Business process analysis

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Business process analysis is the process analysis of business processes . Processes are documented / modeled, analyzed and optimized. As part of controlling and strategic management , processes within a company are efficiently designed with the help of key figure systems in order to increase the competitiveness of a company and improve its business results. The aim here is to minimize throughput times, guarantee quality standards and reduce costs. In order to improve work processes, the contribution of human resources work to the company's success must also be taken into account. Possible weak points, such as inefficient communication between the employees involved in a workflow, should be identified, personalized and improved as part of the business process analysis.

variants

A process analysis compares the actual and the target state of a process. There are two variants: top-down and bottom-up approach . With the top-down approach, various business processes are broken down into sub-processes and process steps, starting from the top company level. The bottom-up approach, on the other hand, is characterized by a combination of different work steps into sub-processes and ultimately into business processes.

The process analysis can be supported by evaluating organizational and working documents and, if necessary, employee interviews, as well as by benchmarking , weak point analysis , checklist technology , reference analysis , process mining , process chain analysis , brown paper method .

Process modeling

In order to better understand a business process, it is necessary to map it using suitable models and thus to provide a suitable representation of reality. It is advantageous to visualize the process to be observed . This should help to make the overall objective of the process clear and to document the way to achieve it. In the process description, the factual and temporal process sequence, process identification, duration and costs must be included. If the business process analysis is to serve as a personnel management control instrument, it makes sense to examine the duration, frequency and responsible person of the respective sub-process. This makes possible "efficiency gaps" visible and can be assigned to an individual employee.

To represent the current state, all activities that are part of the process must be documented and named. In this way, individual structural elements are assigned to the task force and areas of responsibility are defined. The mapping of the actual process with the help of predefined symbols is used to facilitate understanding, on the basis of which optimization options can be developed. Suitable software is usually used for this. In order to identify the need for change, it is advisable to use the same predefined symbols for creating the target concept. Value-adding sub-processes or work steps are to be optimized through measures such as “omitting”, “merging”, “parallelizing” or “outsourcing”.

Purpose of the process analysis

The process analysis primarily serves to increase the competitiveness of a company and to improve its business results. By creating a transparent process view, a constant process optimization can be achieved. This can only be achieved if all of the company's performance processes are geared towards the company's overall goal. Process-oriented thinking and acting is an important part of the modern market economy. This is the only way to act flexibly within a short period of time instead of just reacting (avoiding errors before eliminating them). By acting with foresight, problems can usually be solved in advance.

The exact description of processes is just as important here as their constant maintenance and control. Providing processes with information also makes it easier to find key indicators that allow a process to be assessed. In quality management in particular , it is essential to discover the cause (s) of errors as quickly as possible and to initiate corrective measures. This continuous improvement process (CIP) also helps to intervene quickly and efficiently in related processes, as sub-processes can be similar or the same. One approach for continuous and permanent process improvement is Kaizen . These are systematic learning processes that require a collective approach and thus involve every employee in maintaining and improving a process.

Compared with their competitors, companies strive for more efficient structuring of the parameters cost, quality and time. The comparison of your own key figures with those of similar competitors is also called " benchmarking ". In his company view based on value chains, Porter also recognizes that every work task can be optimized and thus makes a contribution to achieving competitive advantages.

One possible goal of process efficiency is the reduction of throughput times while taking into account given quality and productivity standards. Total Quality Management (TQM) pursues a similar goal , the focus here is on continuous quality improvement. The comprehensive concept of quality refers not only to the output to be achieved, but also to the service creation process and the employees. In connection with the person-oriented quality management, there is the zero-error approach, which pursues the goal of motivating employees to avoid errors and thus to assume responsibility for quality. A lack of process efficiency manifests itself, for example, in idle times, missed deadlines or overlapping work processes. Personnel work represents an essential part of the optimal process design, the alignment of which must be checked against the corporate goals.

Design parameters of the business process analysis

In order to check the intensity of the alignment of HR work with corporate goals, it makes sense to determine the current situation as part of the current situation analysis mentioned above. Taylor already recommended carrying out time and movement studies in order to determine the basic sub-activities of a work process and to derive optimal workflows from them. Helpful instruments for transparently presenting the work steps of the employees involved in the process include interviews , questionnaires and observations. The employees are asked about their area of ​​activity, duration and frequency of work processes, as well as the type of information required. Based on the results obtained, possible weak points in the process management can be identified and possibly avoided. The work process of an employee is recorded by a third party through observations and then interpreted. Once all the required data has been collected, a clear process description is possible.

