Hi Everleigh,
You've asked for multiple topics here. Let me address one at a time.
Streamline Business Processes into a Framework
To streamline business processes, there could be primarily two methods - adopt an off-the shelf framework or create one of your own.
A framework is the structure you would like to have to organize your entire process library. There are some off-the self frameworks, available for multiple industries, for example - APQC
If you are building on your own - one common methodology to adopt would be to structure them into three main buckets - Core, Governance, and Support. All the processes under the core bucket would be pertinent to your value chain. On the other hand, Support processes could be al the enabling functions that are required to be present to support your value chain's deliverables. For example - one of the core processes for a pizza company could be 'Create a Pizza', or 'Sell Pizza'; while the support processes make up functions like HR, Billing, etc., Governance on the other hand could include any strategy or policy making processes as an example that ensures governance and continuous improvement.
Best practices for creating workflows and process mapping in EPC
EPC primarily supports you in creating the workflows via multiple possibilities:
- Whiteboard - dragging and dropping shapes into the Diagram -> Edit Mode
- Quick Form - filling a form that supports a set of tasks.
- Parser - Import structured and unstructured content in SOPs via the Parser
- AI Creation and Parsing - Create processes automatically via prompts with role associations and brief procedures.
- SIPOC - Use SIPOC to understand inputs and outputs
While discovering processes to create workflows, you would need to make sure every process has an Input, and an output. I have attached a reference picture which you could take forward. The notation recommended to be used while creating the shapes is BPMN2.0, which is the default notation in the tool.
Here is a checklist of all the components of a digital process that you can create with EPC. This could be a checklist for you to make sure you have the best maturity on processes as part of using EPC:
- Scope
- General Description
- Process Goal
- Input/Trigger/Start
- Output/Outcome/End
- Tasks
- Roles
- Owners (Accountable Resources) on Process
- Responsible Participants who do the Process and Activities
- Assets
- Documents that are records or forms
- KPIs that monitor performance
- Risks identified and maintained as a risk register
- Controls used to Mitigate risks
- Any glossary, or terms used as part of the process.
- Digital Endorsement
- Digital Approval
- Review Frequency
- Version History
- Continuous Improvement and Change management Track.
Combining EPC with other systems or software
EPC has multiple integration possibilities with middleware. Here is a link to direct you to the same.
https://www.manula.com/manuals/interfacing-technologies/epc10-webapp/15.1/en/topic/14-0-middleware-bi-directional-integration-sync-manager
Hope this was clear and helpful for you
