Wining the BPM Implementation War: How Lessons Learned in Iraq Can Help You in the Trenches of...

Welcome

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

Jon TiggesGrant Thornton

Winning the BPM Implementation War: How Lessons Learned in Iraq can Help

You in the Trenches of American Business

2 April 21-23, 2008

Renaissance Washington, DC© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

What We're Going to Talk About…

• Similarities between BPM implementations and counterinsurgencies

• What are MOOTW principles• How these can help you with BPM

3 April 21-23, 2008


My Background

• Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel– Developed and deployed five software systems over 15 years

• Spent the last year working with the Iraqi government building their financial and procurement systems

• Saw a radical turn in the country in a matter of months once counterinsurgency principles were applied– Believe we can apply this to Business Process Management

implementations

4 April 21-23, 2008


BPM Implementations are a Lot Like Fighting an Insurgency

• Goal: Enterprise-wide victory won a heart at a time– Cultural dimension– Political dimension – Security dimension

5 April 21-23, 2008


Issue Iraq US

Problem Enterprise-wide disconnect between functions

Enterprise-wide disconnect between functions

Solution Process modeling, measurement, & mgmt

Process modeling, measurement, & mgmt

Culture Language and sectarian differences

Language and functional differences

Political Different sects… different agendas

Different functions… different agendas

Security Actual kidnappings by detractors

Virtual kidnappings by detractors

Similarities Between Iraq and US BPM Implementations

6 April 21-23, 2008


Counterinsurgency is not Warfare

• Comes under the category of Military Operations by Other Than Warfare (MOOTW)

• Primary actors are Special Forces

7 April 21-23, 2008


Iraq Revived the need for a Counter-Insurgency Doctrine

•Cold War concept applied in a New World Order

"The military forces that successfully defeat insurgencies are usually those able to overcome their institutional inclination to wage conventional war against insurgents."

–Army Field Manual No. 3-24, "Counterinsurgency"

8 April 21-23, 2008


Why Do We Approach BPM as Naively as We did Iraq?

• Common Assumptions:– We will depose the current software regime – The liberated users will cheer and welcome us– We will go on to liberate our next customer

9 April 21-23, 2008


Reality in Iraq and BPM

• The people didn't all surrender• Not all the people cheered nor embraced us• Not every person embraced the new way of life• Soon you're facing an insurgency that you may

not be able to defeat

10 April 21-23, 2008


The Solution in Iraq

• Called the "Surge"– The reality is that it was classic resurrection of

counterinsurgency techniques– Not just about adding more people

• It was what they did and how they did it

• Used MOOTW principles– Direct action against bad actors– Stability operations for good actors

What are MOOTW Principles and how do they apply to BPM Implementation?

11 April 21-23, 2008


MOOTW Principles

• Objective• Unity of Effort • Security• Restraint• Perseverance• Legitimacy

12 April 21-23, 2008


Objective

• The aim of MOOTW is to direct every operation toward a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective.

13 April 21-23, 2008


Unity of Effort

• Seek unity, mutual trust, and cohesion in every operation

14 April 21-23, 2008


Security

• Never permit hostile factions to acquire a military, political, or informational advantage.

15 April 21-23, 2008


Restraint

• Judicious use of force is necessary, carefully balancing the need for security, the conduct of operations, and the political objective.

16 April 21-23, 2008


Perseverance

• It may require years to achieve the desired results.

17 April 21-23, 2008


Legitimacy

• Committed forces sustain the legitimacy of the operation and the host government based on the perception by a specific audience of the legality, morality, or rightness of a set of actions.

18 April 21-23, 2008


Objective

• The aim of MOOTW is to direct every operation toward a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objective.

• BPM Application– Have you clearly defined hat constitutes mission

success?– Have you identified my cause the

implementation to be cancelled before success is achieved?

19 April 21-23, 2008


Unity of Effort

• Seek unity, mutual trust, and cohesion in every operation

• BPM Application– Does your team mutually trust one another?– Has your implementation team worked together

before and have a track record of success?– Is your team clearly united in purpose?– Does your team include all the key specialties?– Are your people taking individual initiative that

supports team outcomes?

20 April 21-23, 2008


Security

• Never permit hostile factions to acquire a military, political, or informational advantage

• BPM Application– Have you identified friendly and hostile forces?– Have you ensured that hostile forces have been

neutralized?– Have you joined hands with the freedom

fighters and trained them to take and defend their own land?

21 April 21-23, 2008


Restraint

• Judicious use of force is necessary, carefully balancing the need for security, the conduct of operations, and the political objective.

• BPM Application– Have you carefully used your sponsor's authority

to achieve key objectives or wasted valuable good will on minor points?

– Have you identified and communicated the political land mines of the organization your working in?

22 April 21-23, 2008


Perseverance

• It may require years to achieve the desired results

• BPM Application– Is your sponsor committed to a long-term fight?– Has he/she communicated their commitment

clearly and consistently to the user base?– Is your team organized, trained, equipped and

mentally prepared to sustain a protracted fight?

23 April 21-23, 2008


Legitimacy

• Committed forces sustain the legitimacy of the operation and the host government based on the perception by a specific audience of the legality, morality, or rightness of a set of actions.

• BPM Application– Is your effort achieving a noble cause?– Are your team members demonstrating honor and

integrity in the way they conduct business?– Is your team winning hearts and minds or carelessly

"carpet bombing" the neighborhood?

24 April 21-23, 2008


Summary

• BPM implementations reflect counterinsurgency operations

• Require a "special ops" mentality to succeed

• Apply MOOTW principles to help you win here in the trenches of US business

25 April 21-23, 2008


Discussion

26 April 21-23, 2008


Thank You!

Jon TiggesSenior ManagerGrant Thornton

Contact Information:703.618.3633

[email protected]

Wining the BPM Implementation War: How Lessons Learned in Iraq Can Help You in the Trenches of...

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