Understand the difference between process management and process management

Within the corporate environment, it is not uncommon for some confusion to be made between the terms processes management and process management – ​​both are constantly treated as if they mean the same thing. 

Nothing, however, could be more mistaken than that: despite the strong similarity between the two names, in practice, the difference between both methodologies becomes quite striking.

And it was precisely for this reason that we prepared this article: in order to clarify, once and for all, the main differences between process management and process management, as well as their respective applications. 

At the end of reading, we are sure that you will never confuse them again and, in addition, you will be able to establish the best and most appropriate practices for manage organizational processes of your company. Shall we go ahead?

First, what are processes?

The Business Dictionary defines a process as “a sequence of interdependent and linked procedures that, at each stage, consume one or more resources (employee time, energy, machines, money) to convert inputs (data, materials, parts, etc.) exits.”

These outputs serve as inputs to the next stage until one arches known or final result is achieved.

For a long time, the routine activities of companies occurred in a disorderly way, without the use of any methodology of their own. And it was then that, from this reality, process management emerged, in order to give some rigor and method to these practices.

What is process management and how does it work

Also known in the business world as BPM (Business Process Management), it is in processes management which is based on the management scenario of the vast majority of companies present in the market, since they are already traditionally used to a certain culture of management of their activities.

This recurrent form of management operates by mapping, modeling, automating and optimizing the most diverse processes of an organization, but in a departmental and vertical way.

Normally, processes are improved within their respective sectors, and there is little or no integration between the different departments of the company, making the conduct of work somewhat difficult.

The big problem about this management model is that, since the resources are destined directly to the sectors, and that it is the respective managers of each sector who decide on the use of these resources in the application of Strategic workflow improvements.

It is common that, many times, the particular goals of each department end up being more favored than the business as a whole, so that it becomes possible to observe a sector performing high, while the others not so much.

Indeed, when this understanding of the company as a whole is lost, as a kind of large living organism, whose organs are all important and interconnected, it becomes difficult to know what you want to achieve in the end, that is, what kind of product or service needs to be delivered. It is at this point that customer contact is weakened and the brand is weakened.

Therefore, we observe that, when there is a tendency towards departmentalization of organizations, it is not uncommon for processes to become fragmented and, from there, operational failures arise such as rework, communication noise, deviation and accumulation of functions and so many others. – which definitely slows down and weakens the company in a number of different ways.

Considering all these issues, for the implementation of process management, the use of so-called BPM systems is recurrent, that is, software specially developed to perform a more automated and efficient process management.

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What is process management and how does it work?

While process management follows a more focused approach to the company's departments and functions, process management, as its name suggests, goes against a more creative and RESERCH, putting aside this outdated departmental view of process management, and focusing primarily on the processes themselves.

Therefore, it is correct to say that it is a somewhat more modernized and horizontalized view of the management model, and that, although still little applied in the market, it has been gaining increasing space. 

This management practice is already present in many organizations that stand out for having a more mature, contemporary and innovative profile, and which understand that, while the execution of process management naturally encompasses process management, the opposite does not occur.

It is not by chance that the great advantage observed in management by processes is precisely the fact that it allows a great integration between all areas of the company, operating in a broad, fluid and optimized way. 

All the company's activity, from decision-making, through task delegations, by the interaction between the teams and going to the sending and receiving of documents, everything happens, as a rule, in a much faster, practical and productive way.

From the perspective of management by processes, it can be seen that for each process in particular its own manager is designated, so that related activities can easily be faced with greater flexibility, creativity and agility, stimulating cooperation and communication between the team members and facilitating innovation in the solutions presented.

The purpose is that, through this innovative management modality, and through the integration between the company's structure and environments, the processes are defined in a much richer and more detailed way, and that they can also be monitored with more accuracy and precision.

Despite everything, although this form of management represents the ideal scenario for any business, its full application is still somewhat difficult and requires extreme maturity on the part of any company that proposes to implement it in its management practices.

As an example, one of the main difficulties in adopting this management model is that, although it is an approach that stops focusing on departments and starts to focus on processes, it does not necessarily extinguish the departments and the dynamics of their relations. 

The truth is that, many times, each specific sector of a company tends to act in an individualistic way, prioritizing its own needs and activities in relation to those of others.

In this sense, we realize that manage people, as well as making the different areas present in an organization to be able to see themselves as partners, and not as competitors, is currently one of the main challenges to be faced by companies that adopt process management practices.

In addition to this issue, there are also other factors that make the implementation of process management in a company even more complex. Among the many possible ones, we can mention, mainly:

• the likely difficulty in reallocating resources;
• the high impact that change can bring on a company's organizational culture;
• the high resistance of many professionals to transformations.

It is up to managers, therefore, to establish the best methods and practices to disseminate this culture of horizontality and strengthen all the links that make up the company's chain of processes, in addition to promoting constant integration between all areas of the business, so that better results can be achieved. are constantly obtained in order to strengthen the company as a whole.

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Between process management and process management, which is the best option?

Surely, as you continue reading this article, you may already be asking yourself this question.

You must also have noticed the difference between process management and process management: while process management brings together practices and methodologies aimed at monitoring, improving, controlling and optimizing processes, process management operates by integrating all the company's processes.

Even so, it cannot be said that it would be correct to point to one as a better alternative than the other, but to consider it as a matter of natural evolution of a methodological practice - even if we consider that, as has been said before, good management by processes encompasses , of course, process management, but the opposite does not happen.

At the end of the day, the fact is that the concept of management by processes is still a novelty that has been increasingly adopted, and the probable tendency is that its practice will gain more and more space, even among smaller companies or family and conservative profile. 

After all, for those who want to guarantee longevity and competitiveness to a business, it is necessary to consider the constant changes in the market and the adaptations that are required of us.

It is worth remembering that, naturally, like any change in the way of conducting a business, it is necessary to be very judicious and act with extreme care. Process management can take place in several different ways, following different methods. 

It is important to know your enterprise and list factors such as pros and cons when choosing which available methods will be the most suitable for your business profile.

As you can see, despite the similar names, there is quite a difference between the concepts of process management and management by processes in companies. 

And, now that you know everything about the subject, how about sharing this knowledge and sharing this article on your social networks?