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DDHA- 8700
Operational Process Flow DDHA- 8700 Walden University Business process map The mapping of business processes to technological resources is critical in application deployment for ensuring the flexibility and smooth functioning of the application. The interdependencies of the business processes and the IT infrastructure required for the application deployment must be figured out in advance so that necessary arrangements can be put in place in terms of arranging the resources or infrastructure requirements. Any gaps in business processes or available resources like IT frameworks can affect the speed of the application deployment and business (Barrett & Tolbert, 2014). Mapping helps in tracing the steps followed in application deployment and troubleshooting process. It enables synchronization of the entire process, teams with the technological resources for better understanding. With the help of mapping, the resources allocation can be understood, and the factors impacting the performance of the applications can be identified. Any changes or updating in application deployment can be done with the help of mapping, and variances can be tracked for improving the performance. A business scenario can easily be explained using a process map to expounds on the process boundaries through clear image representation. It helps to understand essential stages and critical inputs associated with
each of the steps for proper planning, investigation, and process analysis (Nonaka, Toyama & Hirata, 2008) Purpose of business process The use of a business process is to identify the critical stages along with key inputs that are essential for the operation and those which can be optimized for better output from the process. A business process management (BPM) is a theory which targets business procedure to increase working performance. It surrounds the way we learn, recognizes, modifies, and monitor business for quality assurance. BPM help to decrease the price, eradicate errors, and improve business outputs (Chase, Jacobs & Aquilano, 2006). Analytics Analytics is the study of data, identification of different patterns, and the application of such designs in the business process, to increase its efficiency and effectiveness. The primary benefits of the implementation of analytics to business include: Helping a company to identify opportunities for expansion Customer trends and patterns can be identified, and business can be adapted for capitalization Analytics helps in enhancing overall business productivity Strategic decision making becomes quite more accessible with the incorporation of analytics
approaches to a business process. It also provides adequate data and information for the reengineering process and procedure (Adkins, 2017). When to use a flowchart There are several times that a flowchart should be used within an organization that may be beneficial. Diagrams are most often used to help understand how a process is completed. An existing process can be reviewed, and the different inputs and outputs reviewed. It can help organizations better understand a process and where that process can be improved, making the process more effective. In practice, flowcharts are used to communicate with stakeholders. It can either be individuals or in groups and instruct them on how a process is completed. Integrating new team members may require flowcharts, since those new members may need to become familiar with the process that the group goes through to complete a task (Nonaka, Toyama & Hirata, 2008). Limitations of a flowchart The boundaries of a diagram lie in its inherent simplicity. A flowchart is designed to provide a visualized overview of a process, and processes can range from general business processes to the specific production process behind making a product. Flowcharts tend to oversimplify these processes to make it easier for people to understand. This oversimplification can have some significant consequences. The details underlying each step in the process require much higher independent analysis to be fully understood, mainly when that step itself is highly complex (“What is a flowchart?” 2019)
Another problem with flowcharts is that they can easily misrepresent the process. Each symbol in the diagram indicates a step to be taken. Misplacing these steps in the flowchart can lead to significant misunderstandings about how the process should be completed. While there are many advantages to using a diagram to communicate a simplified version of a process, flowcharts need to be presented accurately, along with more detailed information about each step (“Process Flow Chart,” n.d.) Documentation and Compliance An essential benefit of flowcharts is that they provide documentation of a process. It is useful when problems arise because flow charts let you trace the process from one step to the next. It allows one to identify when the issue took place quickly (Luthor, 2019). The flowchart also guides managers overseeing operations and helps ensure compliance with policy and regulations. For example, managers can reference a diagram of accounting procedures to verify that bookkeeping activities are being conducted according to generally accepted accounting principles (Taipei, 2019). Step 1: Task process flow- Design for travel expense report The prcess selected is the channel design for the reimbursement of organization travel expenses. The travel expense report process is a time-consuming process that has a significant impact on personal cash flow. Because business travel averages four days per week, managing expense reports requires considerable time. Failure to stay on top of this process results in slow reimbursement, which can result in expensive interest charges. The average turnaround time
