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I'm using the words “business agenda” to describe the set of tasks, documents, processes, features and other artifacts that are related to a single “function” executed by a business. In my language (Czech) the word “agenda” would fit well. However, I feel like misusing “agenda” in English in this context. Further, the particular area I'm addressing is related to document management and collaboration software systems. The typical property of my “agendas” is that they are naturally repeatable (multi-instance in IT terms).

To give some examples of what I mean by “agenda” in various business contexts:

  • in banking it may be corporate loans — the bank executes a business process to arrange business loans, which involves a ton of administrative work;
  • in construction it may be the mere act of building houses — for each house the construction company needs to assemble blueprints, permits, contracts, sign-offs etc.;
  • in project management the projects itself — the deliverables, documentation and tasks that are part of the project.

In some contexts, a locally-relevant term may be used:

  • in project management the natural choice would be a “project”;
  • in legal it would be a case.

What would be the appropriate umbrella term (or terms) covering such various “agendas” without the need for specifying a particular context (area of business), and allowing to get rid of the word “agenda”? I will also appreciate specialized terms for other verticals or types of business problems.

UPDATE: I'm considering “workload” as a feasible umbrella term as well.

3 Answers 3

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Business operations

Business operations are those tasks and activities that an organization undertakes to produce the services or goods that it provides to its customers.

Specific business tasks can vary depending on the type of organization.


Also, assets are the things that a business owns, from which it gains value through business operations.

Assets can be either physical or intangible.

An example of value derived from a physical asset, like a building, is rent.

An example of value derived from an intangible asset, like an idea, is a royalty.

The effort involved in "harvesting" this value is what constitutes business operations cycles.

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  • Sounds very reasonable, +1. I will try to apply this on my case. May 4, 2014 at 7:49
  • What do you think of “workload”? Jul 30, 2014 at 12:47
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I think business model might work. The banking industry has a business model that involves making loans that are supported by x,y,z administrative tasks. The construction industry has a business model that incorporates input from architects, engineers, permitting agencies,etc. The model for project management would include a planning stage, documentation, deliverables, etc.

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  • Thanks. I'm not sure whether business model isn't too abstract, and generally understood as “how do we make money”. I'm still trying to keep it related to document management and collaboration. May 3, 2014 at 22:06
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It depends on what your audience is, but if you are trying to present your organization's reason for existence or purpose to the general public or potential client base, the terms I have worked with in the past to describe such a description have been charter or mission statement though that latter does bear loftier undertones.

Furthermore, both of these imply that the description that follows be as succinct as possible, the former more than the latter.

While the dictionary entry for charter is not particularly helpful as it lacks specifics for business vernacular, Business Dictionary has a good explanation and Investopedia will guide you on how to draft one. As for mission statement, there are many sites to guide you on how to write yours, but they all look vaguely like the one you'll find on Bplans. As you can see, a charter and a mission statement serve separate roles, but depending on your intent, I suspect one of these terms will suit your purpose.

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  • Your answer will be best accepted with citations for the information supplied.. Thanks
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    Jan 21, 2018 at 1:36

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