Topic 2: Business Processes

Question 1

Best Practice

Answer 1

The best way of performing a particular process.

Question 2

Business Function

Answer 2

A specific subset of the organisation that is designed to perform a particular task that contributes to the organisation achieving its objectives.

Question 3

Business Process

Answer 3

Any set of interlocking activities that work together, across the organisation, to achieve some predetermined organisational goal, which is typically defined around satisfying customer needs.

Question 4

Business Process Redesign

Answer 4

The task of changing the operation of a business process in an organisation.

Question 5

Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)

Answer 5

The fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed.

Question 6

Functional Perspective

Answer 6

A view of organisational design that emphasises hierarchical reporting roles, narrowly specified worker roles and an emphasis on departments.

Question 7

Information Technology (IT)

Answer 7

Technology used to handle information and aid communication.

Question 8

Organisational Design/Structure/Hierarchy)

Answer 8

The organisation of a business enterprise through the structure of the relationships, interactions and reporting responsibilities among staff.

Question 9

Scientific Management

Answer 9

An approach to job design that sees workers repeatedly perform narrowly defined tasks.

Question 10

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Answer 10

An incremental approach to organisational change that works on the principle that a series of small progressive steps is the best way to improve operations.

Question 11

Vendor-managed Inventory

Answer 11

A system that involves the buyer transferring to the seller the responsibility for determining what, when and how much is purchased.