APQC Reference Model

#APQC (American benefit and quality center) is a global reference in #Benchmarking, #process and function improvement, and #knowledgemanagement (KM). This non-profit organization has been established by Jack Grison, who is the business leader and innovator in 1977. Information, data, and organizational attitudes for precise work are provided immediately and confidently in applying the APQC. APQC members have access to the biggest collection of global Benchmarking with more than two million data and observations.

1. Why utilizing APQC can be beneficial?

1. The researches and their third party data are validated irrespective of the bias: APQC is a justifiable resource for the investigations and data as a non-profit organization that the members are beneficiaries. Predominantly its subjects rely on primary researches and each data is collected by benchmarking standards for the hundred organizations all over the world. For the most part in each industry, APQC #analyst has confirmed it by utilizing rational and statistical validation to ensure that all data are reliable and precise.

2. Storage of ever developing resources reliant on the researches.

APQC team has already carried out the researches that may be needed. Utilizing the APQC and its online resource library will provide the best methods, case studies, KPIs, tools and patterns, and the other cases. Hence, you can discover essential information for learning, applying, and maintaining its process and innovations of knowledge management by using APQC.?

3. Owning the prominent sign in benchmarking tools and the biggest collection of the benchmarking data in the world.

By the contribution of the Benchmarking tools, you can evaluate their organization function in comparison with the counterparts, support your business document for the change, determine the orientation and, set the functional goals by using the benchmarking data. It is therefore fitting that getting the information about your status by using APQC and by comparing it with the internal or industrial #KPI. APQC processes #framework furnishes a standard checklist that can be utilized in the following cases:

·????????Classifies the process the groups of the relevant processes.

·????????Supports the end-to-end possession of the processes.

·????????We can make a common language among the groups by using APQC.

·????????Illustrates the way of doing the work in the organization.

·????????Using the APQC will improve inter-functional collaboration and staff changing.

·????????Supports functional management and Benchmarking.

·????????Coordinates the departments to unveil and update the IT.

·????????Contributes a framework for content management.

·????????Specifies and prioritizes the opportunities for function and process improvement.

The organizations can standardize their approach for some of the significant activities like process management, not-stop improvement, Benchmarking, and concept management. The various business units in the organization may have diverse interpretations without the predefined list that consequently will thwart all the opportunities for the non-stop process management in accompany.

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#PCF processes classifications framework

While you are using APQC you have to get familiar with the most important part like PCF.

PCF or process classification framework is a hierarchical list of the business process. The list included 13 groups of the higher level that each of them is divided into smaller levels or units. These units are called process groups, process, activity, and task respectively. The figure below demonstrates the five levels of PCF with the 40' group example. The numbers with red colours are called process elements identifying the number. Each element of the process in PCF owns one unique identifying number. That being the case probability is dispersed for benchmarking even by changing the name, and defining the process elements in different industries and companies. The organization can use the common expression of PCF for naming, organizing, and mapping their process by using the APQC. Into the bargain, it's convenient as a tool not to explain a business from the vertical point of view, but horizontal. PCF has been designed as a global framework and standard to customize to be utilized in every organization. Accordingly, PCF doesn't list all the current processes in a particular organization and all the mentioned processes in this framework might not be included in the organizations.

1. How to use PCF ?

In using the PCF following stages ought to be passed.

1. Mapping the process

PCF can assist the mapping the process by hierarchically organizing the work, drawing the fundamental and sub-process in a standard-form attitude, and consequently with the help of the organization to focus on the fundamental process. The most common way of PCF utility organizations mapping is the reference list of the process that should be taken into account in the mapping. Accordingly, there is no need to commence from the beginning or identify and evaluate the new potential processes. PCF presents a list of all the current elements of the process in most of the companies that organizations can use as constructive blocks in the mapping activities.

2. #Evaluating the current status:

PCF can be applied to access and manage the function conceiving the current organization (or "as is") processes. Applying the APQC and PCF framework Is like a lever that is useful for evaluating the current status because it will conduce to saving time and improving the relations. On the other hand, evaluating the existing status provides the process improvement concepts and function management; furthermore, it will impel the staff to reflect on the process concepts. In using the APQC the fundamental evaluating methods are as follows:

·????????Study and investigation: In this method, we specify the suitable PCF (industry-specific or cross-industry) to determine the assessing scope (using levels 2 and 3 PCF framework to investigate higher levels and using levels 3 and 4 for further details) and to classify the relevant elements to the responsibilities. Then we will collect the data by a survey. The organization should set a deadline for the survey. The collected data are investigated and scrutinized to aid the organization to focus on the achieved gap analysis and would-be status improvement. We can utilize the colours and signs to demonstrate the maturity divergence among the processes, improvement opportunities, and the way of the groups' comparison. The last step is prioritizing and planning. The process owners and process key beneficiaries use the client-oriented scenarios to connect all the sub-processes by holding the PCF team sessions. The step will specify which process groups are reliant on the customer value and which have got the minimum development. Consequently, prioritizing the process development will be commenced.

·????????Interviews: In this method, the standard questions are prepared primarily. The common questions in the interview are as follows:

1. What responsibilities do you take? Can you mention them step by step?

2. Which teams are at a higher or lower level in your activities?

3. What are the dependencies, input, and limitations?

4. Is there any documentation?

5. Will the carried out activities be repeated in your unit?

6. What improves the functions in your workflow?

7. What are the most fundamental weak points and inefficiencies in your workflow?

Then the questions will be dispersed and information will be collected by this respectively. In the final step, the organization will constantly discover the gaps to know where the focus is to achieve the goals. This obliges the organization to analyze the gaps by the collected data's contribution and to specify the priorities of the plans.

·????????Workshop: The first step includes identifying the participants of the workshop. Team and financial supports of the APQC applying will identify the beneficiaries to take part in the workshop (As an instance, the thematic experts, technical experts, change management experts, and the people who represent higher and lower activities). Then some workshops are contributed to identify the current status and create the up-coming workflow in the organization. The process management team collects the information, and the organization is disposed to evaluate the current status by mapping. Thus, the team commences the activity by holding the session with the main involved beneficiaries in the process. In essence, the last step like the other ones includes evaluating the current status, finding priorities of the organization for the process progress, and developing the opportunities.?

3. Making process definitions:

APQC presents the process definition and the key measures for each of the thirteen groups of cross-industry in PCF. As an example, the figure below shows a screenshot of the definitions and key measures for "Deliver physical products" 40' version (Physical products submission). This definition demonstrates the main component of the relevant function KIP and for the process groups of 3, 4, and definition for the processes 1, 3, 4.

4. Using the process framework as PCF taxonomy: has been constructed by the APQC and joined companies as a standard to facilitate the process by process management and Benchmarking irrespective of considering the industry, size, and place.

PCF organizes the functional and management processes in 13 categories at an organization level including process groups and more than 1000 relevant processes, and activities.???

The related criteria and the definitions are accessible at www.apqc.org/pcf site to use the APQC, PCF.???