Multi-Industry Business Process Optimisation

Objective

A government department initiated an ERP system upgrade project, which would span many version changes and therefore, many functional changes. The ERP system is used by multiple industry streams, some requiring customisation, and spans the diversity of an engineering group, a dairy production facility, a laundry service, a print shop, a saw-mill and a meat production facility (to name a few).

Additionally, the business had a history of slow uptake of the ERP and complaints that the system didn’t fit the business need.

Internal business management realised that this was a good opportunity to review current process and ensure that systems and process were aligned, while also addressing some of the business complaints.

Solution Delivery

• A separate session of current state process mapping occurred with each of the twelve business industries using the ERP, as well as a Finance/ Head Office review. Key staff were involved in these sessions and were given the opportunity to raise any process-related complaints, queries or issues.
• Business System Alchemy used a combination of the current state process maps, as well as the user feedback, to review and assess each industry process. This was used to develop the Future State process maps, which included efficiency gains, functionality gaps and functional additions.
• Business discussions had raised issues regarding printing and network access within the business. While these were not part of the review process, the feedback was passed on to the business IT team for rectification.
• The business used the Future State process maps to augment process within the industry streams, either as part of the upgrade process, or post upgrade.

Achievements

• Involvement of key staff and the provision of a forum to raise key issues highlighted process gaps and inconsistencies that business management had not been aware of. It also fostered greater engagement from the users in both the ERP system and the upgrade project.
• The scope of potential process change was too great to be included in all areas with the upgrade. Therefore, the future state processes were used by the business to determine their change roadmap for the next two years.
• There had been a significant disconnect between Finance/Head Office staff and the users in the industry business units. The current process discussions and forums around the future process changes assisted with breaching the gap in understanding between the two groups.

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