A new process improvement approach for management consultancy organisations

Abstract

Management consultancy organisations of the 21st century realise that they need to move away from balance sheet accounting systems as the primary tool of management. Intangible assets, such as knowledge, skills and process assets, may be worth more than their physical assets, and require effective management to gain a competitive advantage. Many models for process-improvement and knowledge management that currently exist could be used in leveraging organisational intangible assets. Though the intricate interaction between the domains of process improvement management and knowledge management is clear in current models, a fully integrated model does not exist. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the integration possibilities of process improvement and knowledge management in an attempt to improve the practices of both during the same exercise, using an integrated model.AFRIKAANS: Bestuurskonsultasie-organisasies van die 21ste eeu besef dat hul moet wegbeweeg van balansstaat gebaseerde rekenkundige stelsels as die primêre gereedskapstuk vir bestuur. Ontasbare bates, soos kennis, vaardighede en prosesbates, mag meer waardevol wees as fisiese bates, en moet effektief bestuur word om ‘n mededingende voordeel te behou. Talle modelle vir prosesverbeteringsbestuur en kennisbestuur bestaan tans en word ingespan om optimale benutting van die ontasbare bates te verseker. Alhoewel die ingewikkelde interaksie tussen die velde van prosesverbeteringsbestuur en kennisbestuur duidelik is in die bestaande modelle, bestaan daar nie ‘n geïntegreerde model nie. Hierdie artikel demonstreer die integrasie moontlikhede van prosesverbeteringsbestuur en kennisbestuur deur gebruik te maak van ‘n geïntegreerde model, sodat praktyke van beide velde gedurende dieselfde oefening verbeter word.