Organizational process visualization

A computer-supported methodology, EnCompass/sup (R)/, has been developed that provides organizations with a visual tool for accomplishing the critical, but extremely challenging task of aligning organizational and business processes. Information is gathered from the organization about individual task or issue-related interactions, and integrated to produce 3D maps that enable the group to interactively analyze the processes and to synthesize and evaluate the impact of potential alternatives. The system provides readily interpreted 3D views of the patterns of interaction associated with communication and data transfer, task execution and decision processes. The tool provides for filtering and analysis of the views to understand not only what is occurring, but also to obtain insights as to why. The methodology facilitates the evaluation of organizational and process alternatives, and the consideration of "what-if" scenarios. The difference between the "should-be" organization and interactions and the "as-is" can be viewed to explicitly determine the required changes in organizations, processes and systems. Effectivity dates are associated with changes so that staged transformations can be developed and monitored. The highly interactive nature of the process facilitates the development of consensus and a "visual contract for change". The engineering of organizational processes and systems is discussed and illustrated with a case study of an organizational and business process improvement project in a large information systems organization.