Supporting process improvements with process mapping and system dynamics

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the effectiveness of combining process mapping and system dynamics (SD) in an organization’s ongoing business process improvement projects. Design/methodology/approach - Norfield Industries, designer and manufacturer of prehung door machinery, used process mapping and SD in a project targeting the improvement of its design document control process. The project team first used process mapping to document its current process and identify potential improvements. The team then developed an SD model to investigate the potential impacts of proposed process changes. Findings - The case study supports the communication and transparency benefits of process mapping reported in earlier studies. Consistent with other case studies using simulation, SD provided useful insights into possible results of proposed process changes. Research limitations/implications - The findings have limitations with respect to generalizability consistent with the use of a case study methodology. Practical implications - Organizational managers desiring to include simulation modeling in process improvement efforts have a choice between discrete event simulation and SD. SD may prove able to consume less organizational resources than discrete-event simulation and provide similar benefits related to reducing the risks associated with process changes. Originality/value - The current case study adds to the existing literature documenting the use of process mapping combined with simulation modeling in process improvement efforts. The case study supports existing literature regarding the value of process mapping in making system processes more transparent. The results also support previous findings regarding the value of SD for simulating the possible results associated with scenarios under consideration for process improvements.