Product Description

Understanding and improving your organization's business processes is vital in today's economy. Using non-technical language, this book describes the importance of these processes and the internal and external forces that shape them. It then explains the kinds of computer software available for improving and managing business processes in a flexible way. Detailed case studies illustrate that successful process management depends on attention to the human, organizational and financial factors involved, as well as the strategic implications. Ideal for non-technical managers, this book will also appeal to MBA and business studies students.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #597853 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 290 pages

Review
"If you are a manager and new to BPM, and want a serious introduction to the issues involved in using BPM in an organization, this is a great way to come up to speed on the key issues. Similarly, if you are a BPM manager and going to be building a case for BPM in your organization, you will also find this book very useful." - BP Trends, Paul Harmon

"With many diagrams and footnotes throughout, and a glossary of terms and suggestions on further reading, the book tries to enable the non-specialist reader to take a broad and informed view of business processes. Free from technical imperatives, and ideal for non-technical managers, this book will also appeal to MBA and business studies students."
Abstracts of Public Administration, Development, and the Environment

About the Author
Roger Whitehead is a director of Office Futures, an independent consultancy in electronic business that he founded in 1981. The company advises organizations on using information technology to make their strategies real. It also assists with product and supplier selection, and supplier implementation.

Jon Pyke was Chief Technology Officer and a main board director of Staffware Plc from August 1992 until 2004. He is a world recognized industry figure, an exceptional public speaker and a quoted company executive.

John O'Connell was Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Staffware Plc until it was sold to Tibco Software Inc. in June of 2004. Staffware was acknowledged as the leading workflow and Business Process Management software company worldwide and one of Europe's top software companies.

Customer Reviews

At Last a Simple to Read Comprehensive Book on Process
This is the book that most people thought would never be written. So many people have been urging Jon Pyke for so many years to get down on paper what he really thinks. Of all the people in the process space, Jon is probably the most widely misquoted! It has been all too easy for people to say "Well, what Jon actually meant was!" and then turn it to suit their own purpose, now we can all get to find out what Jon actually thought!

This book is a veritable treasure trove of information, every page fact with some fact or factoid of note. There will be those in the BPM community who may find aspects of what Jon has to say hard to swallow. But, Jon more than most has the right to state his views and give corrections to the origins of some of the terms. As CTO of Staffware from 1992-2004, potentially the only truly successful vendor of the workflow era, Jon was in effect the father of workflow and by that fact the de facto father of BPMS - not that some would like to acknowledge that fact.

The book although jam packed with information, is a very easy read and, in the opinion of this reviewer at least, is probably the most complete, logical and digestible explanation of what process are and why they are important I have seen.

Full of tips and tricks on what to do and what to watch out for as you - in the name of the title - Master your Organizations Processes. The book does not set out to be a cook book, but instead guides your thinking and provides plenty of checklists to help you on your way. This approach is to be applauded, as all too many a good book on process has been spoiled by the first you do this, then you do this approach. The reality is that one size really does not fit all.

Its nine chapters are strongly focussed on success in business and never do you get the sense of technology for technology's sake - pretty good going for a former CTO! The chapters also contain lots of good case studies which certainly help and are easy to relate to.

If I had one criticism of the book it is that by its definition of BPM as technology it propagates (in my opinion) the lie that BPM is technology rather than using the more widely accepted term BPMS for the technology to support the management philosophy that is BPM.

The book is an absolute must read for any business, systems or process analyst in order to make sure that they stay focussed on what is really important - business results. It's non-jargon, non-technical style means that for any Manager it will serve as a great introduction to process management and will prove invaluable to them in the selection of processes to improve, tool selection and technology selection..

Now of course all we have to do is wait and see where Jon pops up next, it is now 2 years since his departure from Staffware, Jon what are you up to, when we will we be seeing the latest from you in the process space?

Mastering your Process Competencies
This one does deserve attention of all business and system analysts, software developers, IT architects, consultants, "consultants", experts in the field, students, employees, managers, CEOs - all those practically as well as intelectually and theoretically involved in business process focused projects.
Although this book highlights BPM technological platform, you are not going to find too much jargon-like stuff inside. What's important, not only Business Process Management, but also business process management is stressed there. What I like most is author's skepticism about IT-vendors selling "philosphy" (i.e. first implement, then worry).
YES, this book is a plain guide. It is not a complete BPM guide, nor a cookbook. You won't find there a detailed desription of how to implement business rules or what the (dis)advantages of BPEL are. That makes this book almost splendid for all IT decision-makers.
As to flaws, there is one: syntax and style. I did not like it. It is not what a reader should be charged for.