Riccardo Dell’Anna
FROM FUNCTIONS TO PROCESS RESPONSIBILITIES THE CHANGE LINKED TO THE COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTION The change examined in this case refers to a Business Unit operating on the automotive field and is part of the SKF Group. The unit has a world wide responsibilities of product development, production and sales of products destined to a specific automotive application. In particular the production is made in seven factories, in Italy, France, Spain, USA, Korea and Brazil. The analysis of the customer requirement and the geographical distribution of the Business Unit facilities led to the decision that there was a need to work on the internal processes to improve the performance. In this case the processes involved are all but manufacturing. When analysing the possible solution of a problem, we are always faced with two possible solutions: - improvement - restructuring In the specific case we have chosen the second option. The stakeholders perceive the results of all the processes combined but not the internal results of the individual company function. From this the importance of driving the company through the processes and their stakeholder perceived efficiency and performance became apparent. So the organization of the Business Unit and the relevant responsibilities have been aligned to the processes and not to the traditional functions. Particular attention has been put on the search of the continuity of the flow of the process. The integrity of the process is more regular if it is not interrupted by actions done by many different functions (encl.1-2) Giving the process manager the full responsibility of the entire process, he is faced with the need to manage actions requiring a multifunctional skill, before covered by the consultancy with the traditional organization functions. In the business at a global level the manager challenges himself on the need of improving the results in the company. Due to the worldwide distribution of resources, the manager is loosing the physical perception of the traditional organization. The possibility of increasing the understanding and the control of the business is left to the development of stronger processes able to glue the company. One of the consequences of this change to a process orientation is that the manager needs for himself and for his resources multiskilled competences that were before assured by the traditional organization functions. (developing a single skill resources) So the employees competences are a value of the company and the processes are the glueing factor. Business on a global level, combined with the above situation, requires as a consequence that the processes are re-engineered and the key competences of individuals as well as the global level of competences are clearly defined. Indeed the company is becoming a complex of competences with labor and resources distribuited on a global level. The improvement potential is proportional to the quantity of key competences. One of the fundamental roles of the process manager/responsible is to identify and develop the competences of all the participants to the relevant process.