Running Head: BUSINESS PROCESS 1
Business Process
Students Name
University Affiliation
Professor’s Name
A business process is a series or collection of activities or tasks that are carried out in a business or company so as to ensure delivery of a service or products to consumers or clients. It is a systematic process that needs a lot of planning and organization for efficiency and effectiveness in a company. Every business has its own uniquely designed business process which fits its operation. I am going to look at a business process in the supply chain activities that a supply chain company usually undertakes.(Weske, 2012)
(
ORDER PROCESSING/
ORDER CAPTURIN
G
) (
DELIVERY
) (
TRANSPORTATION AND
SHIPPING
)
PURCHASING ORDERS FROM
(
MATERAL HANDLING
MANAGEMENT
) (
REPACKAGING FOR RETAILING
) (
INVENTORY
MANAGEMENT
) (
WAREHOUSING/
STORAGE
)MANUFACTURERS
In the above business process there are the following key steps involved; they include the following:
Order processing/capturing; here the company collects all data or information about orders from customers or customer service employees on what is needed and what amounts of products is required to be stocked and restocked, this is a very important activity since it ultimately leads to customer satisfaction.
Purchasing orders from manufacturers is the next step where we obtain or purchase all orders that were requested by customers directly from manufacturers, being keen on the quality and quantity specification given so as to fit demand. Warehousing is the next part of the process where all products or services are moved at a central space or hub for storage as they await distribution. Inventory management is next where all products or services coming in and going out are well recorded and documented, this is important since it keeps track of all items where they are from and where they need to be delivered to. Material handling management is a very vital process, it manages all handling of the products and services in the entire business process, it entails that all different products should be handled in the correct appropriate manner in order to retain its intended quality and quantity upon delivery. Material planning is also a part of this step where it involves acquisition of all materials that are required in the entire supply chain business.(Arndt, 2004).
Repackaging to retailing requirements, here they try to break down the large wholesale packages that came directly from manufacturers into required desirable smaller package sizes, this takes place in distribution centers. The next vital step in this business process is Transportation/Shipping, this is massive component which involves moving products or services across all areas where orders were placed. Timeliness, effectiveness and efficiency here are key to ensure maximum profit and client satisfaction. Delivery is the finals part of the process which occurs after transportation where all products or services are delivered to clients in the desired specification meeting all quality standards for sale.
In order to improve this business process and make it more efficient, cost effective and time saving is through making some few logistical changes or combining some processes and improving management and technology in the entire business process. Example of such changes are at the order processing we can use computerized systems that gather order information in a fast more efficient manner. At the warehouse we can not only store but also we can combine the process with the repackaging process that previously is done in the distribution centers, hence then when the bulk products come in the warehouse they undergo repackaging before they are stored. Finally transportation and fleet management is paramount so that vehicles that are used in transportation or in peak form making them more efficient and cost effective. This will generally improve the entire business process.(Smith &Fingar, 2003)
(
COMPUTERISED
ORDER PROCESSING/
ORDER CAPTURIN
G
)
PURCHASING ORDERS FROM
MANUFACTURERS
(
MATERAL HANDLING
MANAGEMENT
) (
INVENTORY
MANAGEMENT
) (
TRANSPORTATION AND
SHIPPING
) (
DELIVERY
) (
WAREHOUSING/
STORAGE
AND REPACKAGING
)
Reference
Arndt, H. (2004). Supply Chain Management. GablerVerlag Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, Wiesbaden.
Chen, H., Daugherty, P. J., & Landry, T. D. (2009). Supply chain process integration: a theoretical framework. Journal of Business Logistics, 30(2), 27-46.
Lockamy III, A., & McCormack, K. (2004). The development of a supply chain management process maturity model using the concepts of business process orientation. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 9(4), 272-278.
Smith, H., &Fingar, P. (2003). Business process management: the third wave (Vol. 1). Tampa: Meghan-Kiffer Press.
Weske, M. (2012). Business process management architectures. In Business Process Management (pp. 333-371). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.