Process Analysis

A process analysis is the targeted observation of processes and the breakdown into their individual components, with the aim of understanding the process and identifying weak points and optimization potential.

In process analysis, a distinction is made between different types of processes, including business management processes and technical processes.

The process analysis forms the basis for process optimization in the company. In economically oriented companies, process optimization helps to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing work, business, production and development processes with the help of process analyses and to use the resources required for these purposes.

Affected organizations are for example public administrations, social institutions or other companies. Process analyses and subsequent process optimizations serve to ensure that the objectives are achieved.

In the past, process optimization was considered a task of quality management, but now it is seen as part of a comprehensive integrated process management of companies and institutions.

Process analyses and the optimization of processes as a prerequisite for an effective basic business management orientation are an indispensable part of any modern company management when it comes to being able to operate successfully in national and international competition.

A structured approach to all operational processes is the cornerstone of any process analysis, leading to process optimization. For process optimization it is of great importance to establish interdepartmental process chains. The first step towards process optimization is the collection and classification of the existing processes in the course of the process analysis, e.g. with the help of process modeling. For this purpose, suitable key performance indicators (KPIs) are introduced to evaluate the quality and performance of the processes to be described. Based on the process description, a process map of the company is created in the course of the process analysis, which can be used as a reference basis for further process optimization. This process optimization can have effects on all areas of the company. Such a process analysis, evaluation and classification is preferably carried out in connection with a holistic concept for the operational processes as well as the human and material resources. The continuous process optimization, which is based on such an evaluation, pursues the primary goal of continuous process improvement, whereby its course is not impaired.

Process optimization and control in the company is no longer conceivable without the appropriate tools (software). Companies can choose from a wide range of packages that can be individually adapted to the corresponding operational requirements. Within the scope of process optimization, this primarily involves examining the defined processes and their key performance indicators, which are then classified in terms of added value for the operational value creation. The information resulting from the process analysis forms the basis for the use of these tools. These are used to concentrate the operational resources on the core processes and thus define the corresponding key figures. The results obtained are then examined for their effectiveness in the course of simulations.

New process-oriented approaches are essential in the context of the global complexity of modern business processes in today’s world. Companies and institutions that have at least achieved an approximate integration in this respect are still a rarity. With the help of process analyses, manufacturing, sales and logistics processes are now optimized primarily in terms of costs and throughput times. Areas that have softer Key Performance Indicators (KPI), in which the human factor is directly involved, are still hardly mapped in a process-oriented manner and are rarely the subject of process optimization.

This can be attributed not least to the fact that such process analysis with regard to value-added processes often cannot be carried out adequately with the software tools available today due to their specific characteristics, and thus cannot be fully examined and optimized.

In the model and analysis phase of process analysis, the soft factors mentioned above are difficult to determine in static models. In contrast to the standardization of activities, which is often not very promising because corresponding processes are usually only rarely repeated, procedures that improve the self-management of employees appear more promising. A process environment is created in which the process participants instinctively act correctly (Nudge Management).

Where people work and work steps are performed manually, it is difficult to carry out process optimization and recording in detail. Input and output are often known, the operations within a process must be revealed by process analyses. To close the information gap, the process analysis is currently performed by a process engineer. During the process analysis the process is observed, recorded and analyzed. The process during the process analysis, where employees record times with a clipboard, pencil and stopwatch, for example, involves considerable manual effort and is therefore performed far too rarely in practice. As a result, rationalization, optimization, but also ergonomic potentials in industrial work processes often remain unused.

Our Motion Mining® technology can help with process optimization and process analysis. For process analysis, this technology uses mobile sensors (wearables) and miniature radio transmitters (beacons) to record the processes while they are running. By equipping the employees with wearables and the environment with beacons, process data is determined during the process analysis. Meanwhile we are able to distinguish between about 60 different movements during the process analysis. The movements include walking and running, overhead handling, unhealthy bending, sitting for long periods, bending from the back, carrying, lifting and holding. Based on the potential identified during the process analysis, we develop individual measures for process optimization together with the customer and thus show ways to more efficient and ergonomic work processes. In detail, the individual work steps are automatically reconstructed from the process data determined in the process analysis with the help of a self-developed pattern recognition solution based on Deep Learning and made accessible for further analysis. For this purpose, movements, postures and also the work situation are detected and assigned to the activities in the work process. In comparison to manual analysis methods, a 40 to 80 times larger data stock can be accessed for process optimization, which is generated without physical observation of the employees. Likewise, the scope of application of the DSGVO is not opened up due to a comprehensive anonymization of the data and various organizational measures. Process owners are enabled by our motion mining technology to perform process analyses and more frequently, over a longer period of time and with several employees at the same time.

Motion-Mining® process analyses are currently mainly carried out in the production and logistics sectors. In the health care sector, we have also taken the first steps with pilot projects with regard to process optimization. The process analysis is carried out with regard to the recording of internal material flows, care activities and their documentation.