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Learn everything about process analysis and understand why this is needed for continued business growth.
Published 24 Feb 2023
Process analysis, also known as Business Process Analysis (BPA), is a system used to go over and evaluate the current activities in business operations. This is a detailed, multi-step strategy, which includes the following: 1. Identifying the process, breaking it down into manageable steps, and the people handling each step, 2. Gathering salient data about the process, like its intended objectives and the challenges that emerged, 3. Analyzing the data collected using visual diagrams to measure its effectiveness, and 4. Developing a plan of action for improvement, with defined timelines and recommendations for resources.
Business process analysis is consequential to a company’s growth. Whether you work as a manager in an international conglomerate or an entrepreneur of a small local shop, this strategy will favor your business in several ways:
Business operations often include a series of activities with industry-specific requirements. This is why there is no one generic way to analyze it all. There are numerous techniques used for a particular task, and here are the most common process analysis examples:
This technique compares your actual results against your expected outcomes. Analyzing the gap between the two helps you see missed strategies, flawed processes, or lack of skills.
Specific examples:
To completely understand an issue and subsequently find an apt solution, one has to identify its root cause. Root cause analysis (RCA) aims to discover the origin instead of just remedying the symptoms of the problem. Note that one can use RCA for successes, not just failures.
SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This technique is used to analyze the different aspects of your business, giving you awareness of your current state, future potential, and tasks.
This study analyzes the time required and the actions needed to finish a particular task. After assessing the current practice, standards can be established for improvement and increased productivity. The result should be to do something less but to do it better.
Value-stream mapping reviews the various steps in delivering a product or service, prioritizing what a client or a customer considers “valuable.” It is one of the most favored process analysis examples because it eradicates something many complain about: waste.
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The most favored tool for process analysis is the very simple yet incredibly effective flowchart. It shows the basic workflow of a company from start to finish and is easily modified for process improvement. There are more complex types, most of which are derived from the flowchart. And each is appropriate for a particular technique and specific step in the process:
Anyone who thinks their current methods are flawed can utilize process analysis to correct bad habits and get better results. However, trained professionals who are usually part of the organization are tasked with this job to improve their operations.
If you have not conducted this since your operations started, it is time to do so when you encounter the following:
Most companies do this annually, although some have on-the-spot BPAs when significant problems arise. What’s important is to do this on a regular basis because resources can be exhausted, and systems can go obsolete.
While process analysis has numerous benefits, it does have some downsides:
Process analysis may be a formidable undertaking, but no one can deny its efficacy in solving numerous organizational problems. It is worthwhile for your company, workforce, and, most importantly, the clients you serve. If you want to make sure that you are using the right approach, and the appropriate tools and ensure the success of this venture, start it now with SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor).
Eunice Arcilla Caburao
Eunice is a content contributor for SafetyCulture. A registered nurse, theater stage manager, Ultimate Frisbee athlete, and mother, Eunice has written a multitude of topics for over a decade now.
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