A System and Method to Evaluate Business Process Changes (01-Feb-2010)

A System and Method to Evaluate Business Process Changes

A current problem today is that most requests to change a business process are treated alike, with no mechanism to evaluate business relevance or impact.

There are several questions that need to be asked when considering a Process Change Request (PCR). Examples include; should this change be made, what does the change look like, and should the organization make the change?

This invention employs a mechanism and logic tree that allows a business to evaluate incoming PCR's. By first evaluating for business process scope relevance, it ensures no unnecessary changes are accepted. Further, evaluation checks for business case and business impact, requiring that all changes be formally sponsored by the business. The Change Evaluation Mechanism (CEM) also creates an audit trail that keeps a records of all changes for future reference.

Figures 1, 2, and 3, below, show the evaluation process for three typical questions asked when a PCR is received. Each figure shows the possible results for several evaluation question. Note, these are examples and other questions may be required or desired when evaluating a PCR.

1

Using Figure 1 as an example, there are three levels of changes; Minor, Moderate, and Major.

Minor changes have minimal...