Process collaboration refers to when people work together to create an effective process that can be utilized on a consistent basis. This collaboration can come from a range from teams of designers, engineers, and product specialists working together on a product throughout its life cycle, or a joint executive team dedicating time and resources to help identify areas of cost savings initiatives, or even a group of customer service, customer experience, and IT team members mapping out customer touchpoints and journeys. Regardless, process collaboration an incredibly important concept to understand in the modern workplace. No matter who is involved, process collaborations lead to increased efficiencies and strengthened relationships among participants.
Why is process collaboration important?
Process collaboration is the secret ingredient to success in today’s workplace. Let’s look at how organizations use process collaboration to get things done more efficiently, from cross-functional teams to working with external businesses.
How does process collaboration improve the way you work?
Process collaboration plays a key role in driving success across departments. For example, teams can collaborate to streamline workflows, refine document approval processes, or create communication protocols. Involving all stakeholders in these discussions leads to faster decision-making and better overall outcomes. Properly executed, process collaboration yields tremendous benefits.
Successful process collaborations can often be seen in cross-functional teams and Scrum methodology. These collaborations provide a centralized location for employees to access information and resources needed to work smarter and faster. As such, process collaborations have allowed businesses across industries to thrive by streamlining their employees’ workflows.
What types of process collaboration are there?
There are two main types of process collaboration:
1: Internal process collaboration, which involves collaboration between departments within one business. These internal process collaborations tend to happen more frequently, and best-practice companies embrace the process. When viewed as an aspect of continuous improvement, internal process collaboration yields increased efficiency and effectiveness within the organization.
2: External process collaboration, which involves working with third-party businesses or vendors to achieve process improvement.
Process collaboration is an important tool for businesses of all sizes to integrate different process management systems into their operations.
By collaborating on process-related tasks and activities, these processes can be streamlined and better managed. At its core, process collaboration refers to methods that allow business process management to become a part of the overall organization process, which is then called ‘process excellence’ and encourages greater connectivity between process-related activities.
Collaboration tools for process excellence
Some examples of process collaboration tools include project collaboration platforms, process mapping, and workflow management tools.
The best tools combine all three functions—collaborating, mapping, and managing processes—to achieve true process excellence and maximum returns.
These tools help businesses collaborate more effectively across their process-based practices. Process collaboration is essential for helping businesses develop efficient systems and maximize each activity within their process chain.
What are the benefits of process collaboration?
Process collaboration offers numerous benefits to businesses, no matter the size or complexity. Generally, the bigger the organization, the more value can be realized.
Process collaboration requires all involved parties to come together, exchange ideas, and use their collective knowledge to create process opportunities. Through process collaboration, businesses can leverage process and business process management to create opportunities for meaningful dialogue among their employees and stakeholders. Combining process collaboration with other initiatives, such as training and performance monitoring, can have a significant impact on efficiency, accuracy, and communication within the organization.
Process collaboration makes it easier for businesses to:
- Make more informed decisions
- Secure greater process control
- Stay competitive in their respective industries
- Reduce costs
With best-in-class process collaboration tools like Nintex Process Manager, businesses can efficiently narrow down process improvement possibilities and create functional process plans that mesh with both their current practices and the desired results. It’s an effective way for companies to bring about positive change with everyone on board, making process collaboration an integral asset available to ambitious organizations.
Examples of process collaboration include Business Process Management (BPM), where a holistic view is taken across the entire operation, allowing for improved understanding and better outcomes. Furthermore, enabling easy collaboration encourages and empowers the employees involved in the process day-to-day with the opportunity and ownership to present their ideas for process improvement. This proactive approach will increase the amount of collaboration that occurs, this facilitates a continuous improvement culture. A continuous improvement culture is one that actively encourages and introduces new ideas and updated processes, leveraging in-the-know resources more efficiently to drive even more operational excellence than ever before.
Process collaboration is an invaluable tool that provides numerous benefits to businesses by optimizing process design and driving operational and service excellence.
How do process collaboration management tools improve teamwork?
Process collaboration management tools provide an effective way for teams to collaborate on large or complex projects.
Challenges faced when performing manual tasks are significantly reduced, as best practice processes can be established and easily followed.
Additionally, a number of helpful, easy-to-use tools are available that allow team members to input data with less potential for error.
These tools capture feedback on the relevant processes, so you can see recommendations on the processes they impact.
Ensuring that collaboration tools are embedded with the process mapping and management tools – means that feedback is quickly captured, and opportunities to improve can be easily reviewed and assessed, avoiding wasted time and resources when the same tasks were performed manually.
Finding ways to continually optimize processes can be a challenge for any company. Fortunately, there are process collaboration management tools that make light work of it. Tools like Nintex Process Manager help simplify the challenges of traditional workflow scenarios by improving communication and coordination amongst teams. By leveraging best practices and simple-to-use tools like this, organizations are experiencing fewer errors and increased organizational productivity.
Ultimately, having the right process collaboration management can ensure optimal completion of tasks while saving time and money.