Data trash was yesterday | Clean processes for digitization

Industry 4.0, automation and digitization are not a vision, but already reality – AI, RPA and Blockchain only as examples. Digital transformation in the processes means on the one hand the automation of these processes, so that the areas can be designers; on the other hand, the generation of an actual added value from the gained data. But this added value can only be created if the incoming data is clean and holistic.

Data Quality

Data is knowledge; it is the gold of the 21st century. But only good data offers an advantage. It is a fact that every division in the value chain is responsible for a large part of corporate data. Procurement accesses a company’s internal data to carry out its purchasing planning, creates and sends purchase orders to suppliers and monitors deliveries. At the same time, it receives data from countless suppliers. This information is valuable. On the other hand, the same applies to sales as an interface to the customer. Production, logistics and commercial departments also contribute their data to a successful value chain.

Market-compliant processes

Accordingly, the basis for value-adding data is the holistic evaluation and, if necessary, fundamental revision of the entire existing business processes of a company, instead of a delimited departmental thinking and, based on this, only the optimization of existing individual processes. Rather, a fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes is required in order to consider the interrelationships of the „big picture“. This is the only way to drastically improve key performance indicators such as costs, quality, service and lead time. The levers to success are the market-conform structuring of the accompanying processes, the selection of the right tools in the overall concept of the value chain and a systematic implementation.

Process Governance

The more individual business processes are designed in the entire value chain, the lower the integration quality and the more complex the process and data management. In order to avoid complications, process governance should be developed as a control and regulation system for increased digitalization. Digital processes do not end at the doors of an organizational unit or department. In order to ensure agility and flexibility in the future, it is important to design the process structure in such a way that other processes can be integrated, and interfaces are taken into account.

Only clean and subsequently synchronized data in a uniform format and a defined quality with standardized values opens the possibility of digitizing processes. This data cleansing should not be underestimated for companies. The output of a digital process is only as good as the input! – How good is your data quality?

 

Oliver Kreienbrink

Managing Director, ADCONIA GmbH (Oberhausen)

Sinja Krauskopf

Consultant, ADCONIA GmbH (Oberhausen)