The Process Ninja

A Handy List of BPM Bloggers

I'm all for supporting BPM Bloggers and I try to be involved with other BPM blogs as much as I can, so I'm happy to share a list of some of the other BPM bloggers out there. I can't promise they'll be as good as mine, but there you go!

Adam Deane has put together a very handy little list of BPM bloggers from all over the world (yours truly is in there).

Gary Comerford has also put together a list of "Ten BPM Blogs You Should be Following" and I'm pleased to say I made it onto that list.

Cheers,

TPN

Who am I and why am I doing this?

It's been almost a year since I started this blog, so I thought now is a timely moment to talk about why I write this blog and who I actually am. The blogs subscription base has grown considerably over the last year and I expect it to grow considerably over the next year.

The world BPM community may be a relatively small place, but it has huge power to effect change on organisations - and one of my aims is to get in touch with as many of that community as I can. In the words of Seth Godin, I am reaching out to my tribe. Having this blog has given me the vehicle to meet a lot of process people - some I can help, some help me - but I always have a good time meeting them. Note: if you are ever in Sydney and you invite me for a coffee or a beer, I will ALWAYS accept (particularly if its beer).

So, I suppose I write this blog to achieve that, but also because I like to write, and it's easiest to write about something you know. It's also easier to write about something you enjoy. I do enjoy my occupation - I'm lucky in that respect (although I continually moved toward doing the things that I enjoy throughout my career). I started this blog because I felt I could bring something a bit different to the table - something practical that people could immediately relate to.

I also write this blog because (to be brutally honest) it's a good way for me to promote myself, my business (www.Ninjaconsulting.com.au) and to get a foot in the door. I always tell people that having a blog about what you do for a career is like having the opportunity to get an interview without having to go to the interview - it's a poster for your expertise and your passion. I am always looking to make connections and get consulting work, so if you need me, drop me a line.

So that's why I write, but who is The Process Ninja?

I'm a 35 year old guy - married with 3 kids under 3 (work that one out!) - I live in the fabulous city of Sydney, Australia. I was born in Knutsford, England but my parents are Scottish and I grew up in the town of Barrhead near Glasgow in Scotland. I did relatively well at school, went on to study Marketing at The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow before I studied a postgraduate diploma in Hospitality Management. I moved to Sydney in 1997 where I met my wife. We returned to the UK for a couple of years where I worked in IT before moving back to Sydney in 1999. I worked in BA and IT related roles until 2002 when I bought a cafe, almost killed myself running it (and turning it into a process centric business) before I plunged back into the corporate world in 2004. I have worked in Business Process Roles since then.

Whilst I work full-time in process I'm also the Marketing Director of my parents underfloor heating company in the UK. I'm also writing a book about buying a cafe as well as starting a hospitality consulting business (The Cafe Ninja). I'm also currently renovating an investment property. I like to keep multiple fingers in multiple pies! Adding all that to three young kids you can see why I don't get much free time...

But when I do there are a few things I love doing: watching my beloved Glasgow Rangers, drinking wine, eating good food, cooking (good food), listening to good British rock music. I'm also totally obsessed with researching my family tree.

So that's a summary of my aims for the blog and who I am. I'd love to find out more about you all and (where possible) to meet you. So why not drop me a line or give me a call to say hello - it will be most welcome.

- TPN

Process Days 2009 - Reflections & Highlights

I was lucky enough to attend Process Days 2009 this week. I attended some of the masterclasses and most of the two day conference. Overall I really enjoyed the experience - I met a lot of great process people, learned a bunch and was inspired, awed and somewhat depressed by the whole experience!

I have to say it was also a great experience to meet the guys from Leonardo Consulting - a nicer bunch of people you could not wish to meet!

At the conference there were some truely brilliant presentations (and if truth be told a few truely awful ones) but there were three presenters that really stood out for me:

- Alec Sharp. Alec is a process modelling guru and gave one of the most highly useful and practical presentations that I've ever seen. He is a brilliantly charasmatic presenter with the ability to keep everything simple (even when on the phone from Vancouver!). I'm going out to buy his book as soon as I can. In just a few slides he changed how I thought about process modelling forever.

- Professor Michael Rosemann. Prof R works at the Queensland University of Technology where he runs the http://www.bpm.fit.qut.edu.au/ - however this alone doesn't encompass all of his work - he is one of the world's best BPM gurus. He gave a few different presentations - all brilliant - and I recommend you look into some of his works and books.

- Joerg Kluckmann. Joerg is the Marketing Dude from Aris and he gave a brilliant presentation on New Generation Process Inteligence (including a fascinating presentation which included Football!) Some of the stuff that IDS Scheer are working on is really exciting. They are launching a new free Aris product (Aris Express) as well as an Aris "MashupZone". Check out the IDS Scheer website for more details.

Overall Process days was a great event and has really given me a huge amount of inspiration to keep spreading the BPM message. On the other hand I felt a little bit depressed and envious when I saw some of the big BPM initiatives that people are involved with at the moment and some of the cool software tools they are using to do it. I live in hope that I will soon get the opportunity to test myself in one of these organisations!

