The APQC Process Classification Framework® (PCF Framework)

The PCF Framework was developed by APQC, a global resource for benchmarking and best practices, and its member companies as an open standard to facilitate improvement through process management and benchmarking, regardless of industry, size, or geography. The PCF organizes operating and management processes into 12 enterprise level categories, including process groups and over 1,000 processes and associated activities. To download the full PCF or industry-specific versions of the PCF as well as associated measures and benchmarking, visit www.apqc.org/pcf.

Implementing a best practices framework across your organization requires taking a top-down approach – something which isn’t always easy to do when every department has its own process maps stored in various programs (like Visio, Word or Excel). An attempt at understanding the big picture can feel like trying to fit a gigantic jigsaw puzzle together.

Institutionalizing a best practices framework is made easier when your daily processes are managed through a single database. The right business process management (BPM) software is the key to successfully implementing APQC’s PCF.

Interfacing Technologies’ Enterprise Process Center™ (EPC) software is a Business Process Management (BPM) solution that has the APQC framework’s set of process best practices built in! Applying APQC through EPC allows you to put the pieces of your organization’s departmental processes together and gain a better understanding of your big picture. That way you can make improvements that do not conflict with any particular department or business function.

Furthermore, the ability to manage your organization’s activities at a comprehensive level moves you towards a more efficient, procedural way of thinking. And not only is the APQC framework built into EPC software package, but it adapts and customizes itself to your particular business needs and circumstances.

With the EPC platform’s systematic approach to the management of all your organization’s processes, you can:

• Ensure that best practices are consistently executed and better manage your risk profile,
• Improve your organization’s overall operational efficiency.

The EPC platform is straightforward and easy to use. Even the most complex processes can be streamlined and understood at a glance, saving you valuable time and giving you the ability to stay on top of process performance.