Astana IT University

Final

Course: Business Process Engineering

Group: ITM-2204
Work by: Aiym Sagiyeva, Esenbek Abiur, Shugyla Moldabekova
To: Mohamed Ibrahim

Astana, 2024

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 Content table

Business Process Mapping (BPMN).....................................................................................................................

Value Stream Mapping (VSM).............................................................................................................................
Change Management.............................................................................................................................................
To-Be process BPMN...........................................................................................................................................
Quantifying the impact:........................................................................................................................................

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Business Process Mapping (BPMN)

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Picture 1. As-Is process BPMN diagram

After assessing the existing condition (As-Is) of EduCo University's online course delivery
process, various bottlenecks, redundancies, and inefficiencies become apparent:
1. Complex Online Portal for Material Submissions:
- Bottleneck: The sophisticated web gateway for material submission causes a
bottleneck since teachers may have difficulty understanding and using the
system, potentially leading to delays in submitting course materials.
- Redundancy: Due to the portal's intricacy, teachers may take needless steps or
duplicate their efforts, reducing overall efficiency.
2. Manual Review and Approval Process:
- Bottleneck: Administrative staff's manual review and approval process is time-
consuming, causing delays in course material approval.
- Inefficiency: Manual evaluations are prone to errors and inconsistencies, and
they may not scale as the university expands. It also strains administrative
resources.
3. Instructors can directly upload course content.
- Allowing instructors to contribute course content directly can result in errors
in formatting, organization, and accessibility. This may have an impact on the
overall quality and user experience for students.
4. Student Support via Email:
- Bottleneck: Handling student assistance inquiries via email causes a
bottleneck due to longer response times and the lack of a centralized
mechanism for recording and managing requests.
- Limited Tracking: The usage of email for help lacks a systematic method for
tracking, prioritizing, and resolving issues quickly, which affects both student
happiness and problem response timeframes.

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 5. Separate learning platforms:
- Inefficiency: Using distinct platforms for material submission and content
distribution may result in inefficiencies, since instructors and students must
negotiate several systems. Integrating these platforms can improve the user
experience.
6. Data discrepancies:
- Inconsistency: The reported average course approval time is 8 business days,
indicating that the approval process may be inconsistent. Streamlining this
process can result in more predictable results.
- Low Satisfaction with Support Response Time: The reported 65% satisfaction
with support response time indicates a need for improvement in responding to
student inquiries quickly.
7. Legacy Online Portal:
- Technology Obsolescence: Using a legacy internet portal may prevent the
adoption of newer technology and features that could improve overall
efficiency and user experience.
8. Limited Collaboration with the IT Department:
- Missed Opportunities: The IT department, as a vital stakeholder, may have
insights and technological solutions to present difficulties. Lack of teamwork
may lead to missed opportunities for improvement.

To optimize the online course delivery process, it is critical to address bottlenecks,

redundancies, and inefficiencies by redesigning the entire process, introducing automation,
integrating technologies, and encouraging collaboration among key players.

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Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

Picture 2. Value Stream Map for course approval process

Processes:

1. Course Material Submission by Instructors:

- Value-added: Submitting required course materials.
- Non-value-added: Navigating through a complex online portal (non-value added if it's
overly complex and confusing).

2. Administrative Review and Approval:

- Value-added: Reviewing course materials for compliance and educational value.
- Non-value-added: Manual review process leading to delays.

3. Content Upload to Learning Platform:

- Value-added: Uploading approved course content.
- Non-value-added: Potential inconsistencies and accessibility issues arising from direct
upload by instructors.

Cycle time = average time for course approval (8 business days)

Lead time = 1+1+1=3 days

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Value-added time = Time spent on value-added activities = (2/3) 100%= 66.66% ~ 67%

To identify opportunities for reducing non-value-added activities and improving

process flow, consider the following:

1. Streamline the Submission Process: Simplify the online portal for material submission to
reduce navigation time for instructors.
2. Automate Review Process: Implement automated checks or workflow systems to expedite
administrative review and approval.
3. Standardize Content Upload: Provide guidelines and templates for consistent content
upload to minimize inconsistencies.
4. Proactive Accessibility Review: Conduct proactive accessibility reviews to reduce reported
issues.
5. Improve Student Support: Implement a more efficient support system, possibly integrating
with the learning platform.
6. Upgrade IT Infrastructure: Invest in updating the online portal and learning platform to
address technical issues and improve user experience.

Picture 3. Value Stream Map for student support request

Processes:

1. Receive Support Request:

- Value-added: None
- Non-value-added: Waiting time for students until their request is acknowledged.

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2. Review Request:
- Value-added: Identifying the issue/request, analyzing the request.
- Non-value-added: Waiting time in the queue, administrative delays.

