On paper, processes appear stable
They read as if nothing ever changes.
In practice, they drift.
Documentation prefers clarity
Reality prefers adjustment
Flowcharts assume consistency.
People introduce variation.
Stability is often an editorial choice.
Most processes survive through improvisation
Small decisions accumulate.
The diagram remains untouched.
Efficiency is not always the goal
Continuity matters more
A slower process that persists
outlives a faster one that breaks.
This is rarely stated.
Handovers reveal the real structure
Transitions expose friction
Where responsibility changes hands,
delays appear.
Ownership gaps define performance more than tools.
Common assumption
Technology is often blamed for friction.
The transfer itself is usually the issue.
Observation without resolution
Some bottlenecks repeat.
No one names them.
Metrics simplify behavior
Measurement reshapes priorities
What gets measured gets protected.
What does not quietly erodes.
Numbers narrow attention even as they clarify.
Processes remember past decisions
Legacy steps rarely disappear
A step exists because it once solved a problem.
The problem may be gone.
The step remains.
Scale changes interpretation
Small teams notice nuance
Large organizations rely on approximation.
Precision becomes expensive.
Growth trades detail for momentum.
External frameworks influence design
Why standards feel reassuring
Established models reduce debate.
They also constrain adaptation.
For a general overview of how business processes are defined, see
this reference on business processes.
Some processes are kept for comfort
Familiarity lowers resistance
Change invites scrutiny.
Routine passes unnoticed.
Habit can outperform logic.