A comic for learning Business Process Improvement. See how TAKEO, who just joined the TAKETORI firm, practically improve the Order-taking Process? A heart-shaking story of a young businessman’s growth steadily while listening to the teachings of “BPM Master”! (All to read for free)
TAKEO’s Adventure in BPM (Japanese / PDF: 2.52MB, 40pages)
1. A Crisis
One afternoon…
This young guy, TAKEO is the hero of this story.
TAKEO: How are you doing? Seems good, you and the company you’re working for.
This guy is ICHIRO. He was a class mate of TAKEO, and now he works for “HACHIKU Commerce”, one of the best in the business.
ICHIRO: Well, I don’t Know, but…
ICHIRO: They leave me some big deals recently. I wonder how much I am talented. By the way, you’ve gotten a job in “TAKETORI Firm”, haven’t you? I heard it’s a micro-enterprise that a family runs. Isn’t it too small for a X college grad?
ICHIRO: You’d better follow my example, enjoy your life elegantly. Or is that difficult for you?
ICHIRO: See you sometime. Get yourself in gear!
This is TAKETORI Firm where TAKEO works for. They deal bamboo materials and handicrafts.
They used to be famous with their “TAKETORI’s Comb”, purveyors to the Imperial Household Agency. But now they are a dispirited micro-enterprise. TAKEO was born and raised in Kyoto. And he is interested in handicraft art, so he chose the company to work.
TAKEO: I’m back! Whoops!?
TAKEO: What a hell is it? Office is filled up with bamboos!
TAKEO: Hey, what’s going on here? Why such many of bamboos are there?
Uncle Sales: Oh! There you’re back.
This is Uncle Sales, sales person of TAKETORI Firm. Also supervisor of TAKEO.
Uncle Sales: Well well, Aunt clerk made a multiple order…Mistake!
Aunt Clerk: What are you talking about?!
Aunt Clerk: I did it properly. I am not concerned.
Uncle Sales: Then how could this happen? Are you sure about the cancellation week before last?
Aunt Clerk: I haven’t heard it. I am not concerned.
Uncle Sales: What? I did told you on the phone!
Aunt Clerk: I haven’t heard it. I am not concerned.
TAKEO: President!
TAKEO: What are you thinking on those too much inventories! We could go bankrupt!
President: Well, I ‘m too busy… Can you handle that?
TAKEO: Nobody has a sense of crisis even on fault order… Nobody understands what’s going on… Sales is little bit… No hope …for such a company… (snap)
2. The Saver appears
TAKEO: HI-HI-HI
TAKEO: Roooaaarrre!
TAKEO: (CRACK!)
(GOOOONG) What a surprise! An old man appeared from the bamboo that TAKEO smashed for his madness.
TAKEO: Who are you?
Old man: I am The Master of BPM.
Master BPM: You seem being troubled… Well, talk to me. I will save you because you got me out from bamboo.
TAKEO: Listen, it’s about the company I’m working for. People there are O.K. though, but business stuck and communication has broken down and…
Master BPM: HO HO HO! I see, boy! I am the best for that kind of problem. Just follow me and learn BPM then you may improve whole company.
TAKEO: BPM?
# YAHAGI’s Commentary on BPM (YAHAGI, Questetra.Inc.)
What’s BPM?
It stands for Business Process Management.
- Arrange & Analyze business flow
- Find out problems
- The best procedure
Its goal is the improvement of QCD.
- Quolity: Bad > Good
- Cost: Expensive > Cheap
- Delivery: Slow > Quick
Happiness for all!!
Master BPM: However! It’s a long way to go! You think you can make it?
TAKEO: I sure will! I would do anything if I could change this situation.
Master BPM: HO HO HO! That’s the spirit! OK,we are going to start with…
Master BPM: Lesson 1, Business Modeling!
TAKEO: Business Modeling??
# YAHAGI’s Commentary on BPM
What’s Business Modeling?
BPMN means Business Process Model and Notation.
- Start Event: Show the beginning of a business issue
- Tasks: Activities
- End Event: End of a business Issue
- Swim Lane: person or a team
YAHAGI: There is a various symbols to represent complex business flow.
# YAHAGI’s Commentary on BPM
What Will Happen by Modeling Business?
Something Comes Into View Just by Arrange “As-Is”
- Why? to whom this guy is doing that?
- Nobody checks!
- Other guys are working on the same thing!
- Our regulation requires approval on this. But nobody did.
YAHAGI: It will accelerate discussion for improvement!
3. A First Modeling
TAKEO: Huff…I have done at last!
Master BPM: Ho Ho HO, Let’s see…
Business Flow Chart that TAKEO drew – Made with hearing from co-workers
- Order receive
- Order entry
- Produce
- Invoice Preparing
- Shipping
- File the Invoice
Not clarified business flow (Only verbally told so far) Haven’t billed properly (Invoices are not kept) No prospect can be made (Clerk haven’t told about manufacture and shipping) etc.
YAHAGI: Making a chart with BPMN, unclear business flow can be understand simple and clear.
TAKEO: Hey! President! We have lots of problem in our firm! Flow of business is unclear, too much depending on experience and intuition, lots of unreasonableness and uselessness! Let’s improve them along this business flow chart!
President: Well, I ‘m too busy… Can you …
President: I can see the business! I can understand.
President: Well done, TAKEO! I adopt this as a business regulation! Hey! Everybody, form now on, work along this business chart nice’n Clear!
