Business processes
1 Introduction: what is ERP
1.1 Definition
= business processes are used to organize and streamline activities.
In the first place we need to make decisions, but on the other hand it’s necessary to communicate with
customers and suppliers, and maybe even more with them than internally.
- All those activities only make sense when they add value
- We need to streamline these activities in the best possible way
- The process needs to be robust
Successful companies mainly look at how activities run. The purchase process is more than the only
the purchase department with his purchase process. There are other departments that needs to be
involved in the purchase process to optimize it.
“example 1, 2 & 3 book p12-13”
Two important terms are “process innovation” and “process improvement”. They are 2 separate
dimensions in the change of your process from its current to its new state.
Innovation:
Is a thorough and structural change in the way in which you work.
- Refers to a new technology or new working style
Innovation is expected to lead to improvement and if this is not immediately, then at least at long term.
Improvement:
Efficiency and effectiveness. By improvement we mean a positive effect with at least one og them and
preferably both.
- Efficiency: use the means to a good end
o More result, same means: use 1 car for transportation of people and goods
o Same result, less means: the example of the car with a start-stop. You save fuel with
it.
- Effectivity: improve the result as such to better fit your customer’s expectations.
Innovation
temporarlily
ideal
acceptable
Process works less
efficient or effective Improvement
than before
Effectivity:
1. More efficiency leads to more effectiveness:
An example of this is if you check out in an online store and you have a high payment the site/
company says you don’t need to pay for the transportation costs.
- Efficiency improvement for the supplier
- Effectively for the customer
The customer will automatically come back and buy more on the site.
2. More efficiency and yet loss of effectiveness
Decreasing the profit margin of the supplier will sometimes lead a chance of customer and maybe you
will lose your supplier.
3. More effectiveness without efficiency change
You do not always need to cut costs or improve product’s efficiency in order to see a rise in
effectiveness.
Examples p16-17.
TCO= Total Costs of Ownership.
1.2 Processes
Processes are tailor made for your company.
1. When you go shopping physically the process of becoming the owner of the product is a bit
different then when you would shop online.
a. In the store you take the product, go to the cashier, give her the money and you’re the
owner of the products
b. On an online store, you select your products and put them in your virtual shopping car,
and you buy them. You are now owner of the product, but you didn’t have them. They
need to be shipped to you first.
2. Getting the goods to the customer can be done in different ways but the result will stay the
same. The company can bring the goods to the customer himself or he can outsource it.
1.2.1 Most widely used processes
The sales process wants to structure the interaction with the customer.
- Objective: dissipate orders from customers and deliver and invoice them to earn money
Sales, purchase & production = operational processes
Logistics, HR, bookkeeping = supporting processes
All the departments become together. They all have a different jobs but all do there different job in one
program/ system.
How everyone works/ needs the system. INPUT form everyone?
Sales Sales orders
Customer information
Sales prices
Everyone is feeding the system => the system will only work if everyone inputs the correct data =>
SOD (Segregation of Duty's)
• Not everyone can see everything (everybody has an own login and with that login you receive
limited abilities in the system)
3
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