Process optimisation and digitalisation of business processes
Understand the process first, then digitalise it
Many processes were never consciously designed. They simply emerged – out of habit, temporary workarounds and software that did not quite fit. Most companies know the result: information is entered several times, paper forms are typed up, queries go back and forth by e-mail, and nobody can see at a glance where a case currently stands.
If you simply pour such a process into software, you get a faster process, but not a better one. That is why our process optimisation starts with the question of which steps are really necessary. Only then do we decide what is solved organisationally, what is supported by software and what is automated.
How we analyse your business processes
On-site analysis of the current state. We talk to the people who carry out the process every day – in the office, in the warehouse, in the field. That is where it becomes clear where the documentation differs from day-to-day reality.
Identifying weak points. Media breaks, duplicate data entry, waiting times and sources of error are made visible and assessed according to their impact.
Designing the target process. Together, we define what the process should look like in future: who records what and when, where approvals are needed and which data flows automatically.
Planning measures. The target process becomes a plan with organisational changes, software adjustments and automations – prioritised by effort and benefit.
Where process optimisation makes the biggest difference
Closing media breaks. Anything that starts on paper and ends up in a system is best captured digitally right away – for example via an app directly at the customer's site.
Entering data only once. Systems exchange data via interfaces instead of staff transferring it by hand.
Clarifying responsibilities. Clear approvals and handovers often cut waiting times more than any new software.
Creating transparency. When every case has a visible status, follow-up questions disappear and bottlenecks are spotted early.
From our projects: from paper service reports to a digital workflow
The technicians at the Stuttgart pump specialist Stenger documented every job on paper. Back in the office, the reports were then transferred by hand into GDI, the merchandise management system, while photos arrived via messenger or e-mail and had to be painstakingly matched to the right order.
Today, the technicians record the complete service report in an app, the office reviews it straight after the job, and by the next morning the report, photos and spare parts are in GDI automatically. The new workflow was introduced step by step, and feedback from day-to-day work continuously feeds into its further development (read the case study).
How we optimise your processes
- Map the current process together with your team
- Assess weak points and potential
- Define the target process and an action plan
- Implement step by step and improve together with the team
- Map the current process together with your team
- Assess weak points and potential
- Define the target process and an action plan
- Implement step by step and improve together with the team
Frequently asked questions about process optimisation
How can I tell that a process should be optimised?
Typical signs are data that is entered or typed up several times, cases whose status is only known when someone asks, long waits for approvals and errors that always occur at the same points. It is also worth taking a closer look when knowledge of a process depends on just a few people.
Do we need new software for process optimisation?
Not necessarily. Some improvements are purely organisational, others are achieved by connecting existing systems better. We only recommend new software if a process cannot be mapped sensibly with the existing tools – and then in a way that fits into your existing landscape.
How do we bring our employees on board?
By involving them from the start. We map processes with the people who carry them out every day and introduce changes in stages, so that nobody has to switch over from one day to the next. We use feedback from day-to-day work to make improvements.
What is the difference between process optimisation and process automation?
Process optimisation improves the process itself: unnecessary steps are dropped, and responsibilities and handovers become clear. Process automation then hands rule-based steps over to software. The two belong together, but the order matters – optimise first, then automate.
Do you also implement the measures?
Yes. We develop apps, web applications and integrations, automate workflows and look after the systems in operation. That way, responsibility stays in one pair of hands, from the analysis to the running process.
Didn't find your question?Get in touch
Describe the process to us – we will show you where the biggest levers are and how we would tackle them.