Business Process Optimization and Innovation: The INXPECT Case

Foreword

To support its strong growth in terms of business and turnover, as well as its international expansion, INXPECT decided to embark on a path of evolution of its Information Systems, premising the phase of IT developments on a mapping and review of its internal processes.

The objective of this analysis was to describe the activities and flows of the main business functions in their current state (“As-Is” analysis), to highlight possible critical issues and inefficiencies, and, where necessary, to propose possible actions–including organizational actions–for process efficiency (“To-Be” analysis).

Project

The main objective of the project was to conduct an in-depth analysis of INXPECT’s business processes in order to support the evolution of information systems and improve organizational efficiency. This was achieved through a series of phases that directly involved key-users and the INXPECT management team, ensuring an accurate and shared understanding of business needs.

Preparation and kick-off phase

After identifying the business areas to be analyzed, a kick-off meeting was held with the INXPECT project manager and key-users, aimed at defining the methodological approach, the tools to be used and the interview schedule.

Interviews and process mapping

Interviews played a crucial role in the analysis, with the goal of tracing workflows through swimlane charts in order to document in detail activities, operational logic, actors involved and tools used.

During the interviews, critical issues emerged that allowed solutions and improvements to be proposed, both on the organizational and IT levels.

Backoffice activities and refinement of materials

At the end of each interview, refinement work was done on the collected materials, with minutes and diagrams being prepared and then
sent to key-users for possible corrections and additions.

Final Master Document

The end result of the project was the Master Document, which provided a comprehensive overview of business processes, including for each area analyzed:

• Swimlane charts and summary descriptions of activities;
• General considerations of business flows and interactions;
• criticalities that emerged, proposals for optimization and identification of monitoring KPIs.

Each individual process was analyzed in detail with operation sheets containing proposals for improvement.

To foster international collaboration and facilitate interaction with foreign partners, the entire documentation was written in Italian and English.

Results

The first successful outcome was to bring to everyone’s attention, through impactful visual representations such as swimlane charts, the complexity and interaction of business processes. Such an overview reinforced awareness about internal mechanisms, fostering a clearer understanding of operational dynamics.

This awareness has had a positive impact not only on improving customer service, but also on the ability to come up with innovations in products and processes, supporting a culture of continuous improvement. The acquisition of PRAXI’s structured Business Process Reengineering (BPR) methodology has been an important resource in driving this change.

The active participation of a significant portion of INXPECT staff, who were directly involved in the analysis, greatly increased and spread a sense of ownership and stimulated critical thinking andproactive attitude, including in dealing with and overcoming minor frictions due to the confrontation of different points of view or the discovery of organizational or operational aspects previously unknown or concealed by the “business as usual” of a company absorbed by high growth rates in recent years.

The involvement of PRAXI consultants as a “third-party” entity had a catalytic and convergence effect toward a common goal of improvement.

Future

INXPECT has taken full advantage of the opportunity for professional growth and maturation resulting from the introduction of Business Process Reengineering and integrated this methodology into its operational approach, applying it independently for continuous improvement and process optimization.

Going forward, it will be possible to conduct further verification and optimization, as well as to develop tools for monitoring performance through the implementation of KPIs defined during the analysis. This process will keep the adopted solutions aligned with business needs, supporting organizational evolution and efficiency.