6/16/2015

ProcessvsProcedure

Home|BookStore|Toolstore|ConsultingRoom|Contact|FAQs&Search|About

ProcessManagement

Processversusprocedures
Thelanguageofthe20000revisiontotheISO9000seriessignificantlymovesawayfrom
proceduretoprocesssoisthischangeanymorethansimplesemanticsoristheresomething
fundamentalgoingon?

RelatedBooks

Identifyingandmanagingcriticalbusinessprocessesisavitalfactorintheeffective
managementofsuccessfulorganizations.Thisappearstobeafairlyobviousstatement.Atthe
heartofthebusinessexcellencemodelthereisastrongbeatgeneratedbytheemphasison
processmanagement.Withinthecontextofqualitymanagementstandards,andmore
specificallyIS09000,'procedure'isakeywordwhichhasacquiredaparticularmeaningover
theyears.
ThetermprocessontheotherhandmightappeartobenewinISO9001:2000buttheconcept
ofanorganizationbeinganetworkofprocesseswasaddressedinISO9000:1994soitisnot
new.Whatisnewistheconceptthattheresultsanorganizationachievesaretheproductofthe
interactionbetweenitsprocessesandnotitsprocedures.
Thefollowingtableillustratesthedifferencebetweenproceduresandprocesses.
Procedures
Proceduresaredrivenbycompletionofthetask

Processes
Processesaredrivenbyachievementofadesired
outcome

Proceduresareimplemented

Processesareoperated

Proceduresstepsarecompletedbydifference

Processstagesarecompletedbydifferentpeople

peopleindifferentdepartmentswithdifferent

withthesameobjectivesdepartmentsdonot

objectives

matter

Proceduresarediscontinuous

Processesflowtoconclusion

Proceduresfocusonsatisfyingtherules

Processesfocusonsatisfyingthecustomer

Proceduresdefinethesequenceofstepsto

Processestransforminputsintooutputsthrough

executeatask

useofresources

Proceduresaredrivenbyhumans

Processesaredrivenbyphysicalforcessomeof
whichmaybeactivatedbyhumans

Proceduresmaybeusedtoprocessinformation

Informationisprocessedbyuseofaprocedure

Proceduresexisttheyarestatic

Processesbehavetheyaredynamic

Procedurescausepeopletotakeactionsand

Processescausethingstohappen

decisions

Procedures
Initssimplestformaprocedureisawayinwhichoneworkstoaccomplishatask.Itcan
thereforebeasequenceofstepsthatincludepreparation,conductandcompletionofatask.
Eachstepcanbeasequenceofactivitiesandeachactivityasequenceofactions.The
sequenceofstepsiscriticaltowhetherastatementordocumentisaprocedureorsomething
else.Specifications,contractsandrecordsarenotproceduresastheydonottellushowtodo
anything.Thesedescribetheoutputsresultingfromcarryingoutproceduresortasks,leavingus
todecideanyfurtheractionsnecessarytousetheseoutputs.Theoutputwillmorethanlikely
beusedasinputstootherprocedures.
Weneedprocedureswhenthetaskwehavetoperformiscomplexorwhenthetaskisroutine
andwewantittobeperformedconsistentlyHenceproceduresareintendedtomakesomething
happeninacertainway.Ifwearenotconcernedabouthowsomethingisdoneandare
interestedonlyintheresultwedonotproduceproceduresbutissueinstructionssuchas'post
theletter','repairthespindrier'or'recruitanotherperson'.Theseareworkinstructionsasthey
intendustodo'quantitative'workwithouttellinghowtodoitorthe'qualitative'standardtowhich
theworkshouldbecarriedout.Instructionsarenotproceduresunlesstheyfollowinasequence
andenableustoperformatask.
Asetofselfassemblyinstructionsisaprocedureasittellshowtoproceedtoassemblethe
product.Butthewordingonthelabeltellingusnottoputhotobjectsonthesurfaceisan
instructionorawarning(aspecialtypeofinstruction).Asproceduresarenormallyusedby
peopletheyaredesignedwithauserinmind.Theuserisnormallyanindividualoragroupof
individuals,althoughprocedurescancoverasequenceofstepseachofwhichisperformedby
differentindividualsorgroups.However,perceptionsofproceduresvaryconsiderablydepending
onthecontextinwhichtheyarecreatedandused.Anysequenceofsteps,nomatterhow
simpleorcomplex,canbeexpressedasaprocedurethatisintendedtocausesomeonetoact
inacertainwaytoaccomplishatask.Thekeyisthatthestepsfollowasequence.Arandom
collectionofstatementsisnotaprocedureunlesswerearrangetheseinasequencethat
enablessomeonetoproceed.

