The major characteristics are:
1. Several jobs are combine into one.
2. Employees make decisions ( empowerment of employees.) decision making becomes part of the job.
3. Steps in the business process are performed in a natural order and several jobs get done simultaneously.
4. Processes may have multiple versions. This enables the economies of scale that result from mass production yet allows customization of products and services.
5. Work is performed where it makes the most sense including at the customer suppliers sites thus work is shifted if necessary across organizational and even international boundaries.
6. Control and checks and other non value added work are minimized.
7. Reconciliation is minimized by cutting back the number of external contact Points and by rating business alliance.
8. A hybrid centralized/ decentralized operation is used.
9. A single point of contact is provided to customer called a case manager or a deal structure.