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January 1, 2008

Analytics and Performance

MERRY NEW YEAR ( ... in your best eddie murphy "trading places" voice... )

Here's a real quick one relating to BAM.Christina McKeon has a GREAT article that talks about how you can use analytics to increase performance, but it is not just the same old analytics. It is using the right data with the right people to make the decisions that truly impact the organization's performance.

I particularly like the diagram from "page 3". It does a great job of encapsulating how it all works together.

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December 25, 2007

BAM Trends for 2008

Merry Holiday!

Today's is the day for giving. Thanks to James Manyika, Roger Roberts and Kara Sprague for providing today's list of trends for 2008.

  • Expanding Automation - One of the best ways to keep BAM moving forward is to automate the easy/routine/well defined and safe the hard(er) stuff for your staff. It keeps them sharp and out of the weeds
  • Putting more science into management - Being able to quantatively manage is a key. No longer is gut feel alone going to work. In particular, if you have to associate a "gut feel" to relatively large numbers of events. There just isn't enough of "you" to go around.
  • Building/Augmenting Business from Information - There's competitive advantage in being able to leverage your data into information and ultimately knowledge. The data is there just waiting to be "leveraged".

I'll take credit for crafting it for BAM... :)

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December 11, 2007

Financial Performance Management

My brother has a theory that any sentence that starts with "You would think..." or "Shouldn't things be this way...." is usually a loaded statement and/or a utopian emoting prelude. In blogging, I have discovered that any sentence that starts with "I don't usually promote xxxx..." is a sign that a vendor based website/report/etc is coming. With that being stated....

I don't usually "pimp" a vendor based approach to anything. However, I also don't believe that you should reinvent the wheel. Deming borrowed from Shewhart. Six Sigma, no matter how much they claim otherwise, borrowed from Deming. And, on an on….

This framework from Cognos...err... IBM provides a good foundation for organizations that are more finance department based with their improvement goals. Again, don't blindly follow what they have to offer, but it gives a great start for an organization looking to start in this direction.

NOTE - The Cognos FPM uses the same type of closed loop, iterative improvement process(es) that look like they come straight from Deming or Six Sigma.... :)

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November 27, 2007

Using KPIs, but not thinking about it too much

I don't like "pimping" studies or premium content.... But ( ...and who didn't see this coming, raise your hand... ) I really like the results of this KPI study. David Hatch has done a good job of showing what "best in class" organizations do with KPIs vs those in other organizations.

I was particular interested in Hatch's views how best in class organizations use their KPIs in an iterative approach (On going Review of KPIs), but don't over think the development of those KPIs (Adopt a Methodology of KPI definition).

BIC_KPI.JPG

It mirrors my own thoughts on how BAM implementations and projects should use their KPIs in association with their improvement efforts. KPIs flow from the business and the associated business processes. They aren't over-engineered based on the opinions of a steering committee or industry association.

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November 13, 2007

Platypus of Modeling Languages

I love the concept of the platypus. Many people like to joke that the platypus was designed by a committee. I like the fact that so many really smart people couldn't figure out the platypus for so many years.

Bruce Silver takes a look at the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) from the OMG.

With the proper mapping/modeling of processes to BAM initiatives, I like how Silver explains what he likes and dislikes about BPMN. It provides a strong guide to those looking to build off an industry standard.

NOTE - My favorite quote is:

Some of BPMN’s problems, such as the lack of a standard XML storage and interchange format or a specification for minimal compliance, are so basic they make you wonder how it has succeeded in becoming the one important standard in BPM.

Sounds a lot like a committee standard.... :)

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