We distinguish between Complexity and Complicatedness
Complexity
The customer is willing to pay you if you take away complexity from him. Example: You install and service a machine at your customer’s site. You charge him for this services but he is willing to pay you because his cost would be higher if he would do it himself.
Complicatedness
The customer sees no added value and therefore is not willing to pay for complicatedness. Example: Because you have many different process variants and nobody nows excactly how to proceed, many mails have to go forth and back till the good can be shipped.
Complicatedness creeps silently into your organization. It is not easy to see it. Often, it is protected by your personnel because it secures their jobs.
The Most Expensive Rule
Good processes use rules for decisions. Simple rules can easily be documented or automated. “It depends” is the most expensive rule, because it cannot be documented nor automated and you need an expensive specialist to deal with it.
Unfortunately, this is a very common rule in many organizations.
Next Steps
To discover and avoid complicatedness we analyze your company and process architecture implemented in your SAP ERP system (Organizational Footprint) and compare it with your strategic needs. This process involves a lot of knowledge about “Pattern Recognition”, SAP (Structure, Processes, Systems), and “Best Practice”.
The results of such analyses are used to run Process Harmonization Workshops. In these workshops, your best people create a blueprint for the next years (ERP structure, processes, and possible implementation steps). These worksops deal also with the topics discussed here.
If you want to prepare your organization for the future or recently had an important change (e.g.merger), the first step is a Management Workshop where the implication of your future strategy on ERP structure and processes are clarified. This enables management to set the right direction and set the right goal for future projects.
If the strategic implications are clear, we propose to continue with Process Architecture Workshops for ERP Projects for your project team. These steps ensure alignment between management and project team.