3. Resolve Request:
- Value-added: Providing a solution, communicating with the student.
- Non-value-added: Delays due to lack of information, waiting for approvals.

4. Closure:
- Value-added: Finalizing the request, updating records.
- Non-value-added: Administrative delays in closing the request.

Cycle time = 2 days

Lead time =1+1+1+1=4 days
Value-added time = Time spent on value-added activities = (2/4)* 100%= 50%

To identify opportunities for improvement:

1. Implement a ticketing system to track requests and reduce administrative delays.
2. Provide training to staff for quicker issue resolution.
3. Streamline approval processes to reduce waiting time.
4. Upgrade the support system for faster response times.

By addressing these areas, you can reduce non-value-added activities, improve process flow,
and potentially decrease the overall cycle time and lead time while enhancing student
satisfaction.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the value stream maps (VSMs) for both the course approval process and
student support request highlight crucial insights into the current state of these workflows,
identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for optimization.

For the course approval process, the VSM revealed a significant lead time of 8 business days
on average, indicating potential bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the approval pipeline. By
scrutinizing each step in the process, we can pinpoint non-value-added activities such as
waiting times and administrative delays. Addressing these inefficiencies through process
streamlining, automation, or improved communication channels can reduce lead time,
enhance stakeholder satisfaction, and ultimately expedite course approval timelines.

Similarly, for the student support request process, the VSM outlined key steps from request
receipt to resolution, uncovering waiting times and redundant activities that contribute to
slower response times and lower student satisfaction levels. By focusing on optimizing email

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routing, improving staff allocation, and implementing more efficient investigation and
resolution procedures, we can reduce cycle time, enhance responsiveness, and elevate the
overall quality of support services provided to students.

In both cases, the VSMs serve as invaluable tools for visualizing and understanding the end-
to-end processes, enabling stakeholders to identify pain points, prioritize improvement
initiatives, and drive meaningful changes that enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and
stakeholder satisfaction across the board. Continual monitoring and refinement of these
processes based on feedback and performance metrics will be essential for ensuring ongoing
optimization and alignment with organizational goals and stakeholder expectations.

Change Management

Introducing a new and optimized "to-be" process at EduCo University requires

accurate change management to secure stakeholder acceptance. Here are certain change
management activities that ease the transition:

Communication Plan:
1. Create a clear communication strategy to tell all stakeholders about the planned
changes, highlighting the benefits and improvements.
2. Use numerous channels, such as email, meetings, and internal newsletters, to keep
everyone informed at various phases of the implementation process.

Stakeholder Engagement:
1. Identify and involve important stakeholders, such as instructors, administrative staff,
students, and the IT department, in the change process.
2. Conduct regular feedback sessions to address issues, gather information, and ensure
that the new approach meets the needs of all stakeholders.

Training Programs:
1. Develop and implement training programs to acquaint instructors, administrative
staff, and support people with the new processes and tools.
2. Hands-on training events, webinars, or video tutorials can help ensure a smooth
transition and increase confidence in utilizing the upgrade.
Clear documentation:
1. Create clear and succinct documentation explaining the new procedure, including
step-by-step guidelines and frequently asked questions for future reference.
2. Make sure that documentation is easily available and updated on a regular basis to
reflect any changes or enhancements.

Feedback mechanisms:
1. Create continuous feedback tools, such as questionnaires or feedback forms, to solicit
input from stakeholders both before and after the implementation.

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 2. Use feedback to create continuous improvements and address any issues that may
develop after implementation.

Timeline and milestones:

1. Provide a clear timeline for the transition, including major milestones and
checkpoints.
2. Set reasonable deadlines and celebrate accomplishments to stay motivated and
demonstrate progress.

Post-implementation Support:
1. Offer continuing help following implementation to address any difficulties that may
emerge.
2. Create a dedicated support team or help desk to assist users with inquiries or issues
regarding the new process.

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To-Be process BPMN

Picture 3. To-Be process BPMN diagram

To-Be Process: Streamlined Online Course Delivery with Technology Solutions:

1. Simplified Material Submissions:

- Change: Create a modern, user-friendly online portal that includes a drag-and-
drop tool for instructors to submit course materials.
- Technology Solution: Use optical character recognition (OCR) to automate
document processing.
- Benefits: Improves the user experience, minimizes manual work, and speeds
up material submission.
- Solved Issue: The implementation of a modern, user-friendly internet portal
with OCR technology has reduced the complexity of material submission.
Instructors may now submit materials with ease, minimizing manual work and
potential errors.

2. Automated Reviews and Approvals:

- Change: Set up an AI-powered automated review and approval system that
checks submitted content for conformity with criteria.
- Technology Solution: Use machine learning techniques for content analysis
and approval prediction.
- Benefits: Significantly decreases approval times, improves accuracy, and
enables scaling.
- Solved Issue: The adoption of an AI-driven automated review and approval
system has considerably decreased approval delays, resulting in faster
processing and fewer manual errors.

