Define strategic goals: What is the purpose of the organisation? What business is it in? Why does it do what it does?
Determine the stakeholders: Who are the customers and other important groups for the organisation?
Business processes (methods) are related, systematically structured activities (tasks) to produce a specific service or product for a particular group of customers.
Three types of business processes:
Each business process should address a customer need and result in need fulfilment. A process can consist of sub-processes. The analysis of processes and sub-processes can be carried on down to the activity level.
Analysis of Business Processes is intended to eliminate any activity which does not add value for the customer. A well designed business process should increase effectiveness and increased efficiency. Normally these are measured in terms of financial measures (cost reduction and revenue). However, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction and materials use can be used as sustainability measures.
Techniques such as Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) can be used for diagramming business processes in a workflow. BPMN is intended to be readable for both technical and business users.
High level models are used purely to describe business processes, whereas detailed models may able to be executed using specialised software.
Claims have been made for BPI making radical changes in the performance of organisations. In the case of greenhouse gas emissions the target of, for example, a 15% reduction in emissions may be on performance of an organisation, rather than a series of incremental changes.
BPI makes use of measurable results and benchmarks. The process owners, need to be identified and measures of success/failure of the process set. In addition to the success/failure levels, "control limits" for the process provide a check on if a process is meeting the desired customer objectives.
In the case of Green ICT, measures such as energy use or greenhouse gas emissions may be used. A problem with accountability energy measures for data centres has been the split in responsibilities between facilities managementservices providing the building and the ICT or data centre management who run the computers in the building. The facilities manager may be responsible for the electricity bill for the building the data centres is housed in, but unable to make decisions as to the computer equipment purchased and thus not make decisions to reduce that expenditure.
Define the existing structure and processes.
Determine what outcomes would add value to the organisation.
Reorganise processes, resources and work force.
Telstra has estimated that use of telecommunications could reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions 5% by 2015. Three examples from Tesltra are:
Efficient deployment of field work forces with GPS: Wireless broadband and GPS can be used to schedule personnel between jobs at remote sites to reduce the distance travelled. As well as reducing fuel used (and therefore greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles) this also reduces unproductive time while staff are travelling.
Flexible working for knowledge workers: Knowledge workers can work remotely using broadband at home or a satellite office and use wireless broadband to work at customer premises. This saves in office space.
Replacement of business air travel with video conferencing: Telstra claims that high definition video conferencing can replace business air travel. The widespread availability of higher speed broadband allows higher quality video and for companies to set air travel reduction targets.