This is just a taster of what I experienced of Process Days 2009 and it has helped to stimulate a maelstrom of ideas in my little Ninja brain that I'll look forward to sharing with you over the coming weeks and months. Until then I encourage you to investigate some of the previous links in more detail and should you require any further details on Process Days, check out the Leonardo Consulting website.

Till then, keep spreading the BPM message.

- TPN

Process Days 2009 starts next week - will I see you there?

Process days 2009 starts on Monday - I'll be attending the first day of masterclasses on the Monday. I'll be at:

Master Class 1:

Standardising Business Processes

Lida du Plessis, Senior Consultant, Leonardo Consulting with case study presentation by:

Master Class 2:

But We Don’t Build Cars – Managing Service Processes  -Roger Tregear, Consulting Director, Leonardo Consulting with Gavin Bartlett, National Systems Manager, Leighton Contractors.

After that I'll be at the whole cenference on Wed & Thu - if you're going keep an eye out for me. I won't be dressed like a ninja, but look out for The Process Ninja on my nametag! Hope to meet some of you for a drink and a chat!

BP Group on Linkedin

Just found the BP group on Linkedin, and what an active little group it is. Actually it's not so little - it has 2,205 members. It's run by BPM Guru Steve Towers. I like it, although the discussions hurt my brain a little bit. They even have a website.

Anyway, that's it for today. What do you mean you want more? You'll just have to wait until tomorrow when I'll talk about Process and Van Halen. Well, I did say that process is Rock n' Roll didn't I?

- TPN

Now's the time to join the BPM Australia Group on Linkedin

If you are in Australia and are interested in learning more about BPM or networking with BPM people (like me!) you should seriously think about joining the BPM Australia Group on linkedin.

Johan Nelis, the groups organiser, recently sent this message to the group:

BPM Australia nearly 100 members

The LinkedIn Group BPM Australia has really taken off, we have received many requests to join and have now 95 members within a matter of months.

As we cater solely for Australia, we declined the numerous invites from USA and Asia, as our experience is that many of these contacts use groups just to promote their products & services.

We are keen to promote BPM Australia further and to have more Australia focussed discussions. So we invite you to invite your colleagues and friends (lets reach 200 within the next month)

You are welcome to post discussions and news on the group and participate in these discussions.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions to promote Business Process Management

Cheers

Johan

Process Days 2009 - An Interview with Roger Tregear of Leonardo Consulting

I'm rather excited to be attending Process Days 2009 in Sydney. It runs from 3-6th August. Rather than me spout on about it I decided to ask Leonardo's Consulting's Director and BP Trends contributor Roger Tregear to tell me all about it...

 

What makes Process Days different from other BPM events?

[RogerT] ProcessDays has come to be more than just a conference. Apart from being 4 days of variety in classes and presentations, there are many opportunities for networking with fellow practitioners and vendors. The program is designed to optimise the learning experience. It’s an event designed by people whose business is BPM. We don’t run it to make a profit. We run it to facilitate learning and networking. Other conferences are often designed and delivered by people whose business is running conferences. This year’s event will be the 7^th annual ProcessDays.

 

Who are you looking forward to talking to or meeting at Process Days?

[RogerT] Everyone. We’ll have many regulars coming back to ProcessDays so it will be good to see them again. Always good to meet new people as well. And, of course, The Process Ninja!

 

What are the “must see” events or talks at this year’s event?

[RogerT] I’ll certainly be going to Master Class 2 about Managing Service Processes – since I’m delivering that one! Lida’s Master Class about standardising processes will be interesting – important topic. I’m not so interested in the more technical topics but there are some great topics in that group. The Master Classes are a great opportunity to spend extended time talking about important aspects of BPM. For the Conference we’ll have some friends from overseas – Bassam AlKharashi (MeduNet, Riyadh), Christine Stephenson (Emirates, Bahrain), Joerg Klueckmann (IDS, Germany). Alec Sharp will be back with us online from Vancouver. Alec got the highest delegate evaluation scores last year so his will be a welcome return. Professor Michael Rosemann will do his usual endnote presentation about future process developments. Michael has great insights into “the next big thing in process”. We’ll also have Dr Rosalind Dubs, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Registrar at UTS to present in the last session on Day 1 of the Conference. She is leading a process transformation at UTS and has an interesting mixture of industry and academic experience. Speaking of process transformation, Carolyn Hogg, the Centrelink Deputy CEO Service Delivery & Emergency Management, will have a great presentation about the continuous improvement revolution underway at Centrelink.

 

How will Process Days help companies in these difficult financial times?

[RogerT] Firstly, ProcessDays is a very inexpensive Conference and Master Classes so it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to attend. We also do great deals for group bookings. Secondly, we will spend 4 days talking about how to do “more with less”. That has to help. I think more and more organisations are realising that the old “sack and sell” response to tough times just isn’t good enough.

 

And finally, how will we be able to meet the legendary Roger Tregear at Process Days???

[RogerT] It will be hard to avoid me! I co-chair the Conference with Michael Rosemann and I’ll be around  for every moment of all four days.