When it comes to deciding how to improve the way your organization operates, it can often feel like you’re working in the dark. You’re not alone. In our recent research, 87% of transformation leaders said they struggle to measure and ensure ROI in their process transformation projects.
Getting actionable insights from your processes can feel like an illusion. That’s why 94% of those same leaders say they don’t get the insights they need.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
At BusinessOptix, we’ve helped hundreds of organizations move from uncertainty to clarity. In doing so, we’ve identified four key strategies to get the process insights they need.
Strategy 1: Start From the Decision and Work Backward
Process insights cover a broad field that can include:
- Assessing the ROI of proposed improvements
- Understanding the impact of new regulations
- Simulating the throughput of high-volume processes after a system change
The possibilities are endless, but that’s both a blessing and a curse. It generates excitement and scope for investment but can also create unrealistic expectations of what’s achievable from day one.
Organizations that succeed in this environment start with clarity: they define the decisions they want process insights to support. From there, they work backward, focusing their efforts, tools, and teams on delivering those insights first.
Customer example: Talking Rain needed to identify improvement opportunities during the implementation of a new ERP system. They mapped and analyzed processes specifically to support decision-making around these improvements.
Strategy 2: Use the Right Toolkit for the Job
Like a skilled handyman, a process analyst knows the right tool makes all the difference:
- Need to measure the benefit of proposed changes? Use a process ROI calculator.
- Want to compare performance across proposed changes? Process simulation and scenario testing will help.
- Facing regulatory changes? Regulatory mapping analysis is your go-to tool.
One thing is clear: spreadsheets aren’t up to the task of delivering process insights at scale. The interconnected, complex nature of processes requires tools designed for the job.
You don’t want to be the handyman who shows up to every job with just a hammer.
Customer example: Elsevier simulated proposed changes across 25 teams and 300 processes to identify where to prioritize their efforts, focusing first on initiatives with the greatest impact.
Strategy 3: Models, Not Maps
Processes don’t exist in isolation. They involve people, systems and data and can be impacted by locations under different policies and regulations.
Basic process maps don’t capture this reality. They lack the depth and metadata needed for meaningful analysis. As a result, the insights they provide are limited.
Process models, on the other hand, capture these multi-dimensional relationships. They provide a deeper, more accurate picture of how your organization operates, leading to higher-quality insights and better decisions.
Customer example: A large financial services firm used process modeling to identify cost-saving opportunities while improving regulatory compliance. This ensured initiatives met both goals.
Strategy 4: Build a Foundation for Timely Insights
One frustration we often hear is that leaders want insights faster than their process teams can deliver.
This typically happens because the starting point—current process data—is either missing or unreliable. Organizations that overcome this challenge build and maintain a collaborative process repository.
These repositories are easy to access, use, and update, so teams spend less time gathering data and more time delivering timely, actionable insights.
Customer examples: Elsevier maintains a library of over 300 processes, while Metro Bank manages 600+. Both organizations use their repositories to rapidly inform decisions, enabling faster, smarter, and more cost-effective transformations.
From Strategy to Reality
Quality, timely process insights don’t have to be an illusion.
With the right focus, tools, and foundation, any organization can achieve the same results as our customers. Results that meet your unique business needs.
To start your process insight journey, speak to one of our experts today.
