What is a Process Construct?

There are only two ways to do work. One is repetitive, in other words, doing something that we have done before. The other is non-repetitive, which means doing things that we have never done before.

When we cycle work it is a process, and when we complete it, it is a project. Repetitive work maintains things, whilst non-repetitive work changes things. To organise the work that we must repeat, we create a process construct. To do so with work that we only do once, we create a project construct. Jointly, these constructs define the work of Org. In orgtology, Theory 2P of Work explains their inverse relationship.

Operations hold the repetitive work of Org. The word "operation" implies activity that create outputs. To operate, one does something that one has done before. In so, an operation is repetitive. E.g., In a factory there are conveyer belts that produce pre-defined outputs. Service firms repeat processes that produce services. These manifestations all come from a mathematical construct. This construct is a blueprint of how activity must cycle.

Basic assumption of a process construct

A process construct defines and depicts the operations of Org. It holds the implied intelligence, repetitive activity, and efficiency of Org. Therefore, it is the DNA that gives Org its blueprint for performance.

Implied intelligence cycles activity. This creates a process. The aim of a process is always to use the least effort for achieving a pre-defined result. This creates efficiency.

The difference between a construct and a structure

A construct and a structure are not the same thing. The one is an idea and the other a physical manifestation of an idea. In my experience, most people are more concerned with results than with architecture. Whether this is good or bad depends on your role. If one's task is to increase efficiency, then one must grasp the construct that drives it. You must also understand the structures that enable it. The table below shows the difference between a construct and a structure.

The role of an organogram

An organogram is an organisational chart that ranks the human roles within Org. It organises the humans who partake in creating the outputs and outcomes of Org. It is a hierarchy that gives authority and that distributes resources. This makes it hard to know whether an organogram is a structure or a construct. Physical beings that use physical space creates the organogram. Yet, its order is an agreed idea. An organogram is thus a system that has both construct and structure.

The use of AI to run organisational efficiency is increasing in prominence. The effect of this is that traditional organograms are rapidly losing their relevance. The current structures that we use evolved between the 18th and 19th centuries. These are mostly functional, divisional and matrix "structures". We created these in a time of human governance. During this time less than 40% within Org could happen without human intervention. These "structures" are all based on human authority. I.e., humans decide what the processes are. The primary aim of traditional structures is to distribute resources and information. The organogram thus became a system that links individuals to a collective.

Beyond 2010 things began to rapidly change. Today more than 65% of the average organisation can run without human intervention. The result is efficiency beyond imagination. Managers no longer needs to do process engineering by themselves. AI-based machine learning can do it so much better.

It would not make much sense for machine intelligence to structure Org in the way that humans do. It is more likely that AI would structure Org around the most efficient flow of activity. In future, the traditional organogram will look more like a neural network than a pyramid or grid.

The components of a process construct

A process will perform if efficiency drives its rules, inputs, and outputs. For purpose to survive, it must produce outputs at the lowest energy expense. Without energy, a process will die.

Unfortunately, performance minus relevance will equal rubbish. A process must be relevant. To do that, it must negotiate a relationship with its environment. When an Orgtologist engineers a process, it goes beyond the drawing of boxes and arrows. It is an in-depth probing of what an organisation must do to perform. At the same time, one must grasp the things that influence its relevance.

The primary parts of a process construct are its rules, inputs, and outputs. Yet, this construct will manifest within an environment. In fact, its survival depends on how relevant it is to its environment. In so, an environment will influence the performance of a process.

The rules and outputs of a construct are unique to its purpose. There is no generic way to define them. Inputs and environment are also unique, but we can create generic items for them. E.g., All process constructs hold time, activity, hierarchy, etc. All environments hold risk, opportunities, relationships, etc.

Examples of process components are:

• People;
• Money;
• Assets;
• Implied intelligence;
• Human intellect;
• Task activity;
• Priority relations;
• Time;
• Authority;
• Task functionality;
• Behaviour;
• Teams;
• Etc.

Examples of a process environment are:

• Risk exposure;
• Opportunities;
• Relationships;
• A physical location;
• Customers;
• Stakeholders;
• Suppliers;
• Competitors;
• Political, economic, sociological, technological, legal, and environmental (PESTLE) dynamics.

The nine presuppositions of a process construct

The "process construct" idea is unique to orgtology. Any unique idea begins with basic assumptions – also called presuppositions. These are the "truths" that give foundation to a new idea or theory.

Following are the basic assumptions we hold for a process construct…

1. Where there is purpose, there is a process. Purpose cannot exist without process.
2. One purpose can never hold more than one process. All that happens within Org is interdependent.
3. A process holds its own intelligence. We call this implied or systems intelligence.
4. Implied intelligence will always strive for efficiency. In so, inefficient flow of activity is an anomality to any system.
5. Activity that cycles creates a process. Activity that begins and ends creates a project.
6. We measure a process against its outputs.
7. We control outputs through targets and rules.
8. We define rules through policies and procedures.
9. A process construct drives the performance of Org.

Creating the process construct

To understand Org, we must study its parts. These are the activities that ensure performance, and which secures relevance. The detail involved makes it impossible to grasp Org within one process. So, we break it into smaller processes. This creates a network of activity (process construct).

A process construct begins in purpose and manifests through flow. Therefore, before we can create process flow, we must define purpose. Where purpose transforms into a process, it will ignite action. This will produce a result. An environment will decide the fate of such result. All this will consume energy. That is what an organisation is.

I explain how to engineer a process construct in other essays. Below is a summarised procedure.

1. Define purpose.
2. Cluster purpose into systems (core business, resources, relationships, transformation, risk, etc.).
3. Create rules and flow for each system.
4. Empower rules through policy and procedures.
5. Test efficiency.
6. Test interdependence.
7. Give tools to assess relevance.

Practical application

One can use a process construct in a myriad of ways. It defines risks, customers, targets, performance, etc. In holds all the intelligence that Org needs to…

• Mitigate risk;
• Plan contingency;
• Create strategy;
• Manage performance;
• Design structure;
• Set up a budget;
• Create relationships; and
• Many other things…

A process construct is made of activity, which facilitates outputs. When we manipulate the flow of activity, we change something about the output. It could be the quality, cost, speed, etc. The flow of activity generates data. With this data we can create reports and direct behaviour. Risk management, performance assessment, accounting, etc., are all report generating systems. Through a process construct we can control risk, opportunities, behaviour, and systems. E.g., in strategy, we ask: "how can we enhance the effect that our construct has?" In operations we ask: "how can we reduce the energy that our construct needs to produce the outputs we get?"

Conclusion

To perform, Org must be efficient. We grasp performance through a process construct. It is an understanding of what an organisation does to create outputs. This is the primary task of any manager or supervisor. Lack of such understanding often cost companies dearly.