Business Process ReviewFor articles published by 180 Systems: For
articles published by others, click here Our
Services Many companies realize that they are not operating
as efficiently and effectively as they could. There is usually over reliance on
spreadsheets to compensate for system deficiencies. However, spreadsheets are
inefficient and not completely reliable: errors can slip in through re-keying
or calculation mistakes. There is no audit trail on changes and mistakes may not
be detected. To make matters worse, spreadsheets are typically not shared across
an organization and they are not updated as things change. So decisions are made
with old data. A common complaint is the lack of one version of the truth, as
individuals take the same underlying data and work their magic in the spreadsheet.
Another common problem is that each department in an organization gets very creative
with spreadsheets in resolving issues within their own department. The spreadsheet
may be ok for an individual department, but a disaster outside the walls of the
department. Spreadsheets contribute to the silos found in many companies. What
do you do? Vendors will often suggest new technology, but the vendors may be biased
as they have something to gain by their recommendations. Do you upgrade, implemement
a new system or tweak the old one? 180 Systems provides an independent Business
Process Review (BPR) that assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative,
financial and operational business processes, and we will evaluate the alternatives. A
high level analysis is conducted by discussions with management. Optionally, a
more detailed analysis is conducted based on interviews with key personnel. The
detailed analysis is recommended when management is unsure of the nature and extent
of existing problems. The objective of the BPR is to identify opportunities for
business process improvement, which are identified and evaluated from a business
case perspective. The detailed analysis will lead to a more accurate business
case. High Level Analysis - Review critical success factors
(CSFs) – what an organization must do well in order to be successful
- Review
problems with existing business process, and the related costs of not fixing the
problem
- Recommend potential solutions that could include changes to systems
Detailed
Analysis - Review all documentation available that assists in understanding
existing business processes
- Interview key users about business processes
- Prepare questionnaire that includes questions related to time spent on
non-value added activities
- Document business processes, problems and their
impact
- Document potential savings related to eliminating non-value added
activities
- Design process models - As-is and To-be
Business
Case - Estimate approximate costs related to fixing problems using
resources of existing technology partners
- Estimate approximate benefits
in fixing problems
- Prepare a business case that includes an ROI calculation
- Recommend a plan of action
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