What is process management and how important is it?

Last update: July 14, 2025

Content

• What is process management?
• What are processes?
• Why describe processes?
• What is actually covered by process management?
• Checklist ‘good process management’
• Methods of process management
• The benefits of process management
• The difference between process management and quality management
• What does a process manager do?
• How do you implement process management?
• Getting started with process management

What is process management?

Process management is understanding, managing, and optimizing the processes within an organization. It is not just about following the steps you have established, but also about constantly looking for ways to improve those steps. Ultimately, it's about making your business efficient and effective. Overall, then, process management is primarily a tool you use to make sure a business runs smoothly. By analyzing, improving and standardizing processes, companies can save money, reduce errors and better serve their customers.

Process management helps keep things organized within a company. It is all about understanding and improving the way things are done so that everything runs more smoothly and everyone knows what is expected of them. Instead of looking solely at what needs to be done, process management focuses on thinking about HOW things should be done. Think about all the steps, decisions and people involved in performing a task. The goal is to optimize those processes so that work gets done more efficiently.

In large part, process management is about the continuous pursuit of improvement. Companies that embrace process management are constantly looking for ways to do things better. Whether it's speeding up a process, reducing errors or finding a cheaper way to do something - there is always room for improvement.

Another key component is standardization. Companies try to establish consistent procedures and rules (read: standards) for how they do things. That way everyone knows what is expected of them and it becomes easier to do things without reinventing the wheel all the time.

What are processes?

Processes are series of sequential activities that take place within an organization to process certain inputs into desired outputs. Processes take place in every organization. Each department, function and branch has its own processes that often intertwine. When do we speak of a process?

Processes are encountered almost everywhere - whether it's handling a customer demand, producing a product, or executing a project. They often begin with some input - such as raw materials, information, or requests - which is then processed and transformed, ultimately producing the desired output.

Why describe processes?

You should describe processes because this provides clarity, structure, and consistency within an organization. Describing processes helps organizations create clarity and structure in their practices. By recording processes, you create a clear overview of who does what, when and why. This promotes efficiency, reduces misunderstandings and makes it easier to induct new employees.

Moreover, process descriptions serve as valuable reference points in audits and certification processes, and support the continuous improvement of the organization. In short, documenting processes is an important and effective tool for creating transparency, consistency and growth within an organization....

We discuss in detail what a process is and why it is important to describe processes in this article.

What is actually covered by process management?

Process management includes the following:

• The visual or textual recording of process steps
• Appointing responsible parties (process owners)
• Analyzing waste or bottlenecks
• Improving and simplifying steps
• Securing agreements in a central, accessible environment
• Ensuring that employees can easily find what they need to do

Process management is the package of activities through which you map, evaluate, improve, and secure processes. So it is not only about describing processes, but especially about steering for improvement and ownership. A well-designed process management system supports this. In WoodWing Scienta, processes are central; therefore, they can be easily linked to documents, forms, checklists, and improvement progress.

Good process management checklist

Setting up a good process management system requires a bit more than just mapping out steps. You need a strong structure and it also requires commitment from your employees. Only then can you strive for the continuous improvement you are looking for. The following checklist can be a great starting point:

Preparation

• Determine the purpose of process management (e.g. compliance, efficiency, quality)
• Ensure support from management and teams
• Choose a clear process management owner or coordinator
• Select an appropriate platform or system for process documentation

Setup

• Map key processes (think customer onboarding, quality control, reporting)
• For each process, identify who owns and who is involved
• Document the processes clearly, visually and unambiguously
• Record process steps (think input, output, responsible parties and risks)

Implementation

• Publish processes in a central, accessible location
• Train employees in the use of the system and processes
• Provide links to relevant documents and tools
• Encourage feedback and improvement proposals from the field

Optimization

• Evaluate processes regularly (at least annually)
• Monitor bottlenecks and lead times with KPIs
• Adjust processes in response to changes in legislation, tools or working practices
• Use incidents or audit findings as input for improvement
• Systematically record changes and versions for your audit trail

Methods of process management

There are several methods of process management that organizations can use to manage, analyze, and optimize their workflows. We explain some of these methods.

Business Process Management (BPM).

Business Process Management is a method in which organizations visually map their processes, often using diagrams or flow charts. By modeling and graphically representing processes, organizations can better understand how they work and where inefficiencies occur. BPM helps identify bottlenecks and look for improvement opportunities.

Change often creates turmoil in the workplace. By making processes visual, more peace is created. According to studies, BPM also helps organizations deliver higher quality and score better when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Lean Six Sigma

Lean Six Sigma methodology that focuses on identifying and eliminating waste and variability in processes. Lean Six Sigma combines principles of Lean Management, aimed at minimizing waste, with Six Sigma, aimed at reducing variation and improving quality. Through tools such as value stream mapping and root cause analysis, Lean Six Sigma helps organizations work more efficiently and provide better quality.

Business Process Re-engineering (BPR).

