The core process of value transformation is essentially the heart of the work system for the whole organization. The process of converting inputs into a higher-value output that customers are willing to purchase represents the basis on which other organizational systems are designed, i.e. form follows function. The organizational systems model is scalable, so the work system for the whole company deals with the core process, but the work system for a department (which is also an organization) might differ, e.g. the HR department's work is a process of talent management: attracting, selecting, orienting, developing, and managing.
Definition of the work process is the same as definition of the core process: identify the initial input, identify the desired output, and define the process that converts the input to the output. Typically there will be 3-5 phases of work activities that create discrete interim outputs, each adding value and progressing toward the desired final output. Take wheat farming for example: there's an initial input of a need or market for wheat; initial activities involve preparing the soil for planting with a desired outcome of fertile soil; next is planting the seed in order to get good germination and health seedlings; then comes tending the field to ensure a healthy, productive crop; then harvesting the mature wheat; and finally marketing the harvest for a profitable return.
Discrete, interim outputs afford opportunities to measure process performance. In our farming example it is possible to assess the fertility of the soil, the degree of successful germination, the health of the crop, the yield and quality of the harvest, and the financial return. Process performance measurement is the key to process performance management. By defining the work process in terms of sequential, value-building outputs, performance measurement is facilitated.
The tools that enable, improve, or automate a work process are also part of the work system. Understanding the work before selecting and investing in tools is to be preferred to reversing that order. Even the most desirable of tools will generally require some change in how work gets done, i.e. the introduction of new tools will cause an initial disruption in work. That disruption will not surprisingly create resistance to change; just look at the struggle to introduce an electronic medical record into the health care industry. In a competitive environment, flexibility that allows selective incorporation of useful tools into the work system enables agility that can lead to competitive advantage.
Work flow occurs across some type of work space. The physical layout of how people work together can help or hinder work flow. The principles of lean manufacturing have caused rethinking the assembly line and moving toward cells where a team will build an entire product. Various technologies are available to facilitate collaboration; they represent a tool that can overcome geographic challenges to group effort. By giving consideration to work flow, significant barriers to collaborative effort can be reduced or eliminated.
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