Process Stakeholders: Who Are They and How to Identify Them

As a business owner, you know that planning and managing processes are important steps to ensure optimum efficiency. But have you taken the time to identify the stakeholders who will be involved or affected by its implementation?

Knowing who these process stakeholders are, as well as how their actions affect those processes is essential for ensuring everyone is looped in so that there are no nasty surprises down the line & new processes are successful and sustainable long term.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss what exactly defines a process stakeholder and provide some helpful tips on how to easily recognise them in order to unlock the full potential of your organisation.

What is a stakeholder?

Process stakeholders are the individuals, groups or other organisations who are either carrying out the process, have an impact on how well the process performs or are affected by the outcome of the process either negatively or positively.

They can vary from the project manager to employees, customers, investors, shareholders, competitors, suppliers and beyond– each playing their own unique role with varying levels of influence on key outcomes.

How to identify stakeholders

Identifying where a stakeholder fits within your process is essential. Take some time to brainstorm every potential stakeholder that could influence your project. Then, map out each one’s involvement throughout the process and make a detailed list of all those who may have an impact on its success.

Stakeholders may be categorised based on how directly involved or affected they are by the process:

• Primary stakeholders are the individuals or groups that either directly benefit or are negatively impacted by the process. You want to keep these in the forefront of your mind when carrying out any new activities, as their feedback is essential for successful outcomes.
• Secondary stakeholders are those that are indirectly affected by the implementation of the process. They are support functions such as admin, finance and legal. Secondary stakeholders may also involve those whose professions, jobs, or businesses may be affected as a result of the project.
• Key stakeholders– they are the individuals or groups who are important figures in the organisation or institution involved in the project or have a significant influence on the planning, execution, or outcome of the process. They have the power to prevent the project from succeeding.

How identifying your process stakeholders will benefit your business

The strength of a stakeholder’s involvement in any business process is determined by the degree to which they stand to gain or lose. Economic gains, better work conditions and personal time savings might be key drivers for their interest; however physical health, mental well-being and security also play important roles.

When you include the perspectives of multiple stakeholders in your business process, it can be incredibly beneficial. Bringing aboard new ideas and concerns from different groups will help ensure all relevant parties are heard, as well as lead to better problem-solving for potential objections or resistance that could arise when implementing a project. Plus, getting everybody on board guarantees effective buy-in and support! Though identifying and engaging with each stakeholder may take some time upfront, its value is the key to successful planning AND execution down the line.

If you need help setting up your business processes our team of experts are ready and waiting to assist you. Get in touch today to get started!