BPM Jargon Explained

Editor's note: this transcript was generated by AI and has been lightly edited for clarity and relevance — some sections have been shortened or removed, and minor transcription errors corrected.

Full transcript

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For this video, we thought we'd go back to basics and help those who might be getting lost in process terminology. Here are the most-used terms, in quick succession.

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Activity: when mapping out a process, an activity shape is used to describe something you do. Activities are the steps of the process and are described using verbs — for example, "update sales order with customer number."

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Decision: decision shapes are a type of activity, usually in the form of a question where only one of the outputs is produced — for example, "internal or external customer?", which may then branch into two different process pathways.

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Deliverables: a deliverable shape is used to describe something you produce — the outputs of a process. Deliverables are described using nouns — examples include "customer order form", "purchase order", and "patient discharge form".

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As-is process: a visual representation of a business process in its current state. As-is processes must be mapped before changes and improvements can be made.

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Bottlenecks: a bottleneck is one process in a chain that, if limited in any way, will cause further limitations to subsequent processes in the chain. An example of a long-term bottleneck would be a machine that's not working efficiently.

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BPMN stands for Business Process Model and Notation — a standard, graphical way of specifying business processes so they can be easily understood by all stakeholders.

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A QMS, or quality management system, is a software tool that allows processes to be mapped, implemented, and analysed. These systems are often used to aid continual improvement through an organisation, helping increase efficiency and reduce costs.

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Business process: a collection of related activities or tasks that produce a specific service or product. Business processes are often visualised in a flowchart or process map, which allows them to be followed easily and shared. Examples include: raise a purchase order, initiate recruitment, discharge a patient, or approve a drug for human trials.

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Business process improvement: a project undertaken to help an organisation optimise and improve its existing processes. Key goals include improving productivity, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs.

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A process approach is a systematic approach to making an organisation's processes more efficient. Examples of end goals include improving productivity, reducing costs, and eliminating duplication.

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Continual or continuous improvement: the ongoing process of improving an organisation's processes, products, or services. This can deliver incremental changes over time, or breakthrough improvement all at once.

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A process: a set of interrelated or interacting activities which transform inputs into outputs.