business process
What It Means
A business process is a series of connected steps that your organization follows to accomplish a specific goal, like onboarding a new employee or processing a customer order. It's the documented workflow that shows who does what, when, and how information flows between different people and systems. Think of it as your company's recipe for getting work done consistently.
Why Chief AI Officers Care
CAIOs need to understand business processes because AI initiatives must integrate smoothly into existing workflows to deliver value. When you implement AI solutions without mapping the underlying business processes, you risk creating disconnected tools that employees won't use or that disrupt critical operations. Additionally, regulatory compliance often requires demonstrating that AI systems follow proper business process controls.
Real-World Example
A customer service business process might include: customer submits support ticket — system assigns ticket ID — agent reviews issue — agent escalates to specialist if needed — solution is provided — customer confirms resolution — ticket is closed. An AI chatbot could be integrated at the initial review step to handle simple issues automatically before routing complex ones to human agents.
Common Confusion
People often confuse business processes with individual tasks or organizational procedures. A business process is the end-to-end workflow that spans multiple people and systems, not just a single person's job duties or a compliance checklist.
Industry-Specific Applications
See how this term applies to healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, tech, and insurance.
Healthcare: In healthcare, business processes must comply with HIPAA privacy requirements, Joint Commission standards, and CMS regul...
Finance: In finance, business processes are critical for ensuring accurate financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and risk m...
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Includes:
- 6 industry-specific applications
- Relevant regulations by sector
- Real compliance scenarios
- Implementation guidance
Technical Definitions
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
"A defined set of business activities that represent the steps or tasks required to achieve a business objective, including the flow and use of information, participants, and human or digital resources."Source: IEEE_Guide_IPA
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