Enterprise performance management
Encyclopedia
Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) is a management field of Business Performance Management
which considers the visibility of operations in a closed-loop model across all facets of the enterprise. There are several emerging domains in the EPM field which are being driven by corporate initiatives, academic research, and commercial approaches. These include:
Based on the mission and vision of an organization, different strategic needs may drive how EPM domains are leveraged and promoted within an organization. For example a professional services firm based in Canada may view the need to have effective and transparent supply chain operations much differently than a clothing manufacturer with operations throughout the world. What is common in the EPM approach is the closed-loop EPM process model advocated by Kaplan and Norton and their management approaches to strategy formulation including balanced scorecard
and strategy map
techniques.
Four disciplines exist to define and cover the six stages of the closed-loop EPM process model. The four disciplines are: strategy formulation, business planning and forecasting, financial management, and supply chain effectiveness. The six stages of the closed-loop EPM process model are: strategy development, strategy translation, organization alignment, operations planning, learning and monitoring, and finally testing and adaptation.
While execution is the key to any operational objective, the strategy formulation surrounding why execution should occur and the context by which execution should be performed is also important. In recent years, organizations embed formal approaches to risk management to address market opportunities that organizations pursue. In this way strategy is aligned, performance is predictable, and executives can make better business decisions.
Executives live in a financially driven environment, where operational processes are traditionally a means of organizing resources inside the company and its value chain and employees are the responsible actors to execute those processes. The strategy gap
that some industry watchdogs have noted is real and growing. Innovative technologies provide one approach to collapsing this gap and allowing corporate strategic outcomes to be fully realized and risk management programs to be fully described.
The first two steps of the closed-loop EPM process model involve developing the strategy and then to translate the strategy into particular actions that the organization can undertake. Strategy development as a subset of strategy formulation represents the articulation of the key components of strategy: mission, vision, strategic goals, and strategic objectives. There are several approaches to strategy development which may be considered. However this may occur the executive leadership of the organization approve the strategy and typically review this strategy every 3–5 years based upon a 10-20 year horizon. Some business and national cultures may consider a longer-range strategy horizon.
Strategy translation then takes the often obscure direction and statements defined in the first step and considers how to make these directions actionable. In the case of strategic goals, these are lofty targets given generally 3–5 years to achieve. Strategic objectives then identify specific progress against goals in a given time period. For example, "product ABC will achieve a market share of x% over the next two fiscal years." would be a strategic objective. Key performance indicators
assigned to these goals are determined which can monitor the organization progress towards achieving goals and objectives.
Business performance management
Business performance management is a set of management and analytic processes that enable the management of an organization's performance to achieve one or more pre-selected goals...
which considers the visibility of operations in a closed-loop model across all facets of the enterprise. There are several emerging domains in the EPM field which are being driven by corporate initiatives, academic research, and commercial approaches. These include:
- Strategy Formulation
- Business Planning and Forecasting
- Financial Management
- Supply Chain Effectiveness
Based on the mission and vision of an organization, different strategic needs may drive how EPM domains are leveraged and promoted within an organization. For example a professional services firm based in Canada may view the need to have effective and transparent supply chain operations much differently than a clothing manufacturer with operations throughout the world. What is common in the EPM approach is the closed-loop EPM process model advocated by Kaplan and Norton and their management approaches to strategy formulation including balanced scorecard
Balanced scorecard
The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic performance management tool - a semi-standard structured report, supported by proven design methods and automation tools, that can be used by managers to keep track of the execution of activities by the staff within their control and to monitor the...
and strategy map
Strategy map
A strategy map is a diagram that is used to document the primary strategic goals being pursued by an organization or management team. It is an element of the documentation associated with the Balanced Scorecard, and in particular is characteristic of the second generation of Balanced Scorecard...
techniques.
Four disciplines exist to define and cover the six stages of the closed-loop EPM process model. The four disciplines are: strategy formulation, business planning and forecasting, financial management, and supply chain effectiveness. The six stages of the closed-loop EPM process model are: strategy development, strategy translation, organization alignment, operations planning, learning and monitoring, and finally testing and adaptation.
Strategy Formulation
Strategy formulation refers to activities of an organization which determine the direction of its agenda. This is generally constructed of the mission, vision, and strategic goals and objectives of an organization. Once the direction is established, an organization monitors its progress against those activities and takes corrective actions to reach a particular target state.While execution is the key to any operational objective, the strategy formulation surrounding why execution should occur and the context by which execution should be performed is also important. In recent years, organizations embed formal approaches to risk management to address market opportunities that organizations pursue. In this way strategy is aligned, performance is predictable, and executives can make better business decisions.
Executives live in a financially driven environment, where operational processes are traditionally a means of organizing resources inside the company and its value chain and employees are the responsible actors to execute those processes. The strategy gap
Strategy gap
A strategy gap refers to the gap between the current performance of an organisation and its desired performance as expressed in its mission, objectives, goals and the strategy for achieving them....
that some industry watchdogs have noted is real and growing. Innovative technologies provide one approach to collapsing this gap and allowing corporate strategic outcomes to be fully realized and risk management programs to be fully described.
The first two steps of the closed-loop EPM process model involve developing the strategy and then to translate the strategy into particular actions that the organization can undertake. Strategy development as a subset of strategy formulation represents the articulation of the key components of strategy: mission, vision, strategic goals, and strategic objectives. There are several approaches to strategy development which may be considered. However this may occur the executive leadership of the organization approve the strategy and typically review this strategy every 3–5 years based upon a 10-20 year horizon. Some business and national cultures may consider a longer-range strategy horizon.
Strategy translation then takes the often obscure direction and statements defined in the first step and considers how to make these directions actionable. In the case of strategic goals, these are lofty targets given generally 3–5 years to achieve. Strategic objectives then identify specific progress against goals in a given time period. For example, "product ABC will achieve a market share of x% over the next two fiscal years." would be a strategic objective. Key performance indicators
Key performance indicators
A performance indicator or key performance indicator is an industry jargon for a type of performance measurement.. KPIs are commonly used by an organization to evaluate its success or the success of a particular activity in which it is engaged...
assigned to these goals are determined which can monitor the organization progress towards achieving goals and objectives.
Business Planning and Forecasting
Business Planning and Forecasting refers to the set of activities where business is planned against the strategy and what forecast activities or results of the organization may occur from operational execution during a particular time period. This discipline corresponds to the third and sixth steps of the closed-loop EPM process model.Further reading
- Newman, William D., Understanding SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise Performance Management. 2010 ISBN 978-1-59229-348-3
- Bardoliwalla, Nenshad, Buscemi, Stephanie, and Broady, Denise, Driven to Perform. 2011 ISBN 978-0-9789218-9-7
External links
- "Driven to Perform" (book website) http://www.driventoperform.net
- Enterprise Performance Management (SAP website) http://www.sap.com/epm
- "Understanding SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise Performance Management" (book website) http://www.sap-press.com/products/Understanding-SAP-BusinessObjects-Enterprise-Performance-Management-.html