A process manager designs, implements, evaluates and improves systems and operating procedures in a business. To become a process manager typically requires relevant education and work experience. Many process managers also receive certification from a professional organization, an example of which is the Association of Business Process Management Professionals in the United States.
Many colleges and universities offer a degree in process management, and those individuals wishing to enter the field and become a process manager should consider a degree in that field. A typical degree plan begins with an introduction to process management to establish a foundation of understanding. On that foundation, core courses include process modeling and analysis, process design and process implementation. Upper level courses typical of a student wishing to become a process manager include studies in the technology associated with process design, evaluating and improving processes, and integrating a sustainable culture of process management and improvement within an organization. It is also possible to become a process management with a degree in other business fields, such as business or finance, when that education is combined with experience in the process management field.
A typical method of entering the work force as a process manager is through internships offered by a college or university, a business, or a professional association. Internships often are paid and offer on-the-job training. Once accepted into an internship program at a company, many, though not all, interns are asked to stay on as full-time employees when the internship and the intern’s education are complete.
To become a process manager requires the above-outlined basic education and entry-level work experience. A career in process management typically requires more, however. Many firm expect process managers to be working on a graduate degree. The graduate degree serves a dual purpose of broadening the process manager’s understanding of business at the strategic level and deepening knowledge of process management as it relates to business strategy.
A certification as a process manager is generally not required but is suggested by many as an important credential to have to advance in the field. Typically, to apply to become a process manager with a certification requires a set number of years of work experience. Some certifying bodies will lower the required numbers of years worked by a set amount for an applicant with a master’s degree in a related field. The certification itself usually requires the applicant to pass an exam, adhere to a code of ethics and complete a designated number of continuing education hours on an ongoing basis.
