My very first BPMS Watch column, over three years ago, was titled “Without a BPMS, It’s Not Really BPM.” And to a large degree I still believe that, although today I would probably tone it down to...

Case Study: Business-Aligned Decision Framework Approach Provides a "Disruptive" Enabler for Dramatic Improvements in Business Process Management

Gary DeGregorio has worked in business and engineering process, methods, and tool-applied research for over 22 years. His work focuses on requirements and decision management, decision-based processes, innovation and collaboration frameworks, and knowledge/information architectures, as well as strategic methods and tools for roadmapping. DeGregorio is an Associate of the Motorola Science Advisory Board (SABA), one of the highest awards for technical achievement within Motorola.

DeGregorio explained that Enterprise Strategic Decision Management is a new approach to making decisions that creates dramatic improvements in BPM implementations. He said that this process is to manage the thousands of decisions that are made in all areas of the enterprise. He calls it, "alignment by design," which becomes a framework for all kinds of innovation within the business.

Most businesses find that they are internally disconnected. Decisions are made on an ad hoc basis, requirements are fuzzy, and planning is incomplete. There is a lack of a unifying knowledge framework. Since decisions create the future, the decisions, requirements and planning must be brought together to deliver integrated, accelerated solutions. DeGregorio said that disconnected systems normally have a high level of complexity, which is only a symptom of the problem. Creating a decision framework simplifies and streamlines the whole process.

A decision framework begins with planning how decisions are made. These include:
• Identifying decisions
• Preparing decision network
• Setting priorities
• Preparing decision plans

The next step is making the decisions, and this step includes:
• Defining the criteria
• Defining alternatives
• Evaluating alternatives
• Identifying risks and opportunities
• Selecting preferred alternatives

The last step is to manage the consequences. This includes"
• Trading requirements
• Identifying derived requirements
• Mitigating risks and growing opportunities
• Identifying related decisions

The above also requires the constant need to manage all decisions over time and across all domains. DeGregorio said that using a common decision method provides the engine for all knowledge processes and builds an integrated network across the enterprise.

A decision template gets a jump on the analysis and means fewer missed requirements. This leads to improved data gathering and estimating. A lean information model captures essential data only. When the data is known and understood, toolsets can begin automating the processes. Motorola uses the DecisionLink™ tool.

DeGregorio restated the central idea of his case study.  Decisions create the future and creating a decision network highlights the value-creating thinking nodes in any strategy or design process or project. This makes all the processes within a business decision-driven, making them superior to solution reuse. In the final analysis, DeGregorio said that dramatic improvements in knowledge-based processes require a revolution in decision management. It involves changing thinking patterns to deliver new, scalable skills and solutions.

Gary DeGregorio recently spoke on this topic at BrainStorm’s Business Process Management Conference. For more information on this conference, visit www.BPMConference.com

Listen to the archived audio file of this presentation.

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