Technology forecast issue 2, March 2010
In this issue of the Technology Forecast, we examine the yin yang1 of structured or repeatable work processes and versatile or variable human processes. Most large enterprises have spent much of the past 15 years implementing business infrastructures focused on standardized processes supported by modern enterprise applications. The words roll off the tongue so easily that we often forget that for most large enterprises, these highly standardized, repeatable, and automated processes represent a fraction of what really happens in the business. For every “yang” in the business, there are probably two “yins”—the more variable, responsive, creative, analytic, and insightful activities that heavily rely on the versatility of employees’ efforts.
Software-based process management of the yin of the enterprise has never really taken off. After all, if the process is highly variable, what could actually be standardized for automation? Why would an enterprise want to insert structure where it is not wanted or useful? Shouldn’t we just leave the yin of enterprises alone? How could software possibly improve on what is essentially a human process?
During our research for this issue, we explored ways that companies are beginning to bring the yin and the yang together in pursuit of end-to-end business process management. What we uncovered is that managing the yin doesn’t mean standardizing and constraining the value-creating variability of human actions. Rather, it requires adding just enough structure into the yin of creative processes to actually enhance them while connecting the overall work activity to the yang of structured process and data.