Isitaprocedureoramisnomer?

http://transitionsupport.com/Process_versus_procedure.htm

1/3

6/16/2015

ProcessvsProcedure
WithinthecontextofQMSs(andmorespecifically,ISO9000)theprocedurehas,formany,
takenonparticularandsometimespeculiarcharacteristics.Such(documented)proceduresmay
bewritten,notasasequenceofactivitiesorstepsbutasaseriesofrequirementsoraseriesof
responsibilities.Neitherofthesecanbeproceduresastheydonottellushowtoproceed,what
stepstotakeorhowtomeasuretheresult.
Suchproceduresoftenfollowauniformformatwithapurposestatement,applicability
statement,responsibilitiesandthenprocedurestatements.Oftenthereisnoconnection
betweenthepurposestatementandtheprocedure.Purposestatementsoftenaddressthe
purposeofadocumentnotthepurposeofthetaskwhichthesequenceoftasksisintendedto
deliver.Again,ifsuchprocedures(andrarelytheydo)containmeasuresofsuccess,theseare
probablyquantitativemeasuresrelatedtothetaskitselfandnottowhytheprocedureiscarried
out.Themostcommonperceptionofsuchproceduresisthattheyaresimplyassociatedwith
paperworkandfillinginforms.
Weseemtothinkthatwehavecreatedaprocedurebyclassifyingadocumentasaprocedure.
Thesedocumentsareoftenthoughtofashighlevelprocedures.Proceduresdonothavetobe
documentedtobeproceduresanddonothavetobeonlyhighlevel.Weoftenhearof
proceduresaddressingthe20elementsofIS09000andworkinstructionsbeingusedat
departmentalleveltoguideactivities.Thesecharacteristicsofproceduresonlyserveto
constrainourthoughtsandourintent.

Processes
Processesproduceresultsbyconverting.transformingorsimplyusinginputstocreateoutputs.
Aninputcouldbematerial,information,peopleorasetofconditionsandthesearepassed
throughasequenceofstagesduringwhichtheyareeitherused,transformedortheirstatus
changedtoemergeasanoutputwithdifferentcharacteristics.Henceprocessesactuponinputs
andaredormantuntiltheinputisreceived.Ateachstagethetransformationtasksmaybe
procedural,butmayalsobemechanical,chemicaletc.Inherentlyprocessesdonotnormally
recognizedepartmentalorfunctionalboundaries(butareoftenhinderedbythem)northe
boundariesbetweencustomersandsuppliers.Eachprocesshasanobjectivewithboth
quantitativeandqualitativemeasuresofitsoutputsdirectlyrelatedtoitsobjectives.The
transformationorprocessstagesaredesignedtoensurethecombinationofresourcesachieves
theobjectivesthedesiredoutputs.Ofcoursethismeansthattheprocesshastoreceivethe
rightinputstodeliverthedesiredoutputsandthatthecorrectresourcesareappliedattheright
stages,inthecorrectquantitiesandintherightmannerItistruethataprocesscanbe
illustratedasasequenceofstepsjustasaprocedureisillustrated,butthesimilarityends
there.

