Optimise business processes
Using new digital technologies
In many cases, this can be achieved through the introduction of new technologies for the digital enterprise (cloud, analytics/BI, mobile working, use of social media and new communication options, or in the connection of customer and supplier systems.
Adopting Best Practice Approaches
Oftentimes, it’s about the practical things that can be applied to your company. During the introduction of our software for warehouse management (link), for example, by restructuring the warehouse and adapting the warehouse identification or the barcodes on the labels, we were often able to reduce the steps required for a process (e.g. only one scanning process is necessary or the forklift does not have to be exited in order to scan). Similar examples can be cited in our other industry focuses, e.g. in compounding or in the trade and distribution of raw, semi-finished and finished products.
Documenting and Analysing Business Processes
The documentation of business processes – i.e. the description of how a company works, which functions and roles/responsibilities are available, which applications are used, which documents and data are generated at which point and which interfaces exist both internally and externally – plays an important role.
Business process documentation is required for
- Training new employees and the exchange of knowledge in the company
- Documentation of competencies and responsibility (compliance)
- Introducing new products and applications (especially when new software is introduced)
- Supporting the continuous improvement process
- Optimising existing processes
We support you in process documentation according to the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) using tools such as Microsoft SharePoint, Visio, ARIS, ADONIS or Bizagi. By documenting the processes, it is possible to make a cost/time-based assessment and to simulate how costs and lead times react in the event of a process change. The processes are recorded and visualised in interviews with those involved in the process. Our experience and tools from software development help us to record processes completely, including the associated data, documents and interfaces. Oftentimes the starting point for a more detailed analysis is an existing management system; they are increasingly being designed in a process-oriented manner (DIN ISO 9001 from Revision 2015).
Small Changes - Big Effects
However, not all company business processes have to be fully documented from the outset in order to achieve improvements. The companies and their employees often already know exactly where processes are cumbersome or take too long. Usually a neutral perspective that’s supplemented by the experiences of other customers/industries or the possibility of merging data from other systems helps bring about a solution.
As part of a non-binding consultation, we would be pleased to show you the possibilities that a business process documentation offers in optimising your processes.