A business process is a set of activities performed by one or more people with the aim of achieving business goals. For a company to be productive and profitable, its processes must be effective.
But… what is an effective process?
An effective process is a process that produces the right results consistently.
Let us imagine a company that provides pencils. An effective process consistently delivers pencils in the colors ordered. A black pencil delivered to the customer that ordered a black pencil. A yellow one for whom ordered a yellow one. It’s also the delivery of the pencils at smallest costs, producing them with an intelligent use of resources. A quality process provides pencils that always work.
In this way, we can see that BPI Business Process Improvement is the creation of processes that will work and take your company to the next level. To illustrate that, see some business process improvement examples that will make you want to start now.
See also: Understand what total quality is and how it’s related to continuous improvement management
Business Process Improvement Examples
Business process improvement can, for example, cut costs noticeably in an organization. Through organization and visualization, duplicated work are easily spotted, and unnecessary tasks are dropped. Resources are allocated with efficiency and intelligence, which makes processes work better, spending less. It is possible to save millions of dollars with the use of business process improvement software in a big company.
Another business process improvement example is about communication inside a company. BPI decreases the number of emails sent between people and departments, with an interactive software available for all the areas. Everybody can see and share information, and be sure that it is not going to be lost in a mailbox.
Below, an example of this kind of improvement:
The visualization of processes are one of the best business process improvement example. With process modeling, it is much easier to understand the process and check for bottlenecks and improvement points. With a clear diagram, that shows all steps of the process, and optimization is continuous.
Finally, control is one of the business process improvement examples that we cannot forget. All the processes and steps need to be monitored, which ensures that they are followed correctly, improved always and executed in the best way possible.
How to Implement BPI Business Process Improvement
With all these advantages, it is unwise to ignore BPI. To effectively make it, follow these steps:
- Identify the process: Do I need to improve all my processes? Remember to prioritize them.
- Map the process: Understand the process, the steps, the participants and the goals.
- Model the process: Gather your knowledge and model the process as it should work. These are Common problems:
- Duplication of effort
- Steps that should be performed by other departments
- Handoff
- Unnecessary steps
- Cycle time delays
These are opportunities:
- Automation of manual activities
- Work elimination
- Transfer of responsibilities and staff from one department to another
- Job redesign
- Measurement plan for tracking process performance
- Documentation of work procedures
- Training to cover the new procedures
- Re-arrangement of the workforce
- Execute the process: Execute the process using all improvements.
- Optimize the process: See what worked and what didn’t work, find out new improvement points and start again.
- Automate the process: Create systemic interfaces and promote a faster and assertive flow of information. Watch this video to understand how to automate a business process:
Now that you have read about business process improvement examples get to know more about BPI and set your company apart from the competition.
Learn more about business process improvement
So you can delve further into this matter, we have selected many concepts and examples of business processes. Check them out:
Business process improvement definition
We can define the improvement of business processes as a result of the refinement of these processes and their optimization, by comparing the results being obtained from the process to the goals set for it. If they are below the desired level, the process should be analyzed in search of improvements.
We can cite three types of business process improvement examples, in a generic way:
- Performance Improvement: Seeking the best way to carry out the process, on to their efficiency and effectiveness.
- Activity cost: To cut costs.
- Customer satisfaction: Because it is a critical moment in any situation, this must always be aligned with corporate strategy and a target of constant improvement.
Controlling business process improvements
The diagram below is a business process improvement request used to register, approve and implement an improvement.
- Any member of the company can generate the process improvement request.
- By analyzing the idea, the Process Analyst has two paths to take: refuse the improvement and justify why. Or refer it to the Change Committee, which in turn will also decide if the gains are good enough for the business and they should continue with the process or end it here.
- If it continues, the Process Analyst takes all necessary actions to implement the improvement.
- Finally, it is a need to monitor changes to see if the improvements are or are not achieving the stipulated goals.
To import this process on HEFLO just click here! (you must create your free account).
Business process improvement software
All this analysis, construction of drawings and diagrams is significantly sped up with the usage of software to improve business processes.
HEFLO, for example, is an excellent BPMN tool, with a friendly and intuitive interface, operated in the cloud. You can create diagrams with it by clicking, dragging and dropping elements and from there generate documentation quickly, with reports formatted and presented in a professional and organized look. And all these features are accessed from wherever you are!
To use HEFLO just sign up on the platform. It’s free for process modeling and documentation. Analyze, find problems, define future processes, automate them and move continuously towards improvement, all through the visual interface that will greatly help your work.
Check out some ready to use examples of BPM available to import on HEFLO:
- ITIL Incident Management
- Employee registration and onboarding
- Procurement process
- Service Desk
- Consulting services
- Material request
- Sales
- Non-compliance
When do you use continuous process improvement?
As we said, continuous process improvement is always important. But there is a time when it should be used more intensively: such as in relationships with customers.
It’s easy to quote continuous process improvement examples related to customer service in telephone and cable TV companies. Often, their signature processes, billing, scheduling, content production, image quality, etc., are well-defined and optimized processes.
But the customer service processes of these companies are not, they are examples of continuous process improvement that are always playing catch up.
Another example of continuous process improvement relevant to business results, when it comes to customer relationships, are entertainment companies. And one of the most successful cases of continuous process improvement is Disney.
If you want another example of business processes provided by HEFLO, go here: Customer Service Process.