Every organization needs to perform business processes to remain successful in the market. A business process is a series of actions performed by a company to achieve a specific goal. Many scholars debate the nature of the business process, as some describe it as a separate theory (Davenport & Short, 1990). Others include it in the theories concerning the nature of organizations (Jensen, 1983). It is generally acknowledged that there are five possible components of these processes: inputs, resources, constraints, activities, and outputs. Since these components do not have to be physical (e.g., creative work such as design or marketing), it is impossible to find processes that do not include all five.
Every business process is essential for an organization to achieve its targets and survive in rapidly changing market conditions. Companies often evaluate their processes to improve their efficiency and, thus, become more competitive (Plotnikova et al., 2016). However, one thing remains constant as every process requires input, resources, different constraints, which control the process, and a series of actions to achieve the final output. For instance, a delivery company would need vehicles, fuel, time constraints, routes, and human capital to successfully perform the delivery, corresponding to all components. For some processes, these components do not have to be physical and, as a result, not very obvious. One of the best examples would be processes, which require professional skills as input and resources. Baby-sitters and nurses use their knowledge and experience in treating their customers. The output does not have to be physical either since the final result can be measured via consumer satisfaction. Therefore, it is impossible to think of a process that does not involve all five components. Therefore, it is impossible to think of a process that does not involve all of the five components.
To conclude, these components are necessary for conducting a successful business process. Despite many of them not being as obvious, none should remain underestimated. Ignoring the parts of a business process can result in critical failures and may affect a company’s success in reaching its targets. For a process to be efficient, it is crucial to include all of these aspects in creating it. So far, there are no examples of business processes that avoid any of the five components.
References
Davenport T. H. & Short J. E. (1990). The New Industrial Engineering: Information Technology and Business Process Redesign.
Jensen, M. C. (1983). Organization Theory and Methodology. Accounting Review, 58(2), pp. 319-339.
Plotnikova, M., Romero, I., & MartÃnez-Román, J. (2016). Process innovation in small businesses: The self-employed as entrepreneurs. Small Business Economics, 47(4), pp. 939-954.