This can now be used to analyze the current situation. As part of this potential analysis, personnel problems such as frequent staff absences, staff overload, inadequate training and experience and strong personnel dependency can be examined. These deficiencies can be broken down into organizational, informational and technical weaknesses. An organizational deficiency exists, among other things, when rules for the structure or sequence of a process are incorrect or do not exist, for example the absence of a clear vacation or illness replacement. Informational weaknesses arise from disruptions in the flow of information, for example when employees do not pass on important information in good time. Technical problems refer to errors in the technical equipment of work tools (e.g. PC ).

If possible weak points are identified, goals for more efficient design can be worked out with the help of a target concept. Interrelationships and interdependencies between the individual employees must be particularly taken into account. The inefficient way of working of an employee may be due to the incorrect work performance of the employee previously involved in the process. Potential improvements in the process are, for example, the optimal design of reports between employees or improved information from managers. The measures found to eliminate weak points are to be subdivided according to their necessity and the amount of funds required for implementation. According to Taylor, the recommendations for action that emerge for the individual employee should on the one hand serve to adapt people to work, but on the other hand also promote the adaptation of work to people. In this context, it can make sense to group employees who are involved in the same process. With the introduction of semi-autonomous groups , performance advantages such as flexibility, creativity and quality improvements are pursued; group work also promotes mutual control by colleagues, resulting from binding rules for the group.

Application requirements

The suggestions for improvement that arise within the framework of the target concept are often accompanied by personnel changes. In order to contain the difficulties associated with implementing more efficient strategies, certain application requirements must be observed. To carry out a business process analysis, it is important that the process to be analyzed can be mapped transparently and in a simplified manner. It should also be checked whether there is any business process at all. The existence of sufficient financial and technical resources, as well as legal prerequisites that are necessary for the implementation of a possible process change, should be ensured in advance. In addition, sufficient funds should be available to train employees for their new work tasks that result in more efficient process fulfillment and, if necessary, further educate them. However, this presupposes the willingness of the employees to deal with changes. It is also important to signal to employees that they are willing to communicate right from the start , point out the goal of the change and inform them of the sub-steps in the course of development. The employees affected by changes should be actively involved in the change process in order to ensure their willingness to perform. Long-term support for employees can usually only be achieved through an improvement in the individual work situation or higher wages. In business practice, the achievement of agreed goals is often rewarded by paying a bonus. On the one hand, this fulfills the function of monitoring the achievement of goals, on the other hand, it creates an incentive for employees to perform tasks efficiently.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Service processes in contrast to other process categories
  2. ↑ See Frese (2005) p. 317
  3. ↑ See Chase et al. (2006) p. 162
  4. ↑ See Porter (1986) p. 90
  5. ↑ See Osterloh / Frost (1998) p. 145
  6. ↑ See Neumann (1995) p. 60
  7. ↑ See Martin (2001) p. 233
  8. ↑ See Krallmann / Frank / Gronau (1999) p. 91
  9. ↑ See Martin (2001) p. 232
  10. ↑ See Heisel (1995) p. 181

literature

  • Jörg Becker, Martin Kugeler, Michael Rosemann (Eds.): Process Management - A Guide to Process-Oriented Organizational Design. 6th edition, Springer, Berlin 2008, ISBN 3-540-79248-1 .
  • Thorsten Becker: Optimizing processes in production and supply chain . Berlin / Heidelberg 2005.
  • Guido Fischermanns: Practical Guide to Process Management . 11th edition. Giessen 2013, ISBN 978-3-921313-89-3 .
  • Erich Frese: Fundamentals of the organization - decision-oriented concept of organizational design . 9th edition, Wiesbaden 2005.
  • Richard Heisel: Designing the change processes , in: REFA - Association for Work Studies and Business Organization eV (Ed.): Agreeing on success - leading with target agreements, Munich 1995, pp. 178-184.
  • Hermann Krallmann , Helmut Frank, Norbert Gronau: System analysis in the company . 3. Edition. Munich / Vienna 1999.
  • Alexander Neumann: Quality , in: REFA - Association for Work Studies and Business Organization eV (Hrsg.): Agree on success - leadership with target agreements. Munich 1995, pp. 53-60.
  • Margit Osterloh , Jetta Frost : Process management as a core competence - How you can use business reengineering strategically . 2nd edition, Wiesbaden 1995.
  • Michael E. Porter: Competitive Advantages . Frankfurt 1986.
  • Rainer Scholz: Business process optimization - cross-functional rationalization or structural reorganization . Bergisch Gladbach, Cologne 1994.
  • Christoph Spelten: Designing the order processing processes , in: REFA - Association for Work Studies and Business Organization eV (Ed.): Agreeing on success - leading with target agreements. Munich 1995, pp. 155-178.
  • H.-D. Striening: process management - attempt of an integrated concept of situation-appropriate design of administrative processes - shown using the example in a multinational company - IBM Germany GmbH . Frankfurt 1988.