A commonly used definition of a process is a sequence of activities that adds value by producing required outputs from a variety of inputs. But what does this actually mean? Processes are no more and no less than 'the way we do things' - the recruitment process is the way we do recruitment, the invoicing process is the way we raise invovices, and so on. All organisations have always had ways of doing things. In other words, they have always had processes. However, the rate of change in today's world and the increasing demands of stake-holders means that it is essential that organisations look more closely at how they do things and at finding better ways to do them. This is known as process management and process improvement. Every day there are hundreds of processes operating in organisations. Some of the processes are producing goods and services for external customers while others are serving the needs of the organisation itself. Each process should only exist to meet a need of either an internal or external customer or stakeholder. The process is the sequence of actions taken to meet the need. The process in turn requires inputs for example, material or information from an internal or external supplier.
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