ProcessClassificationFrameworkDevelopedByAPQC’sInternationalBenchmarkingClearinghouseInPartnershipWithArthurAndersen&Co.,SCAPQCINTERNATIONALBENCHMARKINGCLEARINGHOUSEOPERATINGPROCESSESMANAGEMENT&SUPPORTPROCESSES1.UnderstandMarkets&Customers2.DevelopVision&Strategy3.DesignProducts&Services4.Market&Sell6.Produce&DeliverforServiceOrganization5.Produce&DeliverforManufacturingOrganization7.Invoice&ServiceCustomers8.DevelopandManageHumanResources9.ManageInformation10.ManageFinancialandPhysicalResources11.ExecuteEnvironmentalManagementProgram12.ManageExternalRelationships13.ManageImprovementandChangeProcessClassificationFramework:OverviewTheProcessClassificationFrameworkhasbeendevelopedoverthepastthreeyearsbytheAPQCInternationalBenchmarkingClearinghouse,withtheassistanceofseveralmajorinternationalcorporations,andinclosepartnershipwithArthurAndersen&Co.Theintenthasbeentocreateahigh-level,genericenterprisemodelthatwillencouragebusinessesandotherorganizationstoseetheiractivitiesfromacross-industryprocessviewpointinsteadofanarrowfunctionalviewpoint.ManyorganizationsnowhaveusedtheProcessClassificationFrameworkinpracticalwaystobetterunderstandtheirprocesses,toreachoutacrossindustryboundariestocommunicateandshareinformation,andtoclassifyinformationinvariousforms.AbouttheFrameworkPURPOSETheProcessClassificationFrameworkservesasahigh-level,genericenterprisemodelthatencouragesbusinessesandotherorganizationstoseetheiractivitiesfromacross-industryprocessviewpointinsteadoffromanarrowfunctionalviewpoint.Alltoooften,organizationsbecomeboggeddownbythefearofmakingmistakesin“applestooranges”benchmarkcompar-isons.Convincedthattheyhaveuniquecharacteristicsandconstraints,theyhavedifficultyunderstandinghowtocom-paretheirprocessesmeaningfullytothoseofother,differentorganizations.However,experienceshowsthatthepotentialofbenchmarkingtodrivedramaticimprovementoftenliessquarelyinmaking“outofthebox”comparisonsandasearchforinsightsnotfoundwithintypicalintra-industryparadigms.Howcanorganizationscommunicateeffectivelyacrossindus-tryboundariesandovercomethevocabulariesthatobscuretheunderlyingcommonalityoftheirbusinessprocesses?TheProcessClassificationFrameworksuppliesagenericviewofbusinessprocessesoftenfoundinmultipleindustriesandsectors—manufacturingandservice,healthcare,government,education,andothers.Additionally,manyorganizationsnowseektounderstandtheirinnerworkingsfromahorizontalprocessviewpoint,ratherthanfromaverticalfunctionalviewpoint.Howcanthey,forexample,differentiatethesalesprocessfromtheexistingsalesdepartment?TheProcessClassificationFrameworkseekstorepresentmajorprocessesandsubprocesses,notfunctions,throughitsstruc-tureandvocabulary.TheFrameworkdoesnotlistallprocesseswithinanyspecificorganization.Likewise,noteveryprocesslistedintheFrameworkispresentineveryorganization.HISTORYTheProcessClassificationFrameworkwasoriginallyenvisionedasa“taxonomy”ofbusinessprocessesduringthe1991designoftheAmericanProductivity&QualityCenter’sInternationalBenchmarkingClearinghouse.Thatdesignprocessinvolvedmorethan80organizationswithastronginterestinadvancingtheuseofbenchmarkingintheU.S.andaroundtheworld.Aprimaryissuewas,andcontinuestobe,howtonurtureandenableprocessbenchmarkingacrossindustryboundaries.ThefoundingmembersoftheClearinghousewereconvincedthatacommonvocabulary,nottiedtoanyspecificindustry,wasnecessary...
