Abstract

In its simplest form a process is nothing more than a series of steps executed to produce goods or services. The assembly of an automobile is executed through a series of interdependent steps. Those interdependent steps are supported by a host of sub-processes, also a series of interdependent steps. Some steps are short in duration, maybe just fractions of a second, while others take hours or even days. Many steps are complex while others are simple. Some steps in the process are performed by a human, others by a robot, and others by a computer executing a program designed by a human. Some steps are executed concurrently while others must take place before another can be executed. And do not forget that the bits of information necessary to trigger and execute a step are all part of the process. All the steps taken to produce a product or provide a service define the process. Sometimes all the steps that make up a process take place in a small room, while other processes include steps executed across thousands of acres of plant or miles of terrain. However, one thing is for certain, no process will last forever.