| |
business process improvement (BPI)
ABSTRACT
This guide introduces and discusses MetaProi - a group
process for business process improvement (BPI). MetaProi
is defined as a set of activities, guidelines, criteria
and graphical tools to be used by business process improvement
groups. BPI groups range in size from three to seven participants
who play the roles of leader, facilitator, and group member.
The group goal is to identify a business process where improvement
opportunities exist, and propose changes in order to translate
those opportunities into practical improvement.MetaProi
has three main stages: business process definition, business
process analysis, and business process redesign. The business
process definition stage is split into three activities:
identify problems, identify business processes, and select
a business process for redesign. The business process analysis
stage is split into three activities: model the business
process, raise performance information, and highlight opportunities
for improvement. The business process redesign stage is
split into three activities: search for suitable changes,
incorporate changes to the BP model, and evaluate redesign
feasibility. All these activities are described as part
of the group process MetaProi and are interrelated. The
main relationship between activities is of the type predecessor-successor,
where the outputs of each activity (mainly information)
are inputs for the next activity in MetaProi.An example
that illustrates the use of MetaProi is provided. This example
involves a business process improvement group carried out
in a polytechnic. The group analyses and redesigns the business
process related to the teaching of a practical introductory
course to business computing.
|