It'sthewayweusethem
Thewayweusethewordsprocedureandprocesstellsussomethingabouthowtheydiffer.We
tendtostartandstopprocesses.Weimplementproceduresandcommenceandcomplete
them.Weprocessinformation.Wedonotprocedureinformationbutwemayemploya
proceduretoprocessinformation.Wehaveplatingprocessesandtheremaybeplating
procedures.Inthiscontext,theplatingprocesscomprisestheresources,people,plantand
machinery,andtheplatingprocedurecontainstheinstructionsonhowtoplatematerial.
Wehaveprocessinterruptbutnotprocedureinterrupt,becauseprocessesareperceivedas
continuousandrununtilphysicalintervention.Inourbodieswehaveprocesses,not
procedures.Thereproductiveprocess,thedigestiveprocess,therespiratoryprocess,these
processesarecertainlycontinuousandstoponlywhenaninterventiontakesplace.Theymay
requirehumaninterventioninwhichasurgeonmayemployprocedurestoeffectarepair.
Proceduresontheotherhandareperceivedasbeingdiscontinuous,havingstepswhichcanbe
pausedwithactivitiesoractionspickeduporputdownatwill.
Proceduresusuallyrelatetogroupsofactivitieswithagivenoutputwherethatoutputmaynot
becompleteuntilacteduponbysomeoneelseatalaterstageintheprocess.Therefore,
proceduresaretheactionstakenbyindividualsinaprocessthatmayspanacrossseveral
functionsandusemultipleresourcestodeliverapredeterminedoutputatagivenrateatagiven
locationonagivendate.

Allchange
Whetheranychangeisnecessarydependsuponperceptionandattitude.Ifdocumented
proceduresmerelyrespondtorequirementsinastandardtheyarenotlikelytodemonstratea
clearlineofsighttotherealpurposeofwhytheprocedureisnecessary.Thisisveryoftenthe
rootcauseofwhythepeopleinvolveddonotseethevalueincarryingouttheactions.Itisvery
likelythatmanyorganizationswillhavetoundergoafairlyradicalrethinkofthewaytheyregard
theirmanagementsystem.Inordertosatisfytherequirements,needsandexpectationsofthe
interestedparties(customers,shareholders,employees,suppliersandcommunity)
organizationshavetoidentifythecriticalprocessesthatdeliversatisfaction.Itisalsoclearthat
theeffectivemanagementofthoseprocessesdependsuponcommonunderstandingand
monitoringofhowsuccessismeasured.Perhapsthemostcrucialandradicalfactoristhe
constantfocusandalignmentofthekeystagesonachievingtheendresults.

Theimplicationhereisthatinmanycasestheorganizationandtheactivitiesmusthavea
greateralignment.Thepreviousnotionofa'functional'organization(forexample,wheredifferent
departmentshavecreatedtheirowninternalagendasandcultureswithnoclearlinkageto
definedorganizationalobjectives)hastobeseriouslyquestioned.Itisalltootemptingfor
organizationstoaddressthisissuebysimplyadoptinga'crossfunctional'approachwhichin
realitymeansthattheygathertogetherrepresentativesfromdifferentfunctionalbunkersandlet
themfightitout.Ingeneral,crossfunctionalteamsarenotasubstituteforprocess
management.Simplistically,functionstendtobeverticalinnature,processesarehorizontal,
withstakeholderinterestatbothends.

Tomakeatransitionawayfrommanagingprocedurestowardsprocessmanagement,an
organizationmustanswerwhetherithas:
clearlydefinedwhatitsobjectivesareandhowitwillmeasureandreviewthesuccessof
achievingthoseobjectives

http://transitionsupport.com/Process_versus_procedure.htm

2/3

6/16/2015

ProcessvsProcedure
evaluatedtheimpactofthoseobjectivesontheinterestedparties,thestakeholders
designedthecritical,endtoendprocessesnecessarytodelivertheobjectives
assessedandprovidedtheresources,skillsandcompetencetomaketheprocesses
work
TheunderlyingprinciplesofthebusinessexcellencemodelandthelatestversionsofISO
9000,ISO9001andISO9004shouldleavepeopleinnodoubtthatthechangeinlanguagefrom
proceduretoprocessisnotaboutperceptionorsemantics.Thereisaveryrealchangeoffocus
requiredbymanyorganizationsiftheyaretoremaincompetitive,andwiththischangecomes
thesignificantopportunitytoensurethattheirprocessesaredesignedtoconsistentlyaddvalue.
NowlookatourFAQsonprocessesformoreinformation

ActivescriptingneedstobeenabledinIEtousethepulldownmenus
Lastamended 24/08/2013
Home|Bookstore|ToolStore|ConsultingRoom|FAQsandSearch|Contact
TransitionSupport2013

http://transitionsupport.com/Process_versus_procedure.htm

3/3