Business Process Methodologies

I've either been involved with or held a process-related role since 1994. It started in the government with TQM (Total Quality Management). Then before I left the government, I worked with ERWin and some process standard model -- I've forgotten its official name. We had pages and pages of flows that were not easy to follow.

In 1997, we worked with a fancy software application that was not user-friendly and spit out huge process maps. In 1998, I joined another company and the department had its own process for managing process additions, changes, and deletions. The organization got much bigger and then we dove into CMM.

I've written several articles on process.

I bring this up because Will pointed me to this, which led to my finding Katie's version of RUP:

Step 1: Write about running really fast.

Step 2: Go and draw a plan of the racetrack.

Step 3: Go and buy really tight lycra shorts.

Step 4: Run really, really, really fast.

Step 5: Cross line first.

Unfortunately, the outcome of RUP is that you end up with extremely well documented TERRIBLE designs.

This blog has the best quote:

"Process won't help you if you suck. It will just make you suck more repeatably."

I believe process is important and necessary. Documenting everything doesn't help because no one studies the document. We're too busy with our own little world. It's the new employees who benefit most.

Anyway, templates are useful to ensure you consistently document with every project and remember all the components. If you can make it better, do it! There's always a better way of doing something. That's why we have CPI: Continuous process improvement. The hard part is finding an effective way to do things and documenting it.

meryl k. evans is the Content Maven behind meryl k. evans, meryl k. evans. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.

best cleaning company Highland Park ..
In The News:

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.
Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.
Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.
Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.
Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.
Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.
Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.
Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.
Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.
New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.
A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.
AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.
A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.
New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

Expanding your business in a franchise system

If you are a successful franchise of a large franchise... Read More

Own Your Niche by Building a Niche Community

In 1997, David Steele was making the transition from a... Read More

Building a Better Brick-and-Mortar with the Billion-Dollar Web

More than $117 billion passed hands from Internet shoppers to... Read More

Vendor Relations Strategies Sample Outline

One of the quintessential parts to any business is your... Read More

Leverage - A Small Step For You /A Big Change For Your Career

Cassy was an employee of a nonprofit who had been... Read More

Strategy Without Tactics is Futile

From time to time there seems to be a flurry... Read More

Business Disaster? Wont Happen to Me

As fast as you can say business disaster, your business... Read More

Top Ten Reasons To Create A One Page Business Plan

There is a story, about a business owner who wasn't... Read More

Nine Succession Planning Mistakes Small Businesses Should Avoid

1. Attempt Succession Planning Without Other Strategic Plans. Succession plans... Read More

Pave the Way to a Successful Strategic Plan

Many very successful business owners may never have had a... Read More

The Magic Of Exponential Business Growth

Is there a 'magical' way to exponentially grow your business?It's... Read More

Business Plan Descriptions of Computer System

Entrepreneurs often give little if any consideration to their computer... Read More

Three Easy Ways To Know Thy Competitor

"Did you hear what your competitor is doing?" This question... Read More

If You Dont Focus, Innovate and Evolve, You Die

After 128 years of business, a household word, Montgomery Wards,... Read More

Fail to plan... or Plan to FAIL??

Running a business, whether it be an offline multi-billion dollar... Read More

Defining Go for It Business Goals

Many business start-up kits or consultants will tell you one... Read More

10 Critical Facts to Put On the Cover of Your Business Plan...

In most business plans, no matter how striking the idea,... Read More

Online Promotion: 10 Ways To Use Focus Groups To Ignite Your Profits

A focus group is a group of employees or current... Read More

Hunters and Gatherers - Are You Serving Both Their Needs?

The University of Exeter in the United Kingdom recently published... Read More

Resilience

I. INTRODUCTIONThe term resilience, which is of frequent use in... Read More

Memo: Sustaining Growth in Your Business

What gets measured gets done.How do you keep your business... Read More

The 7 Critical Steps to Formulating Your Annual Strategic Business Plan

Businesses tend to avoid doing their annual business plan thinking... Read More

Changing Strategy Without Losing Your Customers - Three Vital Steps to Refining Your Strategy

American Eagle Outfitters and Wet Seal Stores have issued statements... Read More

Why You Need a Business Planning System NOT a Business Plan

When someone mentions business planning we have been conditioned to... Read More

Could You Be Setting Your Business Plan Up For Failure?

David E. Gumpert, author of Burn Your Business Plan, often... Read More

high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..