New areas of business process optimization 

Until now, Business Process Management (BPM) has been used primarily to improve the efficiency of enterprises. During the era of growing problems with recruiting qualified staff, more and more often it supports companies in dealing with the situation of a lack of sufficient resources to implement key processes, e.g. quick integration of new employees or building an organization in which employees effectively share their knowledge.

Optimization of Human Capital Management and accounting processes

We perform, as part of projects carried out by Crowe for clients, analyses of various business areas and related business processes. Interestingly, we have so far concentrated mainly on processes related to the organization's core business, primarily on the field of sales and its support (e.g. purchasing or warehousing). At present, clients more and more often expect assistance in areas related to HCM (Human Capital Management), i.e. "soft HR" or accounting. On top of the analysis and optimization of processes, procedures or policies of organizations, we recommend, on the basis of the organizational structure and scopes of responsibilities, solutions that define the structure and competences of teams that will implement business processes optimized within the project.

Process optimization also includes the analysis:

• of documentation flows in processes,
• of processes support by ICT (Information and Communications Technology), i.e. information systems (e.g. ERP, DMS, CRM, BI) and ICT infrastructure,
• of risks and the possibility of their mitigation by appropriate control procedures.

Benefits of process optimization

Effective process management brings many measurable benefits to the organization. Not only does it allow better use of the available resources, but it also ensures time reduction of individual operations and cost savings.

Example results of process optimization:

• Accounting Department:
  • High-level processing of the same number or even more documents with a 25% reduction in staff levels (e.g. due to retirement).
  • Increase in quality and detail of controlling data submitted to the management.
  • Easier and quicker compilation of process data for internal and external auditors, indicating the risks and controls to mitigate them.
  • Quicker integration of new employees, based on described processes and procedures.

• HR department:
  • Acceleration of the employment procedure with the completion of all the documentation required by the applicable regulations, also regarding foreign workers.
  • Improvement of the on-boarding process together with equipping the workplace with appropriate devices and providing access card to the office and IT system access permissions.

• Other benefits:
  • Enhancing the organisation's process awareness.
  • Centralisation of the electronic process repository for all participating employees.
  • An opportunity to share the company's knowledge easily.
  • Quick response to changes in the business environment thanks to the interactions with this environment described in the processes.
  • An increase of the company's competitiveness.