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.
