“Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” James W. Frick
Defining “process”
Aldridge Kerr’s definition: “the method or system, consisting of a series of tasks, used to achieve a desired result.” A process isn’t just a sequence of tasks; it’s a repeatable, teachable, measurable way of working that reduces variability and increases reliability.
What’s the “desired result?”
The “desired result” ultimately should be to align an organization’s daily tasks (its processes) to its vision and strategy. In other words, there should be a strategic alignment with how an organization spends its time, energy, and resources.
What are “critical processes?”
A critical process is one whose failure would materially impair the organizations’ ability to operate, serve, and comply. Some believe all are critical, in reality, there are typically 3 – 5 processes that are essential within each Functional Area.
Why is it important to identify those processes that are most critical?
Identifying critical processes enables an organization to:
- Understand functional priorities: Leaders gain visibility into how teams allocate time and what they perceive as essential.
- Expose alignment gaps: Differences between management’s priorities and Functional Areas’ priorities become visible and actionable.
- Strengthen mission alignment: Daily work can be evaluated against the organization’s purpose, ensuring resources support the vision rather than drift from it.
- Improve effectiveness and efficiency: Critical processes – those that create the most value or mitigate the most risk – become the focus of optimization efforts.
- Determine documentation priorities: Not all processes need to be documented; critical ones do. This ensures continuity, training, and quality control.
- Lay the groundwork for Business Impact Analysis (BIA): Identifying critical processes is the first step in understanding operational dependencies, vulnerabilities, and recovery priorities.
Many organizations jump right into process mapping or documentation without first identifying which processes matter. By starting with your most critical processes, an organization will avoid wasting time on those low-value processes instead of those that have the biggest impact.