As defined in business economics, business processes consist of a set of interrelated activities that create value. Improving and optimizing the management of these activities therefore into improved organizational performance . The more closely business processes are aligned with planned (and monitored accordingly) strategies and objectives, the more company functions, leveraging ad hoc methodologies and tools, will contribute to creating successful products and services on the market .
Technology offers invaluable contributions for optimizing business processes or, possibly, reengineering them. Numerous tools are available for:
- analyze the situation;
- represent workflows;
- facilitate the exchange of ideas and suggest possible interventions;
- support the change and verify its effectiveness with a view to continuous adjustment.
However, it is essential that all of this be done in complete security and compliance : the information on which the processes are based must be protected from cyber threats and meet the requirements of national and international regulations.
From this perspective, a process improvement strategy cannot ignore adequate risk assessment and management, and must naturally take into account both regulations and internal policies and guidelines business process optimization is unthinkable otherwise .
Process improvement : promoting the optimization of business processes
Process improvement means developing a business recipe with the ultimate goal of transforming, in small or large steps, the culture and working methods to achieve your goals. Technology is one of the enabling factors that must be complemented by all the change management required to ensure that the tools are used by everyone to the fullest possible extent.
Digitizing a business process means analyzing the way you operate, streamlining the steps that can be simplified thanks to IT tools, and automating some tasks . In practice, it's about improving business processes with a view to greater efficiency, but that's not all .
Technology allows us to collect, standardize, and make immediately usable the data we need for our work. By correlating this data—facilitated by specially designed software—we can gain valuable insights into the best course of action for ever-improving performance . Big data analysis platforms can present strategic guidelines based on real opportunities that may arise within the company and on the market, playing a key role in strategy development.
Process improvement : optimizing business processes in complete safety
Mobile work, smart working, new production dynamics that involve, among other things, the involvement of international teams: as a result of all this, operating environments have changed radically. Networks are fluid, data sources are countless (just think of the IoT – Internet of Things and Industrial IoT), and one of the greatest challenges for companies is security and privacy .
More specifically, process improvement is essential to consider , risk minimization . From an IT perspective, it is essential to identify sensitive resources and implement all necessary policies to protect them. Monitoring and security policies and measures must extend across the entire supply chain , given that workflows increasingly involve the exchange of data and documents, including with partners and suppliers.
How to ensure business process compliance with Security by design
Advanced software tools, designed with security in mind, are essential allies for defining processes that are as vulnerable to vulnerabilities as possible and compliant with regulations . In this regard, it is ideal that the adopted code follows the principle of security by design, as outlined in the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This concept, in short, concerns the ability to deliver services designed to minimize problems related to regulatory non-compliance.
In short, adopting a secure software platform to improve business processes will reduce redundancies : each task will be framed and evaluated within the overall system to streamline workflows as much as possible Communication and, in general, knowledge sharing will also .
All this will contribute to creating a more agile and flexible organization , capable of responding to competitive challenges and reacting to market changes, while fully adhering to security and compliance standards.
