In business process management training, qualified executives look to the future and prepare. One important way to do this is to develop and train managers so that they are able to cope with new demands, new problems and new challenges. Indeed, executives have a responsibility to provide training and development opportunities for their employees so that the employees can reach their full potential. The cost of training represents a major investment, so executives are justifiably concerned about the effectiveness of the training.

Companies spend billions of dollars every year to educate their work force, and most of this money is spent on in-house training and development. It is important that management education is effective and efficient. Therefore, there is need for a systematic approach to manager and organization development. The term manager development refers to the progress a person makes in learning how to manage. Managerial training, on the other hand, pertains to the programs that facilitate the learning process. However, it is quite common to refer to management or manager development when talking about programs or approaches.

Before specific training and development programs are chosen, three needs must be considered. The needs of the organization include the objectives of the enterprise, the availability of managers and the turnover rates. Needs related to the operations and the job can be determined from job descriptions and performance standards.

Data about individual training needs can be gathered from performance appraisals, interviews with the jobholder, tests, surveys and career plans. Manager development and training must be based on a needs analysis derived from a comparison of actual performance and behavior with required performance and behavior. Analysis of the deviation from the standard might indicate that the manager lacks the knowledge and skills for forecasting and that conflicts among subordinate managers hinder effective teamwork. On the basis of this analysis, training needs and methods for overcoming the deficiencies are identified.