prosessikeskinen

Prosessikeskinen is a concept used in management and information systems that places business processes at the center of organizational design, system development, and decision making. In Finnish usage, the term describes approaches that treat end-to-end processes as the primary units of analysis and improvement, rather than individual functions, departments, or tasks. The goal is to align activities with customer value and to enable cross-functional collaboration across the organization.

Core ideas of a process-centered approach include modeling, standardization, and continuous improvement of processes. Process modeling often employs methods and notations such as BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) or value stream mapping to document the flow of activities, data, roles, inputs, outputs, and controls. Decision making is guided by process performance data, and improvements follow iterative cycles such as PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) or Kaizen. Automation and digital tools are used to support end-to-end processes, including workflow engines and process mining to analyze actual performance.

Applications of prosessikeskinen appear in business process management programs, enterprise architecture initiatives, software development life cycles, service design, and supply chain optimization. Benefits typically include increased transparency, consistency, agility, and alignment with customer value, as well as easier governance and compliance.

Challenges include overcoming organizational silos, integrating legacy systems, ensuring data quality, and maintaining up-to-date process models. The concept remains common in BPM discussions, particularly in Nordic and European contexts, where process-centric thinking is viewed as a means to improve efficiency and adaptability across complex organizations.