Analyzing Business Processes For An Enterprise System

1. Diagram the order process. What are the outputs of this process?

The ordering process begins with the decision of the customer to submit their order simply by either calling, faxing or mailing their order information. When a customer calls in their order, the customer service representatives takes down pertinent customer information, which includes the customer's name, billing and shipping address, product number and description, quantity and shipping instructions. While taking down the order, the customer service representative access the company's order entry system where inventory checks are conducted as well as credit checks are processed. In addition, delivery options are advised to the customer. Here the customer decides if he/she would like a rush delivery, a 4-5 business day delivery, an 8-10 business days delivery, or a 10+ days delivery. If the customer decides on a rush delivery, the warehouse located closest to the shipping address is notified as to the availability of the product and the delivery instructions. If that particular warehouse does not have the product available, other warehouses are contacted. If the customer decides on 8-10 days in the future for delivery, the order is held for several days before being processed. If the customer decided on a 10+ days in the future for delivery, the order is held for processing and treated as a back order when it is input into the order entry system. The order entry system generates back order reports daily so customer service representatives are able to keep track of orders that are not necessarily rush orders. Based on this information, once the customer decides on a delivery time the order information is confirmed with the customer.

Once the customer information and order is entered into the system, the customer number is automatically generated if the customer is an existing customer or a new number if the customer is a new customer. From the customer service representative department, the order is then filtered to the credit department where credit holds are forwarded. However, If the customer does not have credit hold on the account, the shipment is automatically sent out to the customer and payment is received upon delivery. In the even a credit hold is apparent, the credit department is forward the information and requests payment from the customer prior to delivery. Once payment has been received, the product is ready to be shipped for prompt delivery. At this point, the order has been completed..

The inputs of this order process include the customer information, the address information, delivery information, shipping instructions, product numbers and descriptions.

The outputs of this order process include the product being shipped off to the client, the client’s information being sent to the credit department because of a credit hold and the shipping information being sent to warehouses to make sure that the product is in stock and available to meet the delivery deadline(s).

[SEE ATTACHMENT 1 FOR ORDER PROCESS FLOWCHART]

2. What other major business processes outside of the order process are likely to be impacted by the order process? Explain.

Business order processes are ever-changing and there a number of unforeseen circumstances which may occur randomly immediately affecting the order process. Some of the major business processes outside of the order process that are likely to be impacted by the order process may include missing products that are not included in the inventory listed on the networked computers; or different departments using different product numbers and descriptions and possibly transposing numbers when input in the computer system; or the only warehouse that has the product available is unable to make the rush shipment; or there is a restructure in management and staff and the new employees in particular departments have not been trained sufficiently and/or timely causing chaos in the ordering processes; or orders that are set out for 10+ day in the future as back orders are no longer available because the product is discontinued and there is no more supply to make the entire order; or the automatic credit checks are unreliable because clients with the same name, but different customer numbers are switched causing confusion with the order.

Things always happen. This is why people, especially businesses, always need to be prepared and have an efficient process structure within the company. When products are in offsite warehouses, there is no possible way of knowing what’s onsite and what’s not onsite. With that being said, with other departments using different numbers and product descriptions, the search becomes even more complicated. In addition, with customer service representatives and warehouse employees keying in numbers and information about products and customers, there is a high possibility that letters and numbers get transposed or even dropped off. In this event, the search becomes even longer and harder.

The customer service representative’s first priority is always the customer. Whatever the customer wants, ideally, the customer gets. However, when the customer service representative conducts the search with respect to locating the desired product and shipping the product at the desired shipping address within the desired delivery time sometimes becomes a burden. There are often times where the closest warehouse does not have the requested product in stock and other warehouse locations need to be conducted. In that event, the customer service representative is in the high hopes that that warehouse is able to deliver the product(s) on time; however, there are times where the further warehouse is the one that has the inventory but is only able to deliver the product one day later than request. When companies are unable to deliver on time as requested, the company loses the reputation it has built for being able to deliver on time, etc. which then results in a loss of business, customers and profits. It should be a rule of thumb that all of the offsite warehouses be fully stocked of the most commonly used products or can utilize its computer systems and sales reports in order to transmit orders to restock products directly to the suppliers and/or distributors. With this process in place, the products will be able to be shipped in a timely manner and each offsite warehouse will have the product, without the scrambling of trying to find the product elsewhere.

Since business is ever-changing, the company constantly undergoes restructuring from time to time. This basically means that some employees move up while others move around.

A problem with the restructuring