The Complete Business Process Management (BPM) Master Class

I love presenting this simple exercise. It's going to highlight how Business Process Management is embedded in almost everything we do. Once we complete the exercise you should have a greater appreciation for Business Process Management and how you can use it to manage and analyse processes across various businesses.

What is Business Process Management? In this lecture we're going to cover the definition of BPM and walk through what it is and what it's not. We're also going to explore some common mistakes analysts make when working on BPM projects which you should find super helpful for your own work.

Many large companies have developed their own BPM Center of Excellence to manage processes and set BPM standards across their organization. In this lecture I'm going to show you one Center of Excellence model that's been used in real life and how it's used to support business improvement activities across organizations.

Before we map or model any processes we first need to build a Process Architecture. In this lecture I'm going to describe the importance of a process architecture and why it's essential for any BPM project.

Throughout this course we've learnt how BPM is all about managing process. In this lecture we're going to describe the various tools used to manage and model processes and the fundamental differences between each.

Do you know the difference between mapping and modelling? In this course we're going to cover both tools and look at the fundamentals you need to know before embarking on a BPM project.

In this lecture we're going to look at other tools you can use to manage and define processes that doesn't need sophisticated or expensive software.

So what is Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)? In this lecture we're going to walk through BPMN, how it started, why it was created, and how it's used to standardize processes across organizations. This lecture provides a great introduction into the remainder of this course which focuses on how to model using BPMN style elements. The downloadable poster also acts as an excellence reference for all notation elements should you ever use them.

In this lecture we're going to cover how to model using the Business Process and Model Notation (BPMN) standard. We're going to walk through each of the basic style elements and describe how they're used and why. This lecture serves as a critical part of you BPM learning and will provide you with real-life skills that you'll instantly be able to use on your BPM project.

Now that we've learnt how to model, we're going to turn our attention to some best practice examples. These examples will show you what to do and those mistakes you can avoid as you progress your BPM career.

As we come to the end of the course, we're going to explore some of the behaviours and character traits that make an amazing Process Analyst. This short lecture will also provide some very handy tips on how you can succeed in your own BPM career going forward.

Still want to learn more? This is the last lecture in the course but if you still have an appetite to take your career even further I'm going to list several useful resources for further reading. These publications helped me on my own BPM journey and throughout my career so I hope they're able to help you too!

The purpose of this quiz is to test your understanding of the basic concepts behind Business Process Management. All questions contained in this quiz directly relate to the function of a business process analyst within a BPM Center of Excellence.

In Section 1 we went straight into the details of Business Process Management and why successful organizations use it to improve the way they deliver services and goods to their customers. However, in Section 2 we're going to specifically describe how to create professional BPMN process models using Microsoft Visio. The content in this section uses real life examples and the skills you will gain exactly replicates how professional BPM practitioners or process architects model themselves.

One of the most important fundamentals to modeling is understanding where a model sits in a process architecture. If you remember this lecture from Section 1 then feel free to skip ahead. If not, this lecture provides a good recap and may save you a lot of time in your own modeling project.

In Section 1 we covered critical BPMN style elements most practitioners use. However, in this section we're going to cover how they're described and presented in Microsoft Visio Professional. Also, don't forget to refer to the downloadable Visio template that's attached to this lecture!

There is a whole process that BPM practitioners follow before they start modeling. The next few lectures are going to cover the basics in terms of how to get Visio up and running and how to setup up a canvass so that your models are presented professionally to a reader or stakeholder.

If you're new to Microsoft Visio then the next few lectures will show you how to move the BPMN elements around the canvass, as well as cover some critical features you will likely find useful in your modeling project.

If you're new to modeling then this lecture will describe how to create a simple BPMN model from scratch. Once you've seen the lecture then I recommend you have a try and building your own.

In this lecture we're going to build a new model but this time with a bit more detail. We're now going to add in a gateway and two pools. Once you've reviewed the lecture I recommend trying re-creating it yourself.

This lecture demonstrates the development of a real-life process model from a banking organization. It adds a bit more complexity from the previous lectures but ultimately it is to show you how a Process Architect or BPM practitioner creates professional process models using BPMN 2.0.

You may recall from Section 1 that most organizations that have a BPM capability also manage a Process Repository as part of their Center of Excellence. This lecture will describe how to structure and manage a process repository for your BPMN models and any other documentation you may use for your BPM projects.

The purpose of this lecture is to highlight how similar all the most popular tools are. Did you know that if you can use Microsoft Visio Professional it means you can use almost all other BPMN tools? In this lecture I'm going to explain why by walking through the mechanics of each one.

Congratulations! You've now made it to the next section in this course. In this new section we're going to cover how Process Analysts actually analyze process models using three of the most common techniques.

The BPM Analysis Activity Cycle is the best tool for helping your complete your process analysis project. It describes the exact step you should take to define and ultimately optimize processes in your organization using an industry best-practice framework.

In this lecture we're going to introduce the three most common ways BPM  Practitioner and Process Analysts analyze models. It also describes what  data elements you will need to ensure you develop the best assessment  for your project.

Staff Utilization is the first process analysis method we're going to learn about. It's purpose is to describe the most optimal method for using a number of staff in an operational environment - in this case a call center.

Activity Costing is the method that allows Process Analysts to assess how to reduce time and cost in a process. It is the most common way a BPM Process Analyst will assess a business - particularly when using process models.

Capacity Planning is the final process analysis method we'll walk through. Its purpose is to simulate and plan for the optimal number of staff needed to deliver a product or service. Capacity planning is usually used in manufacturing environments or businesses that need to deliver products to customers.

Now that you've finished the course, what do you do next? This Section will show you the career path of a BPM Analyst and provide expert tips on how to get hired as a BPM Analyst within an organization.

The BPM Career Development Model is aimed to show you what your BPM career path can look like in a major organization. This lecture quickly covers the importance of the CDM and its core principals that underpin it.

The BPM Career Development Model consists of three levels. This lecture will show you the skills and expertise you need for each level and should be your essential reference for the remainder of your BPM career.

Now that you've been shown the skills and expertise you need to get hired, this little tracker will help you identify the gaps in your personal development. You can use it as a self-assessment guide across each competency of the BPM Career Development Model.

This lecture covers the exact information you should include in your CV before you submit it to a hiring manager. Finding a BPM role can be tough sometimes so you should find that this lecture may give your CV the boost it needs in order to help you stand out from the crowd.

I personally like to add a cover letter to my CVs to help them stand out and make an impression on a hiring manager. In this lecture I'm going to show you two real-life examples you can copy for your own CV cover letter.

Once you've been hired in an organization as a BPM Analyst you may want to start thinking about your career and that next promotion. This short lecture will provide some key tips to consider long-term as you start to embark on your BPM journey.