Business Process Development: Integrating Best Practices

Abstract

This article explores the process of incorporating the best practices embodied in different ICT management frameworks such as ITIL and COBIT into the development of business processes and their successful management. Business processes development and their management need to be regarded as the integration of various practices and components that interact with one another directly and indirectly to ensure that they achieve the organisational objectives. This research followed a qualitative research process. Unstructured interviews were used to collect data and the research revealed that there is a need for effective, well developed and managed business processes in organisations (especially in the current competitive business environment). Business processes create harmony and ensure control of different actions and activities of different stakeholders, either internal or external to the organisation to ensure quality products and services are delivered to customers. The study also found that effective business processes can be developed only if the organisations apply tried and tested best practices and principles and consider different environmental components that interplay during the development and management of these business processes. This includes a better understanding and mastering of factors such as the vision, mission, objectives, and the organisation’s stakeholders. The selection of proper practices and the adaptation of proper management tools and experiences from different frameworks is another point considered as important. It is also prudent to establish proper measurement units (such as KPAs or KPIs) to assess the performance of business processes and proactively develop strategies to deal with challenges such as requirements.