Uncle Sales & Aunt clerk: Booo… Tiresome…
TAKEO: Don’t worry! Leave it to Questetra!!
# YAHAGI’s Commentary on BPM
Business Goes Just Like as The Workflow You Designed
Once Workflow chart is designed, entry forms (screen) for proceeding it are automatically generated. Questetra BPM Suite is Automatically Generated
- Form for Uncle Sales
- Form for Aunt Clerk
YAHAGI: Task is automatically passed to the next person in charge after inputting data in entry form. Although applying new regulation is very hard, this make everyone feel fine and easy.
(A Month later) Workers got used to BPM day by day,by TAKEO’s enthusiastic teaching BPM.
Aunt Clerk: It’s good and easy to understand the flow of business. …and progress.
Uncle Sales: All I gotta do is to input, then the business goes on. …and no more communication error.
TAKEO: Master! Thank you very very much! Finally,I could manage to make works going nice ‘n smooth!
Master BPM: You cretiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin! This is only the beginning of my lesson!
Master BPM: The next…Lesson 2, Optimization!
TAKEO: Optimization!?
# YAHAGI’s Commentary on BPM
What’s Optimization?
– Practical Business Data has accumulated. To find out problem from those data and to improve business flow is Optimization.
For example: Finding out bottle neck in the state of business
- Stranded Hours
- Number of transactions
- Average Processing Time
YAHAGI: Only a glance all over the business by Questetra BPM Suite!
4. Optimization
TAKEO checked over and over the business flow.
TAKEO: (Flush) ((No Super-Power needed for finding problem))
TAKEO: Yak! There I found an extremely slow part!
Uncle Sales: I know who deal this…
TAKEO: Gran-Pa!
Gran-Pa is a craftsman who is in charge of flagship product “the Comb”. Although he is craftsman of old school and stubborn, his skills are great.
TAKEO: Please take a look at this chart, Gran-Pa! I thik you are one of the bottle neck.
Gran-Pa: Even you say so… I was working real hard, but can’t handle whole thing… Sometimes I ain’t got no job to do, alright, but sometimes I got tons of work to do… I’m almost gone sick…
TAKEO: That’s wrong, Gran-Pa shouldn’t be blamed. Isn’t there any chance to improve Business Flow chart and let him released??
TAKEO: I see it!
TAKEO: I seeeeeeeee it!
# YAHAGI’s Commentary on BPM
What TAKEO Has Seen?
Let’s take a look at the TAKEO’s Workflow diagram, again.
- Order recieve
- Order entry
- Produce
- Prepare Invoice
- Shipping
- File Invoice
There is a big difference between the busy season and the low season
Too long overtime work
Stagnation occurs often
YAHAGI: How can we improve this workflow to average the grandpa’s work that fluctuates?
He couldn’t start production until “Order entry” had registered.
Concurrent Processing helps him start earlier.
He can start production at the time order comes in, so he has enough time to work.As he has become able to start producing upon an order coming in, his time to spend producing increased, so now the fluctuation is absorbed.
YAHAGI: It’s also good “Create Invoices”can start before “Production” has complete. Concurrent Processing is one of the effective improvement.
TAKEO: Now, this would make Gran-Pa’s work Easier!.
Master BPM: My! He done not only analyze but also improved! This guy is pretty good.
Gran-Pa: Well well… I have enough time so work ain’t hard anymore. Even though, quality has getting better than ever.
Uncle sales extended the business results steadily, and so as TAKEO. Aunt Clerk keeps working solemnly.
Performance of TAKETORI Firm became progressively upward… And now…
5. BPM Cycle
Whole team has got together for business improvement with BPM, and almost succeeded…
TAKEO: Business goes effectively,and sales are now good.Now I feel at ease.
Master BPM: You cretiiiiiiiiiiiiiin again! Fool, you think you are through?
Master BPM: You’ve got to learn Lesson 3, BPM Cycle!
TAKEO: BPM Cycle?
# YAHAGI’s Commentary on BPM
What’s BPM Cycle?
A Cycle of PDCA that Focused on Work Flow
- Planning Workflow (Modeling)
- Doing task (Execution)
- Monitoring operations
- Analysis on Record
YAHAGI: Nobody can design perfect Model from the beginning. And as the organization or legal systems change, Workflow must be improved and optimized responding to those changes.
TAKEO challenged continuously for further improvement, and tried to apply BPM to every business operation.
Uncle Sales became an Ace salesman.
Aunt Clerk kept on working solemnly.
Gran-Pa’s skill as a craftsman has further brushed up, he developed a new product during the spare time made by optimization of business operation.
The new product “Delu-Xi” became a news in town for its record-breaking size and quality.
It had been introduced on the media, and created stir because Celebrities and Stars favored it.
TAKETORI Firm made the growth ever since its foundation.
(Another afternoon)
TAKEO: Hi! Long time no see, ICHIRO. How’s everything going?
ICHIRO: My Assignment changed. Everyday they keep on telling me to improve operations. I have totally no idea what to do.
TAKEO: Ah! You are in charge of improve business operations. OK! Ask me anything about it!
ICHIRO: Are you serious? Well, what should I supposed to do first?
TAKEO: Ok, There’s a system called BPM, and…
Master BPM: Ha! This boy acts as if he is already a BPM Master. Now, he found pupil of his own! Well, it’s alright… Now, It’s good time for get myself a new pupil… Ho Ho Ho
Master BPM: Rome wasn’t built in a day… and so as BPM…
