All Things Process & Performance Management October 2016 | Page 6

APQC’S PROCESS CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK®
APQC’s Process Classification Framework (PCF)®, at its simplest level, is a list of processes that organizations use to
define work processes comprehensively and without redundancies.
Beyond being just a list, the PCF serves as a tool to support benchmarking, manage content, and perform other
important performance management activities. Organizations use the PCF to:


assign ownership and connect people across the
organization,



organize improvement efforts,



define the processes that need to be improved,



benchmark internally and with other
organizations,



align IT roll-outs and updates for similar processes
across the organization, discuss organizational
performance using the same terminology across
business units and departments, and



organize enterprise content and knowledge.

Download the PCF and learn more at www.apqc.org/pcf.

PROCESS DEFINITIONS
No matter how you intend to use a framework, the real value comes from the clarity that it contributes. Definitions
ensure that when two different people, from different backgrounds, look at the framework, each one clearly understands the process.
What’s currently defined:


80% of the process elements in version 7



Nearly 100% of the process elements in version 6

We’ll continue defining elements until we hit 100% everywhere!

Process and Performance Management

5
©2016 APQC All Rights Reserved