What’s Your Process Language?

• Thomas Kohlenbach emphasizes the importance of clear communication and understanding in process management, drawing from his experience in process excellence.
• The challenge lies in finding a common language or platform that accommodates these diverse needs, ensuring that the processes are easy to understand and accessible to all involved.
• A well-designed process platform should capture processes in an easy-to-understand format, enabling teams to offer improvement suggestions based on their experience.

In this article, Thomas Kohlenbach emphasizes the importance of clear communication and understanding in process management, drawing from his experience in process excellence. He begins with an anecdote from a client visit in Bangkok, where he spoke in German to a team of Thai executives, highlighting the significance of using a common language for effective communication. This underpins his central argument: the language used in developing and documenting processes is crucial for their success.

Kohlenbach points out that different stakeholders in a business process often have varied preferences for how processes are communicated. For example, process experts may prefer detailed business process models and notation (BPMN), risk owners may want long-form documentation, and line workers may need clear, simple steps. The challenge lies in finding a common language or platform that accommodates these diverse needs, ensuring that the processes are easy to understand and accessible to all involved.

The article stresses the impact of language on risk management, arguing that if process information is not understandable, it can lead to breakdowns and compliance issues. This becomes increasingly important with the rising accessibility of low-code and no-code automation tools. Kohlenbach suggests using a process platform that holds detailed information in an accessible manner and encourages teams to document their work using the same tool for consistency and ease of updates.

Finally, Kohlenbach argues that process excellence is a collective responsibility. A well-designed process platform should capture processes in an easy-to-understand format, enabling teams to offer improvement suggestions based on their experience. It should also provide the depth needed for process experts to review workflows for risks and efficiencies. The key takeaway is that language matters in process management, and businesses should ensure that processes are recorded and communicated effectively for everyone involved, from business analysts to factory floor teams.

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