People process technology is a ubiquitous term found throughout business management and is featured prominently on numerous slide presentations.
Technology can only aid a process by giving employees the necessary tools and automating specific steps; people and processes must already exist for this to work successfully.
The Right People
People are the foundation of any organization; they create processes, deliver products and provide service to customers – without them, nothing happens! This fundamental truth hasn’t changed even as technology advances; many businesses take it for granted that people are their most important asset when the key to success lies in striking a balance among the three Ps: people, process, and technology.
This framework is the three-legged stool model because all three parts must work harmoniously to function successfully. If any part is missing or one process fails in an organization with cutting-edge technological equipment, its value will quickly evaporate into thin air.
Some variations of the three-legged stool model put people first and process second; others emphasize prioritizing people as an aspect that will influence both process and product. Morris advises companies to make time to identify and recruit suitable personnel; those ideal candidates would include industry knowledge and relevant experience and be prepared to learn new technologies while adapting to a shifting work environment.
Ultimately, processes and technology should be tailored to help people meet the company’s goals and objectives. For instance, an organization might invest in contract management software to streamline processes and speed up client delivery times. Still, if it takes too long to navigate, it won’t be effective.
Knowledge management refers to the efficient administration of information and resources within an organization, and its goal is to ensure all the required knowledge is accessible when necessary. Documenting pertinent facts and storing them securely are effective ways, while advanced technology offers convenient step-by-step guides in seconds.
The Right Processes
One can hardly read an online IT or information security article without seeing three words: people, process, and technology. These three nouns form the core of any project, initiative, or transformation and are necessary for creating a productive workplace environment. They’re also central to Bruce Schneier’s ITIL framework popularized at the end of the last century. It is grounded in Harold Leavitt’s 1965 Diamond Model theory, with tasks comprising its fourth element (source).
Implementing a new process starts by clearly defining it. A method is a set of actions designed to produce an outcome; it answers any “how” questions and ensures consistent results no matter who performs each task – providing a uniform experience for clients, customers, or partners.
Once your process is straightforward, the next step should be considering which technologies can support it. Implementing appropriate tools will ensure the success of your new process; find one with a minimal learning curve so employees can utilize it immediately.
Remember to only invest heavily in technology once the objectives and process have been established and all employees trained on its use. Otherwise, investing heavily would only result in wasted expenditure.
Maintaining and evaluating people, processes, and technology requires constant evaluation to identify areas needing improvement and ensure businesses remain competitive while offering exceptional customer experiences. Doing this also allows organizations to maintain a balance among people, processes, and technology, preventing it from going out of sync and leading them to meet their goals and objectives while increasing productivity and giving them the confidence to explore additional ways of improving operations.
The Right Technology
Human talent and effective processes remain valuable despite all the changes brought about by technology shaping workplaces today. But it can be easy to get caught up in all the excitement associated with new tech innovations without understanding their purpose in your people process technology framework.
Although the terminology has evolved over the decades, the basic idea behind the people process technology framework has remained consistent: change should not occur in isolation from all aspects of an organization. If, for example, you have excellent processes in place, but they’re being implemented incorrectly by users, the results won’t be optimal.
Technological innovations can improve processes; however, the people using such advances must also receive proper training to utilize them effectively. While technology is an invaluable asset in business operations, nothing beats effective human interaction and communication to ensure business runs efficiently.
To do this, it’s crucial to focus on all three components of the people process technology framework – starting with hiring the appropriate people and using processes that complement them; also ensuring the technology implemented supports your operations effectively; this will maximize the effectiveness of new systems while helping employees function at their most total capacity.
Finally, you should regularly review your people process technology framework to ensure its relevance to changing technology, people, and market conditions. Doing this will allow you to identify any areas for improvement and refine existing processes for greater effectiveness.
Successful companies understand how important it is to balance meeting employee, process, and technology needs, allowing them to remain more productive while remaining competitive against rapid technological changes.
The Right Measurement
The People Process Technology Framework is a model designed to assist organizations in recognizing and correcting issues that threaten operational efficiency. It identifies critical components of an efficient business and outlines their interrelationships, giving organizations an accurate picture of how people, processes, and technology work together to support workforce management goals (WFM).
Though this framework dates back to the 1960s, its principles hold weight today and form the cornerstone for businesses looking to streamline and optimize their internal operations for efficiency and growth.
Understanding the roles of each of the three pillars to create an effective system is critical to its success. If your people aren’t adequately trained on your processes, they will not derive maximum value from supporting technology. Furthermore, meeting customer demands will be challenging if strategies do not align with people.
To ensure all components of your business are in harmony, it’s essential to conduct periodic evaluations. This allows you to monitor how each of the pillars affects it and make any necessary changes as required.
Alongside reviewing processes and people, it’s also essential that technology remains up-to-date. This includes hardware, software, and systems used to manage employees and run daily operations. DevOps comes into play here by encouraging collaboration among teams through best practices that foster DevOps culture – helping you increase productivity and efficiency through increased productivity of people processes and technology.
To ensure your technology is functioning efficiently, measuring and tracking its success regularly is vitally important. You can use various tools, including business intelligence (BI) and enterprise performance management (EPM), to determine which elements of people, processes, and technology work well and need improvement.
The appropriate blend of people, processes, and technology can help your business achieve maximum efficiency and expansion. If you need assistance developing your people-process-technology strategy, our team of experts is here to provide guidance.