Step 2: Decision flowchart- Travel expenses report filling The task of filing travel expense reports includes several personal steps which include gathering receipts, writing trip reports, entering opportunity updates in the CRM (customer relationship management) software salesforce.com, entering travel expenses into the ERP system for reimbursement, and finally mailing receipts and reports to accounting. The process takes an average of 10 working days (Nonaka, Toyama & Hirata, 2008). Step 3: Process flowchart- Travel expenses report reception With these tasks, several decisions must be made. These include evaluating costs against accounting policies to ensure the costs and documentation meet requirements; filing and locating expense receipts, summarizing meeting action items for management, identifying key CRM opportunities to be reported, and getting approval for any budget exceptions. Because several of these decisions can be time-consuming, it can lead to procrastination when there are more urgent matters to address (Nonaka, Toyama & Hirata, 2008). Step 4: Travel expenses report processes Preapproval Polic y Scanned Receipts Automation Finish What to consid er? Flexibility Finish
The expense process can also be impacted by significant delays. Using the corporate credit card can have delays in receiving electronic receipts for up to one week. For any cash or non-corporate credit card transaction, there are often lost revenues. Replacing lost paper receipts can be time-consuming as one must get businesses to fax or mail replacement receipts. These must all be gathered before the expense report can be submitted for approval. Approval processes can also create lengthy delays. This process usually takes up to 18 working days. There are four levels of support for all-expense receipts that include organizational vice- president, department accounting, organizational comptroller, and accounts payable (Luthor, 2019). Step 5: Outcome flowchart- Travel expenses report approval or rejection Each approval typically takes 2-3 business days with the process being lengthened if any key personnel involved in the approver is on vacation. Any discrepancies that are caused by missed-inputted data or inadequate explanations can cause rejection by the approver that will push the process back to its starting point. In case of any discrepancies, the process may take up to 20 working days to sort out. Further, if there are proof-of-performance metrics, like opportunity reporting or CRM entry, delays can be created that prevent initial expense report submission. Automated payment or non-payment Reengineering this process has the potentials to find new efficiencies and cost savings. The time efficiencies can be created by automating the process. For instance, daily scanning and
Critical path analysis Critical path activity is important because it reduce time utilized to run a project or process, helps in managing resources, compares planned activities with original happening ones, and put a check on the project progress as per the plan. For fairly simple projects, the critical path is usually the longest path through the project. For more complicated projects, the critical path can be determined with an ‘earliest time’ forward sweep through the diagram followed by a ‘latest time’ reverse sweep. The earliest starting time of each activity is associated with the events. It corresponds to the longest time of any path from any previous event. Also, the latest starting time of each activity is also associated with the events. It corresponds to the longest time of any path from any subsequent event. The critical path is the path in which the earliest time
and latest time are the same for all events, and the early start time plus activity time equals the early start time of the next activity. References Adkins, W. (2017). What are the benefits of a flow chart? Retrieved from https://bizfluent.com/list-6753493-benefits-flow-chart-.html Barrett, R. T., & Tolbert, S. H. (2014). Problem-solving in the workplace through application of business knowledge and quantitative methods. Journal of Business and Economics, 5 (7), 937-944. DOI: 10.15341/jbe(2155-7950)/07.05.2014/ Chase, R. B., Jacobs, F. R., & Aquilano, N. J. (2006). Operations management for competitive advantage (11th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill/Irwin. Luthor, J. (2019). The advantages of flowcharts. Retrieved from https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/advantages-flowcharts-7408.html Nonaka, I., Toyama, R., & Hirata, T. (2008). Managing flow: A process theory of the knowledge-based firm. Springer. McLaughlin, D. B., & Olson, J. R. (2017). Health care operations management (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press. Odoni, A. R. (2013). The flow management problem in air traffic control. In flow control of congested networks. Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