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3. Centralised Content Management System:
- Change: Integrate the material submission portal with the learning platform to
create a consolidated content management system.
- Technology Solution: Implement a content delivery system that includes
version control and real-time changes.
- Benefits: Ensures consistency, simplifies content distribution, and offers a
consistent experience.
- Solved Issue: By integrating the material submission portal with the learning
platform, we have built a centralized content management system that ensures
consistency in content distribution and provides users with a unified
experience.

4. Collaboration Platform for Support:

- Change: Set up a self-service support portal where students may get answers
to frequent questions and submit requests.
- Technology Solution: Implement a ticketing system to manage and automate
support requests.
- Benefits: Reduces workload for support staff, increases response times, and
provides students with self-service choices.
- Solved Issue: The implementation of a self-service support portal and a
ticketing system has alleviated the bottleneck of sluggish response times.
Students can now locate answers on their own, and the support team can
effectively handle and prioritize requests.

5. Performance Analysis and Reporting:

- Change: Set up a data analytics dashboard for real-time monitoring of critical
KPIs.
- Technology Solution: Use business intelligence tools for performance
analysis.
- Benefits: Facilitates data-driven decision-making, identifies trends, and
promotes continuous development.
- Solved Issue: The introduction of a data analytics dashboard and business
intelligence tools addressed the need for real-time monitoring of critical KPIs,
allowing for data-driven decision-making and continual improvement.

6. Technological Upgrade:
- Change: Convert the web portal to a cloud-based, scalable solution with
frequent upgrades and new features.
- Technology Solution: Move to a cloud platform and use Software as a Service
(SaaS) to ensure continual improvement.
- Benefits include increased system stability, scalability, and future
improvements.

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 - Solved Issue: The transition to a cloud-based, scalable solution with regular
upgrades has reduced the danger of technological obsolescence while
maintaining system dependability, scalability, and continual improvement.

7. Cross-functional Collaboration:
- Change: Create a collaborative platform that allows cross-functional teams to
connect and exchange updates.
- Technology Solution: Use project management and collaboration tools.
- Benefits: Improves communication, promotes knowledge sharing, and assures
team alignment.
- Solved Issue: Collaborative platforms and solutions have made it easier for
teams to communicate across functions, share knowledge, and align.

Cycle Time: The current cycle time is 3 days, consisting of 1 day for each of the three main
processes: material submission, administrative review, and content upload. By implementing
automation, streamlining processes, and introducing technology solutions such as OCR for
material submission and AI-powered review systems, significant reductions in cycle time are
expected. Let's conservatively estimate a 20% reduction in cycle time, resulting in a new
cycle time of approximately 2.4 days.

Lead Time: The current lead time for course approval is reported as 8 business days. By
automating the review and approval process, we can expect substantial reductions in lead
time. Let's estimate a 30% reduction in lead time due to the implementation of AI-driven
automated review systems, resulting in a new lead time of approximately 5.6 business days.

User Satisfaction: Several changes directly address user satisfaction concerns, such as
simplifying material submission, improving support response times, and enhancing
collaboration. Implementing self-service support portals, ticketing systems, and user-friendly
interfaces is likely to have a significant positive impact on user satisfaction. Let's
conservatively estimate a 15% increase in user satisfaction based on these improvements.

Quantifying the impact:

Cycle Time: 20% reduction from 3 days to 2.4 days.

Lead Time: 30% reduction from 8 business days to 5.6 business days.
User Satisfaction: 15% increase.

These estimates provide a quantitative assessment of the expected impact of the

proposed changes on cycle time, lead time, and user satisfaction. Overall, the changes aim to

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significantly improve efficiency, reduce delays, and enhance the overall user experience
within the online course delivery process at EduCo University.
1. Operational Efficiency: The use of automated review and approval processes is
intended to reduce the average course approval time from 8 business days to 5,6 days,
resulting in a verifiable increase in operational efficiency.
2. User Experience: Reducing support response times can lead to measurable gains in
user happiness, with the goal of raising the original 65% satisfaction percentage to
80%.
3. Cost reductions: Process optimization can result in verifiable cost reductions,
particularly in terms of lower administrative overhead and more efficient resource
usage.
4. Performance measures: The influence on educational outcomes can be measured
using measures such as increased course completion rates, enhanced student
engagement, and improved academic success indicators.
5. Adoption Rates: Measuring the adoption rates of the new web portal, integrated
learning platform, and support mechanisms among teachers, administrative staff, and
students offers concrete evidence of acceptability and effectiveness.
6. Error Reduction: Measuring errors and inconsistencies, particularly in course material
submission and approval processes, gives a quantifiable indicator of increased
accuracy and reliability.

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