Building on a Strong Foundation
ECC Group has long been recognised as one of the UAE’s leading contracting organisations, delivering complex projects with efficiency and scale. Like any large and dynamic organisation, however, growth brought with it increasing complexity. Departments operated with high levels of expertise, but without a central framework.
Recognising this, Mr. Omar Almourad, Group Systems and Process Manager, set out to establish a structured, transparent approach to how work is carried out across the Group. The result was the creation of the Group Process and System Department, laying the foundation for what is now one of ECC Group’s most impactful organisational transformations.
Why Structure Matters
As the organisation expanded, natural challenges began to surface, departments worked with deep technical knowledge, but the absence of a unifying structure often created unintended obstacles.
Some of the common issues identified included:
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- Communication gaps between departments and sometimes even within teams.
- Duplicate work, with multiple people unknowingly handling the same tasks.
- Unclear responsibilities, where employees were unsure of what exactly fell within their scope.
- Disrupted action sequences, where project executors interpreted workflows differently, leading to inefficiencies and delays.
- These challenges did not reflect a lack of capability, but rather the need for structure.
The vision behind Business Process Management (BPM) was to close these gaps and provide every employee with a clear roadmap for their work. BPM introduced discipline without rigidity, ensuring processes were both standardised and adaptable.
As Mr. Omar explains:
“If you don’t know the correct action sequence, you are wasting resources. BPM ensures everyone follows the same path, with full visibility on where each task starts, ends, and connects to others.”
ECC Group BPM Framework
During the initial days in 2019, it was very difficult to gather the required data and to map out what could be considered as a process. As the system was new, there were also complaints from different departments and individuals who were reluctant to spend time and effort sharing the required information.
Over the past five years, ECC Group has developed a comprehensive Business Process Management (BPM) framework. What began as a response to communication gaps and unclear responsibilities has now evolved into a system that ensures every process is visible, connected, and accountable. The framework rests on six pillars:
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- Process Discovery – Understanding the Ground Reality
The first step was to understand how work was actually happening across the board. The team designed detailed surveys and conducted interviews with every department. They asked fundamental questions:
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- What are your department’s key functions?
- What are the tasks you perform daily, weekly, and monthly?
- Who is responsible for each task?
- What is the timeline, and how many people are involved?
- What forms, approvals, or documents are used?
All this data was then compiled into a central database. This stage revealed how differently departments perceived their roles, and it provided a clear baseline from which improvements could be made.
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- Gap Analysis – Spotting Overlaps and Missing Links
With the information gathered, the team performed a gap analysis to identify pain points. This included:
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- Tasks being duplicated by multiple teams.
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- Important actions without clear ownership.
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- Steps that are missing in critical sequences, causing delays or errors.
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- Communication breakdowns where employees were unsure who to contact.
By mapping these issues, the team was able to visualise inefficiencies and determine exactly where processes needed restructuring.
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- Task Matrix – Bringing Clarity to Every Step
The Task Matrix became the backbone of the BPM framework. It is a unique idea introduced to facilitate the smooth working of the system. Each process was broken down into a sequence of tasks, with every detail carefully documented:
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- Task Description – What needs to be done.
- Input to Task – What must be ready before starting (forms, approvals, previous actions).
- Actions – Steps required to complete the task.
- Output from Task – What should result from the task.
- Responsibility – Who is accountable.
- Forms – Which documents are used or produced.
- Workflow Placement – The position of the task in the larger process.
The most transformative element here is the “Input to Task” field. In the past, employees often began tasks without the necessary prerequisites, leading to wasted effort and confusion. By formally documenting what must come before, the team eliminated guesswork and ensured every task flows logically from one step to the next.
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- Process ID System – A Universal Language
To create consistency across the Group’s multiple companies, the team introduced a Process ID system. Every process is coded as:
AB.CD.EFG.HI
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- AB – Company code (01 = ECC Contracting, 02 = Abanos, etc.)
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- CD – Department/function code
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- EFG – Process number
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- HI – Version number
This coding structure functions like a universal language. Employees across ECC companies can easily reference a process, know which department it belongs to, and track updates through versioning. It has also made reporting and auditing significantly more efficient.
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- Workflow Mapping – Connecting the Dots
Once tasks and IDs were defined, the next step was workflow mapping. This involved linking tasks across departments and illustrating the complete sequence of actions. Workflows include:
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- Start & End Points – They decide the beginning and end of the task.
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- Dependencies – Which tasks must be completed before others can begin.
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- Decision Gates – Key points where approvals or evaluations are required.
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- Outputs – The results expected at each stage.
By visualising processes in this way, ECC Group eliminated one of the major challenges from before: employees interpreting sequences differently. Today, the flow of work is uniform, clear, and transparent.
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- BPM Library – A Single Source
Finally, all processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are stored in the BPM Library. This central repository ensures that:
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- Employees can access the latest version of any process.
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- New joiners can quickly familiarise themselves with workflows.
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- Line managers can grant access easily, ensuring transparency.
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- Processes are continuously updated to reflect new requirements.
The BPM Library has become the group’s “single source” for how work is done, reducing dependency on oral instructions and ensuring consistency across projects and departments.
Together, these six pillars transformed ECC Group’s way of working: from fragmented responsibilities to connected workflows, from unclear sequences to precise task ownership. They not only brought structure to the organisation but also created a culture of accountability, efficiency, and continuous improvement.
Continuous Improvement: The Road Ahead
The introduction of Business Process Management at ECC Group has transformed challenges into opportunities, streamlining workflows, clarifying responsibilities, and building a foundation of accountability. Initially, employees were even reluctant to share data during the process discovery stage, but today, many of them proactively approach the team to ask if their tasks or processes can be automated. This shift reflects how BPM has not only changed systems but also mindsets. But BPM is not a one-time solution; it is a dynamic system that must evolve with every new project, requirement, and innovation.
The true strength lies in the commitment of the practitioners. Each of the employees plays a vital role in keeping processes relevant, raising improvements when there are gaps, and ensuring workflows are followed with consistency. As Mr. Omar Almourad reminds us: “Change always starts from you. We are here to facilitate it.”
BPM is not just about systems, it is about people. When every individual takes ownership, ECC Group moves forward as one unified organisation, stronger and more efficient than ever.
