Edge Consulting

Business Process Analysis Download brochure (Adobe Acrobat).

Edge Systems' Business Process Analysis (BPA) program is a key part of our full range of professional consulting services designed to help our customers get the most out of today's technology. In its simplest sense, our BPA involves the process of analyzing an aspect (process) of a client's business (generally on a departmental basis) and identifying efficiency gains that facilitate process improvement through the application of technology.

Edge Systems' BPA Approach

Analysis of Current Methodologies

The initial step in performing a BPA is to spend time at the customer site observing, in detail, the current manual process. This is referred to as the initial discovery and site survey. Edge Consultants work closely with customers to obtain an understanding of the perceived efficiencies and deficiencies of the current process as well as to obtain an understanding of the focus and purpose of the business unit. Edge Consultants spend time with management and supervisors as well as with the people performing the tasks associated with the process under review. In addition, time is spent with the MIS group to gather data on the existing infrastructure of the business.

Process Analysis

Once a detailed understanding of the current process is obtained, the Edge Systems analyst makes use of various business modeling techniques to identify the essential aspects of the client's process. These are used as the foundation to structure a new automated process. The essential aspects of the process and knowledge of reliable document management technology is used to conceptualize an automated solution that meets the requirements of the business process while taking advantage of the applied technology to gain further efficiencies.

Requirements Analysis

Once the customer is comfortable with the proposed automated process design, the conceptual design is expanded to detail the application of information technology to facilitate automation. This phase documents goals and expectations of the client and the specific functionality required of the automated product. A sample system configuration is also included.

Cost Analysis

A cost analysis is based on the requirements analysis and provides a system configuration detailing hardware and software components needed to build the proposed system, an estimated time frame required to build the solution, and associated cost estimates.

Deliverables

Initial Discovery Document

The initial discovery document is the product of the analysis of the current methodologies. It is a functional description of the manual process including a model of the current process, written process narrative, process flowcharts and transaction volumes. This document can also outline the inefficiencies of the manual process and established goals of automating this process.

Conceptual Design Document

The conceptual design is the product of the process analysis phase. It is a detailed conceptual design of a suggested automated process assuming the application of document management technology. The automated process is based on the current manual process but contains modifications to that process to streamline and make use of automated document management tools. The conceptual design documents efficiency gains obtained from automation.

Requirements Definition Document

The Requirements Definition details what is required of an automated solution to implement the automated product detailed during conceptual design. This document is intended to be the basis for the client to develop an RFP for an automated process solution.

Recommended System Configuration and Investment Requirements

The turnkey solution is broken down by recommended hardware and software requirements in the form of both a system configuration and cost proposal. This deliverable can be used by the client as Edge's initial bid on the automation project or as a benchmark to measure bids from other vendors being considered for the project.