Business Performance Optimization

Business Performance Optimization is not just about technology. It replaces the traditional views of business based on discrete functional organizations, like sales, customer service, manufacturing and finance. Widespread implementation of ERP, CRM, and supply chain software made the organization difficult to change in response to new business demands.

Business Performance Optimization focuses on the root-cause of organization inefficiency by integrating the functional organization that are viewed as ¨stovepipe¨. The integration takes on the following approach:

• Strategic Formulation
• Metrics Definition
• Activities Monitoring
• Continuous Improvement

Business Process Optimization

Strategic Formulation approach requires more than the available technology. It requires a transformation of the organization as a whole. The modern approach to enterprise strategic formulation requires cross-functional core processes aligned with high-level business objectives.

The process starts with defining a set of business objectives, and questioning how the objectives will be achieved. IBM provides a set of tools to define the business objectives, and simulation of the business processes to optimize the performance and connection to process data.

Business processes is very much like a flowchart of activities and decision making alternatives. This is the first step that must be undertaken to optimize the cross-functional cores processes.

Process Assembly, Deployment and Execution

Once the model is sufficiently tested it is deployed as a process and integrated where necessary with other processes through applications, systems, documents, and even user interfaces such as Portals to allow Human process management.

All these processes are executed with the Process engine running on an Enterprise Service Bus and secure application server and usually include integration with Content Management.

Process Monitoring

Once the processes are executed in the server, a monitoring system such as IBM WebSphere Business Monitor will be able to capture all of the events at each step of the process, if necessary. These events are then aggregated into business measures defined earlier.

High-level views of the dashboard allow executives to easily monitor: Scorecards; Collaboration; Business Alerts; Reports and Analysis; and other External Information. Information are presented in tables and charts, with business alerts indicating situations requiring immediate attention.