Refining and modelling processes are increasingly important in a business that is diversifying all the time. It is no longer operations that fit in with each other, but overall value systems.

Kai Laamanen, a consultant at Innotiimi Oy, which specializes in corporate consulting and developing businesses, sees with 15 years' experience a clear change in Finnish society: the need for consulting has grown and depth of expertise has increased.

"This is the consequence of transferring from producing goods to producing services and from routine services to specialist services. The good quality of a product or service is not enough; now it must have an impact. Emotional input is forcing companies to create new solutions all the time."

As companies specialize, the volume of work that is easily managed has fallen and most of that has become work for the specialist. In networked corporate clusters the value chain leading to the end product goes in many instances beyond the borders between organizations, which places new obligations on the quality systems. The construction of joint value networks is a real challenge.

"The new operating method requires good relationships and smooth communication. Whereas previously companies made operating plans that people worked to, these days we think about structures in which operations are performed in a changing environment. In sub-contracting we no longer look at the price but the ability to develop and adapt quickly to changes."

Laamanen helps companies to recognize the key processes, describe them, change operations to conform with the processes and guide companies onto the path of constant improvement. Arranging processes helps in understanding how everything operates as a whole and what role the various players have. The processes increase flexibility and self-controllability. The advantage of networked activities is the combining of the benefit obtained from specializing with a flexible working method.

Laamanen says that in global terms Finnish companies are at the forefront of the process way of thinking, something that is promoted by a Finnish trait: " We're not only used to working independently, but also extremely fascinated with information technology and information technology solutions."

>> In the information and specialist society every job is a single entity (9.10.2003)