What is Business Process?
A collection of linked activities that deliver a specific outcome of value to a customer or stakeholder.
Detailed Explanation
A business process is a structured set of activities that transforms inputs into outputs to achieve a defined business objective. Processes can span multiple departments, systems, and roles. They are typically categorised as core processes (which directly deliver value to customers), support processes (which enable core processes), and management processes (which govern operations). Understanding and managing business processes is essential for organisational performance and strategic alignment.
Why It Matters
Businesses that manage by process rather than by department break down silos and focus on end-to-end value delivery. This approach reduces waste, improves customer experience, and makes it far easier to identify where things go wrong when problems arise.
Example
An e-commerce retailer identifies their order fulfilment business process, which spans the website (order capture), warehouse (picking and packing), logistics (shipping), and customer service (delivery confirmation and returns). Optimising this end-to-end process reduces delivery times from five days to two.
Related Terms
A defined sequence of tasks that processes a piece of work from initiation to completion.
A visual technique for documenting every step in a business process using flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, or similar tools.
A lean management technique that visualises all the steps in a process, distinguishing between value-adding and non-value-adding activities.
Need Help With Your Operations?
Our team specialises in building the systems, SOPs, and processes your business needs to run without you.