{"id":74277,"date":"2026-08-14T13:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T16:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/actiosoftware.com\/?p=74277"},"modified":"2026-09-20T13:55:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T16:55:20","slug":"process-digitization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actiosoftware.com\/en\/blog\/digitalizacao-de-processos\/","title":{"rendered":"Process Digitization: The Best Practices Guide for Senior Managers\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Only 30% of digital transformation initiatives deliver the planned value, according to a survey by BCG<\/strong>, which analyzed more than 800 responses from global executives and 70 in-depth transformations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, the chosen software is not the problem. The real obstacle lies before the technology: the maturity of process management that supports process digitization.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide brings together the practices, technical criteria, and most recurrent errors to conduct this movement safely, and to choose the right software for the stage your company is in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is process digitalization and what is its relationship with process management<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Process digitization is the conversion of manual workflows, based on paper, email, or spreadsheets, into structured, traceable workflows executed with software support.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It differs from pure automation because it includes process governance, encompassing owners, metrics, exceptions, and escalation rules, which is the core of modern process management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automating is not the same as digitizing<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many companies treat the digitization of administrative processes, such as purchasing, accounts payable, and contract management<\/strong><\/a>, as an isolated IT project. The result is usually a bad process, just faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In more complex operations, the digitalization of corporate processes demands even greater discipline: multiple areas, legacy systems, and compliance rules that need to communicate with one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate goal is not to digitize for the sake of digitization. It is to pursue digitization and process optimization as a continuous front, measured by cycle time, rework, and cost per transaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the point where the workflow automation<\/a> it becomes a consequence of well-designed process management and not its substitute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why most process digitization initiatives fail to deliver a return<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The answer lies in research that remains relevant more than three decades later: Michael Hammer, in Harvard Business Review<\/a>, already warned that companies use technology to speed up bad processes instead of fixing them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pattern repeats today with RPA, AI, and low-code platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automate a broken process<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most cited case in management literature is that of Ford, which sought to reduce its accounts payable department from 500 to 400 employees by automating existing steps.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When comparing with Mazda, which operated the same process with only five people, the company realized that the problem wasn't speed, it was the process design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digitizing without redesigning merely crystallizes inefficiency in software. Therefore, the discipline of Continuous Improvement Process<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>must precede any automation investment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Processes disconnected from strategy<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Robert Kaplan and David Norton, creators of the Balanced Scorecard, describe this problem in their work The Execution Premium: organizations treat process management as an isolated operational discipline, without connecting it to the objectives of the strategic map. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The practical effect is that the company digitizes the wrong process instead of the process that most affects the bottom line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pillars of mature process management before digitalization<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before digitizing, three pillars support consistent process management: mapping and standardization of workflows, stage-by-stage performance indicators, and clear governance regarding who decides what.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without these three elements, digitization amplifies variability instead of reducing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mapping, standardization, and statistical control<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tools like Statistical Process Control<\/strong><\/a> they help differentiate normal variation from actual deviation, preventing the company from chasing statistical noise as if it were a systemic failure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the Pareto chart<\/strong><\/a> Focuses standardization efforts on the few processes that account for most of the impact; typically, 20% of the workflows account for 80% of the rework. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metrics and governance connected to strategy<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A Corporate governance system<\/strong><\/a> well-designed defines, for each critical process, an owner, a performance indicator, and a quarterly review ritual, at a minimum.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is precisely the role of the strategy support processes described by Kaplan and Norton: they close the loop between the strategy map and the strategy execution<\/strong><\/a> in everyday life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Process management maturity levels<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Level<\/strong> <\/td>What characterizes<\/strong> <\/td>Typical indicator<\/strong> <\/td><\/tr>
Ad hoc <\/td>Processes exist only in people's experience <\/td>High variability, no reliable data <\/td><\/tr>
Documented <\/td>Mapped and standardized workflows, but still manual <\/td>Cycle time measured on a spot-check basis <\/td><\/tr>
Scanned <\/td>Software-executed or software-supported workflows with traceability <\/td>SLA per stage, rework rate <\/td><\/tr>
Data-driven <\/td>Process indicators connected to strategic goals, with continuous improvement <\/td>Correlation between process and business result <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If your company is still at level 1 or 2, it is worth understanding first how connect strategy, people, and operations in a single system<\/strong><\/a>, before purchasing any automation tool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best practices for securely driving process digitalization<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are some best practices that can be applied when digitizing processes securely, which are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prioritize by impact, not by urgency<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to research by MIT Sloan Management Review<\/strong><\/a>, bottlenecks usually form in processes that cross multiple areas, and treating them in isolation usually just shifts the problem to the next point in the chain.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prioritize considering: <\/p>\n\n\n\n