All businesses have certain processes that are carried out in order to function. For example, a business may go through the same steps each time a report is generated, a customer complaint is resolved, or a new product is manufactured. The good thing about these processes is that they can be optimised so that the business can function more effectively.

When looking at the processes of a business it’s important to understand how they relate to the business itself. For example, a process can be formal or informal. Formal processes are often also known as procedures, these are the well established, day in day out regimes the business carries out.

Informal processes are often more personal and less documented. An example could be the way that someone carries out certain actions, such as carrying out market research, or organising events.

Once a process is determined as formal or informal, the right level of analysis can be given to it. Which will ultimately lead to whether or not it can be optimised, and how to go about doing so.