Process Auditing – audit any

process you want [PMIT.PL BLOG – PROJECT & IT MANAGEMENT BLOG]

The article is provided by the courtesy of Mateusz Jasny the PMIT.PL blog author. The PMIT.PL is a
blog on topics like: Project Management (Project Standards, Certifications, Prince2, PMBOK, Control,
Audit, Methodologies, Risk Management, Programme Management, Portfolio Management...) and
IT Management (ITIL, COBIT, other IT Management Frameworks, courses, knowledge libraries,...).

During my daily duties I very often need to investigate the maturity of a process, such an action can
be called the process audit. In the world of IT management, there are many models or frameworks
that can help to assess the maturity of the organization or processes, for example: CMM, CMMI,
COBIT, ITIL (the tool “ITIL process maturity self assessment”), P3M, OP3 (maturity of project
management), etc.

However all of them are specific (created exactly for one particular area). But how to audit maturity
of process that doesn’t which does not fall within one of the frameworks?

The solution to this problem may be a tool developed by the guru of process management – Michael
Hammer, which was published in the article “The Process Audit” in the „The Process Audit” in
Harvard Business Review nr 4/2007” - if you are not a subscriber of HBR, you can buy the article for
just $ 6,50.

Hammer created its utility PEMM –(Process and Enterprise Maturity Model) in the form of two
sheets.

The first sheet: describes the factors enabling the implementation of processes

The second sheet: describes the maturity of an organization

According to Hammer elements that enable the effective implementation of processes are:

• Design of process

• Performers

• Process owner

• Infrastructure

• Metrics

However, these factors are not sufficient for an organization to develop high-performance processes.
There are needed also so-called enterprise capabilities, which are:

Leadership

• Culture

• expertise in process modeling processes

Copyright 2009 by Mateusz Jasny – PMIT.PL Blog

Process Auditing – audit any
process you want [PMIT.PL BLOG – PROJECT & IT MANAGEMENT BLOG]

•Governance

The PEMM tool allows us to determine what enterprise capabilities or process enablers should be
developed first for processes to be effective. The utility is able to identify the areas which are
blocking the increase of process efficiency. What’s more the tool is simple and fairly intuitive to use
and is being used in many organizations throughout the world. Before you think about using ‘heavy’
tools like CMMI, try the PEMM tool first. I’m recommending it.

Other articles that you may find interesting:

1. Six Sigma vs ITIL or Six Sigma together with ITIL?

2. ITSM process tools selection

Copyright 2009 by Mateusz Jasny – PMIT.PL Blog