A presentation given by Geof Huth on 27 January 2016 to the Long Island Chapter of ARMA. The presentation gives an introduction to how to use BPA in a records management environment.

1. Business Process
Analysis
for Your Records
Management
Program
Geof Huth ● NYS Unified Court System
ARMA/AIIM Long Island ● 27 January 2016

2. Business
Process
Analysis
(BPA)
 Systematically documents a business
process
 Analyzes where the process can be
improved
 Designs improvements to the process
 Constructs a model of an improved process

3. BPA
Step
s
1. Identify the problem process
2. Secure support and commitment
3. Describe and map the process
4. Analyze performance
5. Design improved process

4. 1.
Identify
Problem
 Processes with significant impact
 Processes you can change
 Issues people generally agree are problems

5. 2.
Secure
Support
 Engage decisionmakers
 Assign or assume a leadership role
 Involve staff who can implement change
 Invite technical expertise

6. 3.
Describ
e
Process
 Gather data from various sources and POVs
 Documentation
 Interviews
 Observation
 Facilitated group discussions
 Use logs
 Customer comments
 Laws, regulations, and policies
 Question assumptions anyone makes

7. Write
Narrative
 Assemble details on the process
 Develop a narrative description

8. Map
Process
 Visualize workflow (Visio or other products)
 Understand the process
 Identify who is responsible for each step
 Identify problems
 Bottlenecks
 Unnecessary steps
 Duplicative steps
 Steps more costly than their value

9. Process
Mapping
 Start with the big picture
 Walk through the process
 Write down the steps observed
 Arrange the sequence of steps
 Draw the flowchart

10. Process
Mapping
Symbols
Terminus marks ends of the process
Process/Activity name of process/activity
Directional shows direction of process
Decision Diamond marks where decision made
Document marks where a document is made
Connector connects process to next page

11. 4.
Analyze
Performanc
e
 Assess how well activity accomplishes goals
 Determine what improvements add value
 Identify ways to improve processes
 Faster
 Cheaper
 Better

12. Time
 Estimate cycle time per transaction
 Total time to complete transaction
 Includes time beyond an organization’s control
 Includes time when no useful activity is occurring
 Identify bottlenecks and other lost efficiency

13. Cost
 Estimate the true cost of inefficient systems
 Average time to complete task X hourly rate
 + Supplies and operating costs
 X Number of transactions per year

14. Quality
 Identify qualitative improvements
 Fewer mistakes
 Reduced risks
 Better access to information
 Improved system utility

15. Analyze
Improvement
s
 Best practices
 Historical analogy
 Expert opinion
 Prototypes and pilots
 Cost improvement estimates

16. 5.
Design
Improved
Process
 Clarify the purpose of each activity
 Optimize steps that are valuable
 Reduce or eliminate those that aren’t
 Implement identified improvements

17. Report
Component
s
 Executive summary
 Description of existing business processes
 Evaluation of existing system
 Recommendations for improved processes

18. BPAs
 Require technical, managerial, political skills
 Never are really completed
 Involve some risk
 Can provide enormous benefits