client needs us to, but we can never change the method that ensures our client’s success.”

The “to.delta,” methodology rests on three strategic precepts: Adaptation, Design, and Infrastructure.

Adaptation requires having an understanding of business processes, and which processes offer an opportunity for cost savings or more sales. An organization also has to understand the critical path of their processes—what absolutely has to happen in order for the right outcome to occur? Once these process factors have been analyzed, then you can determine which web-based tools or functionalities will have positive, measurable impacts on the organization.

Design is more than a pretty looking website. The design has to quickly direct the typical user to what they’re after when they visit. Site organization, supporting functionality, and usability combine to make a site design successful. If the user can’t interface with it and get the transaction done, you’ve failed.

Infrastructure has to do with the supporting technology: how your organization’s computers connect to each other and the Internet. From the EcoNet.com website: “Companies that have each of their computers connected on a LAN with a secure Internet connection have good infrastructure. As a company increases their interaction with customers and vendors through the Internet, their dependency on solid infrastructure grows, as well.” This means that the solution you arrive at must take the future into account. What happens if the number of transactions or users jumps from 50 a day to 10,000?

The methodology enables EcoNet.com to consistently develop and implement solutions, time-and-again, and has demonstrated an incredibly high success rate.

Preparing to Automate—Understand your real processes

I asked Mr. Lissberger to explain how a client could best prepare to take advantage of web-based process automation with EcoNet.com. “It isn’t enough to simply have processes documented.” He elaborated, “You have to know what your real processes are. Managers know what’s happening within their organizations on a macro level, but often don’t understand the contortions that their people go through on the front line in order to deliver. We consult with the client to understand what is happening on those front lines. We’ll go ride with a driver or spend time watching how a fax machine gets utilized, if it helps us understand the details of the business process. We have to know what it takes for the client to win, and we’ll ‘go deep’ to do that.”

Mr. Lissberger and I have both been in situations where we present management with a picture of what’s really going on within their processes. Typical reaction: “Oh my God, is that the way they’re doing it?” Followed by: “We’ll have to change that.” These process corrections have to occur before it can be translated to a web-based application-or any other application, for that matter.

It’s becoming cheaper and easier to realize an accelerated ROI when you automate key business processes. More money to the bottom line is always a good thing. An organization such as EcoNet.com can lead you through the issues and help you get the most out of such an initiative. Just be sure that whoever you use has a structured approach and has done this before. The novice will not understand interdependencies and pitfalls so you’ll want to take advantage of as much experience as you can afford. An inexperienced vendor may look less expensive on paper, but their likely mistakes will cost you dearly in the not-so-long run.

Next Steps

Under the current economy, we all have to do more work with less people, and the situation doesn’t look like it will change any time soon. It is an excellent time to tackle process issues such as these—it could spell survival for your organization.

If you’d like to discuss the advantages of web-based processes, as well as some of the most sophisticated web security products available, you can contact David Lissberger or Ginger Reid at (972) 991-5005 . As you may have figured out, their website is http://www.econet.com.

© 2001 M. A. “Ryan” Yuhas