APQC, Accenture, and Nimbus Joint Study Reveals Best Practices for Using Process Frameworks and Reference Models: Productivity, Collaboration, Compliance Cited as Key Benefits

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--APQC, the benchmarking and best practices research firm, released the results of a new study, Best Practices for Using Process Frameworks and Reference Models to Get Real Work Done, co-sponsored by Accenture (NYSE:ACN), and Nimbus, a global software company.

“Organizations can achieve great results through the use of process frameworks to increase productivity, assign clear accountability and governance, manage content and employee collaboration, and more successfully align processes and performance improvement with corporate strategy.”

The study reveals how process frameworks and reference models help organizations better manage their business; compares how organizations assess, adapt, and adopt process frameworks; and identifies the real impact of using process frameworks and reference models. A complimentary copy of the report is available via website links from Accenture or Nimbus.

Organizations identified as best practice partners in the study include Cisco Systems, Inc., ING Life Japan, Pitney Bowes Inc., Sandvik, The Williams Companies, Inc., ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, and United Parcel Service, Inc.

"Over time we are seeing more organizations adopt process frameworks to get real work done," said John Tesmer, manager of Open Standards Research for APQC. "Organizations can achieve great results through the use of process frameworks to increase productivity, assign clear accountability and governance, manage content and employee collaboration, and more successfully align processes and performance improvement with corporate strategy."

Highlights of the findings reveal that:

	1.	Using process frameworks and reference models help accelerate projects in benchmarking, content management, and business process definition.
	2.	Implementing a process framework or reference model at any level of the organization (i.e. department versus enterprise-wide) will yield value.
	3.	Centralizing ownership and protecting the integrity of the adopted process framework or reference model ensures "one version of the truth."
	4.	Adopting a process framework or reference model as created allows an organization to gain the most value from the original intent before adapting it for individual nuances.
	5.	Implementing appropriate process management tools reduces complexity and increases the long-term value of the process framework or reference model within an organization.
	6.	Measuring progress and setting goals ensures that efforts are aligned with strategy and that the process framework or reference model delivers increasing value and maturity.

“Reference models have become an important component of value-driven BPM initiatives,” said Mathias Kirchmer, executive director of Accenture’s business process management practice. “Accenture has recognized this trend for quite a while and created a leading BPM reference model repository, including over 20,000 models describing 71 industries. Accenture uses those models often in conjunction with industry standards such as the APQC frameworks, in an effort to build lasting BPM capabilities at our clients.”

According to Chris Taylor, vice president consulting, Americas, with Nimbus, “Process frameworks frequently accelerate our clients’ process discovery and standardization efforts, so we were delighted to contribute to this study. Many organizations are recognizing that a structured approach to process management is the key to operational excellence. They want a complete joined-up view of their business processes, and they want it in a language that is intuitive and engaging – because that is the key to continuous improvement and getting real work done, which we were investigating in this study.”

To download the complimentary report, access the links for Accenture or Nimbus.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 215,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2010. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

About APQC

APQC is a member-based nonprofit and one of the world’s leading proponents of knowledge management, benchmarking, and best practices business research. Working with more than 750 organizations worldwide in all industries, APQC provides organizations with the information they need to work smarter, faster, and with confidence. Visit www.apqc.org or call +1.713.681.4020 and learn how to make best practices your practices.

About Nimbus

Nimbus makes life at work easier, faster and more valuable for millions of employees. Since its inception in 1997, Nimbus has helped over 700 organizations including AstraZeneca, Barclays, Chevron, HSBC, JP Morgan, RBS, Sara Lee, Sony, Toyota and ThyssenKrupp. Nimbus Control, a unique business process management (BPM) software application, allows clients to capture, manage and deploy their operational processes and supporting information to their entire workforce wherever they are, across the web or on a mobile device, and is delivered either on premise or as software as a service (SaaS). Nimbus provides the software and a proven implementation methodology, training and consulting services to clients globally from its 10 offices around the world and through its certified partners. Nimbus’ clients use Nimbus Control to provide an enterprise-wide collaborative platform which powers effective process management and sustainable performance improvement. More information at www.nimbuspartners.com.