ABSTRACT
The design of processes may be determined by customer requirements or benchmarking competitors or may be directly related to meeting strategic objectives such as order-winning competitive factors. The main generic processes in an organization can be described as supplier relationship, new product development, order fulfilment and customer relationship. Documenting the process can be undertaken by constructing a process map, also called a flow chart. Identifying activities in a process design involves a data-collection exercise that uses methods such as an examination of documentation, interviews and observation. Process maps are widely used in manufacturing to design the flow of a number of linked processes that produce an output. There are many ways that a process can be redesigned to meet particular objectives, so it is necessary to generate a range of innovative solutions for evaluation. Business process simulation allows the performance of the organization to be observed quickly and under a number of different scenarios.
