Why are there process roles in process management?
Who actually does what when it comes to the challenging task of putting a company on the BPM track? And, above all, who does what better not? There are very specific roles that the people involved in process management (should) play in so that it can work.
Every system needs clear responsibilities. For this reason, positions ranging from CEO to data protection officer are defined in every company. Responsible persons are also required for organisational control and effective implementation in process management. These are generally referred to as roles. All aspects, from overall responsibility to targeted support in the IT environment, must be systematically taken into account. It is therefore a critical success factor for companies to determine all the necessary roles and to implement sufficient measures to build up the skills of the managers and employees involved.
The aim is to effectively design the tasks, competences and responsibilities of BPM roles and to anchor process management roles in existing organisations with a good role concept.
Below you will find an exemplary overview of the key roles in process management.
CPO – Head of Process Management
The Chief Process Officer (CPO) is at the very top of the process management role structure. He has both the most comprehensive methodological tasks and the requirement to anchor process-oriented management in the strategic management of the company. In our view, the CPO is a member of the top management level and establishes a sustainable process orientation in the company as a central success factor of the value and customer-orientated alignment. The following is an excerpt from the CPO’s demanding portfolio of tasks:
- Transformation of the corporate strategy into process management
- Definition of the process management strategy and the objectives derived from it
- Development, documentation, maintenance and publication of the process model
- Designing the change process
- Anchoring process management as a management process in the company
- Definition of method standards
- Ensuring process compliance
- Coordination of processes across functional areas
- Structure of the process-oriented organisation
Process owner
The process owner is responsible for the goal-orientated, strategic management of a process. At the centre of their actions are both the target alignment of their own process with other processes and the selection of sustainable key figures for measuring the success of process performance. All resources required for process control and execution are coordinated centrally. The main tasks of the process owner include:
- Strategic control of the process
- Development and implementation of functional process controlling
- Planning and ensuring the execution of process performance
- Competence and resource planning of the process
- Coordination with other processes (interfaces)
Process manager
The process manager supports the process owner in the operational execution of the process. In day-to-day business, they are often responsible for the operational management of the process. Alternatively, the process manager is also deployed as a sub-process manager at the next level of the process model. The main tasks include, among others
- Operational control of the process
- Development and implementation of a functional operational process controlling system
- Planning and execution of operational process performance
- Operational competence and resource planning of the process
- Coordination with other processes (interfaces)
- Process modelling
Process management consultant
The process management consultants – internal or external – support and accompany all management roles in process management. This includes the development and introduction of methodological components of process management (e.g. process controlling) as well as the content modelling and goal-oriented management of individual processes. The focus of work is therefore on project-related activities. The main tasks include, among others
- Analysing and designing company-wide and process-specific process management methods
- Support in the analysis and optimisation of processes in the context of clear process objectives
- Identification of performance weaknesses and development of solutions
- Preparation of project plans and support during implementation
- Carrying out project activities and advising all roles in process management
- Development of organisation-specific concepts for adapting the organisational structure or for implementing change projects
Process management coach
The process management coach – both internal and external – supports all process management roles in the effective and efficient realisation of the defined role tasks. The process management coaches therefore have a coaching and supporting role in relation to the other process management roles. Below you will find an overview of the main tasks of process management coaches:
- Reviewing and analysing compliance with the company-wide process management methodology
- Further development of the process management methodology with regard to the role concept, organisational integration and process rules
- Coaching those responsible for process management in the fulfilment and implementation of their role tasks
- Coordinating process interfaces and supporting the clarification of conflicts that arise
- Supporting process management projects by introducing process models and change management methods
- Sparring partner for content-related discussions with the process owners
Process participants
For all activities described in the process, process participants must be determined for the execution of the process. These roles ensure the target-orientated execution of services. Process participants therefore need a basic understanding of process management as a method and the specific requirements in the operational execution of individual process steps. In addition, the process-orientated way of thinking and working in a consistent value and customer orientation through to the permanent improvement of all process steps is a fundamental part of this role requirement. Core tasks for process participants are
- Entrepreneurially orientated co-design of target processes
- Realisation of customer requirements in process execution
- Use of all defined process methods and process documents
- Measurement of specific process performance in your own process environment
- Continuous improvement of process performance
Process controller
The process controller is an internal consultant for all management roles in process management, from the CPO to the process owner. Essentially, they support the goal-oriented management of the process model and all processes with regard to strategic and operational requirements. They also support the development of the management processes of process management and efficient implementation in all processes. The main tasks are briefly summarised below:
- Modelling of management processes of the process management (e.g. process planning)
- Support in the strategic definition of process objectives and key figures
- Advising the CPO on the coordination of all processes
- Advising process managers and process owners on target achievement
- Development of efficient process reporting and high-performance IT reporting systems
Process auditor
Process auditors are responsible for ensuring target-orientated and efficient process execution within the company. With a focus on compliance with all approved process requirements that must be taken into account, they systematically check for weaknesses in execution. This promotes disciplined process execution and the systematic recognition of requirements – also from a legal perspective (e.g. legal compliance) – which are at the core of the activity. The main tasks are briefly outlined below:
- Examination and review of all process descriptions and documentation
- Application of maturity models to evaluate process efficiency in terms of methodology and content
- Analysing and developing improvement measures for process execution
- Ensuring transparency of compliance requirements
- Ensure adherence to compliance requirements
Process steering board
A process steering board is a joint committee of process managers and functional managers. It is primarily formed in larger corporate groups.
