As Business Process Management (BPM) consultants, our focus has always been to help our clients achieve their goals plus higher profits. Thanks to this approach, we have long-running relationships with our clients. However, this is only the case if we can start working with them. I say “if” because the facts that we share during the project without worrying about being cute are not what everyone wants to hear sometimes.
During conversations with our potential clients, the discussion often comes to the consultancy project results, i.e., how can the project help them manage their business better and ultimately achieve higher profit rates. At this point, there is an important question that is guaranteed to arise: “What will be the return on investment (ROI) of BPM? ”
Let me tell you a little secret: The answer to this question depends on how ready our client is to change.
Yes, my answer is a little evasive. Moreover, this answer comes from someone who speaks about the project ROI a hundred times a day and focuses on the benefits.
I tried to explain this answer to a client last week by comparing it to the smart health monitoring band on his wrist or even to the car he parked in his garage. Let me rephrase it this way; just as the smart health band on my client’s wrist (which was Amazon Halo) does not force him to choose the elevator instead of the stairs, or just as his car does not work without gas, it will not be possible to get the expected value from those tools.
The same goes for BPM too. When the leaders are hesitant to change the way they do business and do not provide the necessary information, guidance, and resources to their teams, unfortunately, it will not be possible for them to obtain the maximum value. If the business processes you create do not become your business’s basic principles, if you manage and make the business does not change, the ROI you can achieve will always be limited.
In short, business process management is a change that companies must manage very well. This also means changing the way you do the work that has made you successful and applauded. What for?
The story told by Stuart Heller in his book “Run on the Run” actually summarizes this change well. The book opens with the story of a talented child pianist. After developing his abilities as much as he can in the provincial town, the boy finally gets the chance to participate in an audition with one of the most outstanding piano teachers of the period. After showing what may be his best performance to date, this famous teacher tells him: “Your performance was really amazing. You are obviously talented, and you can become a great virtuoso. And I’m sure you do not and will not hesitate to develop this talent to the fullest, trying to be the best you can be, constantly pushing yourself. However, the journey to be the best you can be does not go in the direction you think. If we work together, what you have to do will be to return to the basics of playing the piano. Because even though you are using this technique very well, you have come to its limits, it is amazing to see someone play like this with this flawed technique. However, you cannot go any further. You will have to go back, learn to play the piano from the very beginning… This will be much, much worse than what you think, it will be the biggest challenge you can imagine, filled with sweat, tears and pain… It will be incredibly hard. All your limits will be tested. As you are forced to give up your old technique, one side of you will always want to go back to the limited technique that you learned to use so well. Moreover, after a while, you will start forgetting your old technique and you will doubt who you are, whether the path you are on is correct and whether you will be successful or not. Since you are so pleased with what you have accomplished, I’m not sure if you are ready to face this challenge.”
I don’t know the rest of the story; Heller did not share. But I know this story from my thirty-two years of business life, from my clients and from the changes they are trying to make in their work. I know how difficult and painful it is for people to abandon business methods that make them feel good, in control, applauded, and profitable. That’s why it is easy to judge and talk about the change. But, in reality, it is challenging to accomplish.
This is why Business Process Management is not as easy as it seems. The return on investment depends mainly on the passion of the leaders and the success of this change.
And this is precisely why the question I ask our potential clients is so important.
How ready are you to change?
Note: This is for those of you who ask me to write a bit of business:))