Get Jobs Done (GJD) with Camunda Microservices

Introduction

“Getting Jobs Done” (GJD) methodology aligns well with Business Process Management (BPM) and Process Improvement methodologies, as they share the goal of making processes more efficient and effective. Both GJD and BPM focus on breaking down complex processes into smaller, manageable tasks and setting clear goals and objectives.

If you’re trying to get your technology portfolio aligned with your business needs, then you need to consider the natural alignment of GJD and BPM. 

In this post, we’re going to explore how these two powerful methodologies can work together to streamline processes and boost efficiency. From the basics of GJD and BPM to real-world examples, we’ll dig deep. 

Understanding GJD

“Getting Jobs Done” (GJD) is a methodology that emphasizes the importance of focusing on completing specific tasks or “jobs” rather than being bogged down by broader, abstract goals or objectives. The idea is that by breaking down a larger goal into smaller, more manageable tasks, individuals and teams can make more consistent progress and achieve their goals more efficiently. GJD is often used in the context of project management, and can be applied to a wide range of industries and fields. Some key principles of GJD include setting clear, measurable goals; focusing on actionable tasks; and regularly reviewing progress and making adjustments as needed.

Understanding BPM

BPM is a management approach that involves analyzing, designing, automating, measuring, and optimizing business processes. It is used to improve the overall performance of a business by making processes more efficient, reducing costs and increasing customer satisfaction. BPM can be applied to a wide range of business processes such as manufacturing, finance, human resources and customer service.

BPM & GJD

In BPM, processes are captured, modeled, automated or not, and then optimized to increase efficiency, reduce costs and to improve the overall performance of the business. This can include identifying bottlenecks, automating repetitive tasks, and eliminating unnecessary steps. BPM methodologies such as Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma are often used to implement process improvements.

GJD can be used as a tool within the BPM framework, as it helps to focus on specific jobs or tasks that need to be completed in order to improve a process. By breaking down a process into smaller tasks, it becomes easier to identify areas for improvement and measure progress over time.

Both GJD and BPM work well together by providing a clear and defined methodology to identify, prioritize and complete the specific task or job that is needed to improve the process.

A Pragmatic Example of GJD and BPM Together

An example of using the “Getting Jobs Done” (GJD) methodology in a retail checkout setting might involve breaking down the process of checking out customers into specific tasks and setting clear goals for each task.

1. Define the Job – The job is to quickly and efficiently check out customers at the retail store.

2. Break down the Job into Tasks – The tasks involved in checking out customers might include:

• Greeting customers and scanning their items
• Handling payments (cash, credit/debit cards, etc.)
• Bagging items and providing a receipt
• Assisting with returns and exchanges
• Resolving any issues that may arise

3. Set Clear Goals for each Task – For each task, set clear and measurable goals such as:

• Greeting customers within 5 seconds of them arriving at the register
• Processing payments within 15 seconds
• Bagging items and providing a receipt within 20 seconds
• Resolving any issues that may arise within 2 minutes

4. Monitor Progress – Regularly monitor the progress of each task and measure against the goals that were set. Identify areas that need improvement and make adjustments as needed.

5. Review and Adjust – Regularly review the overall process and make adjustments as needed. Continuously look for ways to improve the process.

By breaking down the process of checking out customers into specific tasks, setting clear goals for each task and regularly monitoring progress, the retail store can improve the efficiency of the checkout process and increase customer satisfaction.

Now From a BPM Perspective

In the BPM world, the process might start out looking something like this:

Notice that we’re not talking about technology here: we’re focused on the business conversation. But we’re focused on it with a sense of discipline and progression. We are defining what the steps are, how they lead from to another,, who does them, and, eventually, we’ll start to define the ‘what ifs’ and different paths that might occur. 

That will naturally and organically lead to the discovery of the key metrics of each step, how we can improve and measure them, and where technology can help us. And this is key to providing a pragmatic solution using Service Orchestration. 

Key metrics: bending the technology to the business’s needs

Some of the key metrics that could be used to measure the performance of each of the steps in the process of checking out customers follow. If we can align these with empirical data from the process flow, then we’ve got our hands around something interesting: we can track each of these, align them with profitability and customer satisfaction, and use our creativity to maximize both the experience of the customer, as well as the profitability of the enterprise. 

1. Greeting customers and scanning their items:

• Customer wait time: This metric measures the amount of time a customer spends waiting to be greeted and have their items scanned.
• Scanning accuracy: This metric measures the accuracy of the gatekeeper in scanning items at the checkout counter.

2. Handling payments:

• Payment processing time: This metric measures the amount of time it takes for a cashier to process a customer’s payment.
• Payment error rate: This metric measures the number of errors made when processing payments.

3. Bagging items and providing a receipt:

• Bag packing time: This metric measures the time it takes for the bagger to pack the items and provide a receipt.
• Receipt error rate: This metric measures the number of errors made on the receipts provided to customers.

4. Assisting with returns and exchanges:

• Return/exchange processing time: This metric measures the amount of time it takes for an assistant to process a return or exchange.
• Return/exchange satisfaction rate: This metric measures the percentage of customers who are satisfied with the return or exchange process.

5. Resolving any issues that may arise:

• Issue resolution time: This metric measures the amount of time it takes for a customer service representative to resolve an issue.
• Customer satisfaction rate: This metric measures the percentage of customers who are satisfied with the issue resolution process.

These metrics can be tracked and analyzed to identify areas of improvement and optimize the process of checking out customers at the retail store. The diagram might evolve to look like this.

So, in conclusion, we discussed the natural alignment between the Getting Jobs Done (GJD) and Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) methodologies. We explain how these two powerful techniques can work together to streamline processes and improve efficiency in a business. 

GJD and Business Process Management share the goal of making processes more efficient and effective. This was an in-depth look at GJD and BPMN, including the basics of these methodologies and real-world examples of how they can be applied. Overall, the goal is to show how you can use GJD and BPMN together to achieve business goals.