With BPR, you look at why tasks are performed as they are from the beginning and whether they can be streamlined - perhaps using new technologies. In this method, processes are radically redesigned to achieve significant improvements. Therefore, BPR focuses not only on improving existing processes, but also on reinventing them if necessary. This can create dramatic changes.

Agile methods

The term agile - even if you don't know what it means - will no doubt be familiar to you. Agile has its origins in software development, but the methods are increasingly used in process management. Agile approaches, such as Scrum and Kanban, emphasize flexibility, collaboration and improvement. They enable teams to respond quickly to change, process and apply feedback, and continuously learn and improve.

The benefits of process management

Sound process management offers a host of benefits to your organization - small or large. Let's see in what ways process management can help your organization.

• Process management is good for your efficiency. Imagine you have a delivery company that delivers packages. If your processes are well organized, your delivery drivers can deliver packages to customers in no time. More efficient processes simply mean that you get more done in less time and with less effort.
• The quality of your product or service improves with good process management. Let's go back to that delivery service. Having a tight process for handling and delivering packages means consistently good service for your customers. No more misdelivered packages or forgotten items. Consistency is the key to quality.
• With process management, you save money. Think more efficient use of resources, fewer unnecessary steps in your workflow, and smarter ways of doing things. That means more money in your pocket and less waste from working inefficiently.
• Good process management makes for a better customer experience. Think faster delivery, accurate orders, and friendly service. When customers are satisfied, they come back for more and tell their friends about their good experience.
• Process management allows you to respond quickly to changes in the market or customer needs. Imagine you want to launch a new product. With an agile process, you can quickly develop new products, gather customer feedback, and adapt to what works and what doesn't. That's how you grow and take your business to new heights.

The difference between process management and quality management

The major difference between process management and quality management is that process management focuses on how work is performed, while quality management focuses on what is delivered and whether that meets the specified standards. Process management is about optimizing how things are done in an organization. It is about understanding, analyzing and improving the steps needed to achieve a particular goal. By mapping and improving processes, everyone in your organization starts working better and you will naturally see better results.

Quality management and process management are both part of a bigger picture, yet not quite the same thing. Quality management focuses on ensuring the quality you deliver. It involves setting criteria and making sure they are met. This systematic approach focuses on planning, controlling, and improving the quality of your products or services. You can therefore see process management, similar to managing knowledge in an organization, also as part of quality management.

Process management aims to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and shorten lead times. We want tasks to be performed effectively and resources to be used optimally. It's all about keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly. Quality management seeks consistent, reliable results that meet customer expectations. The goal is to increase customer satisfaction and encourage repeat purchases. After all, you want customers to be happy with what they get and confident in what you deliver.

What does a process manager do?

A process manager is responsible for the processes within your organization and is tasked with managing, analyzing and optimizing the various processes. He or she is responsible for understanding how things are done and identifying ways to do them better. This often includes mapping existing processes, identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies in them, and implementing improvements to increase performance. WoodWing Scienta helps process managers describe processes. 

An important aspect of process managers' work is collecting and analyzing data to gain insight into how processes run, where problems occur and where improvements can be made. This allows them to make informed decisions about improving an organization's operational efficiency.

Also important is collaborating with various stakeholders within the organization. From working with managers and team leaders to redesign processes to training employees to follow new procedures.

A process manager also often plays a role in implementing new processes and systems, such as introducing new software to automate processes or developing new procedures to meet changing needs.

In short, a process manager has a challenging and dynamic role that is essential to an organization's success in the modern business environment.

How do you implement process management?

You implement process management by mapping your existing processes, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing improvements step by step. Implementing process management in your organization is like laying a solid foundation for a house: it takes planning, commitment, and the right tools to make it work well. Start by analyzing your current processes, from receiving an order to delivering a product or service. Identify all the steps, who is involved in those steps, and how long it takes to complete them, to get a clear picture of where you stand. Does describing your organizational processes lead to problems? Here are some tips to help you create your process descriptions.

Look for areas where bottlenecks – duplicate entries, redundant steps, wait times, etc. – are occurring. By identifying these bottlenecks, you can make easier and more structured improvements. Set clear goals and priorities based on what is most important to your organization. Also, start mostly with small, manageable steps. For example, you might test a new procedure for a particular department, or implement a new tool for automation. By implementing changes gradually, incrementally, you minimize disruption and increase the likelihood of success.

Important: Don't forget to involve your employees. Inform them and ask for input, from identifying bottlenecks to implementing improvements. Listen to their feedback, ideas and concerns, and encourage them to actively contribute to improving the processes they work with every day. You're going to get a lot out of this - not for nothing have we written before about the importance of communication within process management.

Finally, it is important to monitor the progress of process management implementation. Use KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) so that you can check whether you are achieving set goals and whether the measures taken are having the desired effect. If necessary, adjust your approach based on your analysis of the results.

Getting started with process management

As you now know, process management for your organization is not a luxury but a necessity. From the smallest company to the largest multinational: we all deal with processes in our organizations. Processes that can probably be improved. With solid process management – which together with the adequate management of knowledge in the organization shapes the quality management of the organization – you will lift your company to a higher level.