Getting future-ready with optimized processes

The Process Excellence Team (PET) is new at KWS. Can you describe it briefly?

Our team supports KWS in continuously optimizing business processes. We want to help improve service quality, cut costs and focus even more on internal and external customers. Efficiency and the ability to learn and change are to be increased.

We are a young, well-coordinated team with extensive experience in consulting, process management and project management. A great mix, highly motivated and aware that excellent processes are a never-ending task. That is precisely the motivator: every new challenge holds potential for improvement.

Why is the continuous optimization of business processes so important?

Optimization is a prerequisite for KWS' further successful development. To be able to respond quickly and sustainably to global developments and organizational changes today and in the future, our processes must be flexible, resilient and, above all, tailored to KWS' needs - always in compliance with national and international regulations and standards. This is a long road.

Where do we stand with GLOBE?

GLOBE is still in the centralization and stabilization phase due to the ongoing transitions. The overriding goal is to ensure service performance, i.e., to meet customer expectations as effectively as possible. This does not always work smoothly, as in addition to service provision, transitions are pending, new systems are being introduced and new colleagues are being trained. There is also a lot to be done in process control.

After the transitions, the focus will shift not only to effectiveness but also to efficiency, i.e., at least the same yield with less effort in order to achieve the necessary stability. In this way, the resources saved can be used in a targeted manner to increase service quality or expand services.

How does your team support this?

This year, we introduced comprehensive business process management (BPM) as a basis. It enables the GLOBE functions to design, execute, control, optimize and automate business processes in the company in a goal-oriented manner. One milestone was the digitization of process flows - 1,200 services with over 5,500 activities - which now enables processes to be analyzed quickly and efficiently, optimizations to be simulated digitally, and the best solutions to be implemented based on the results.

How do you go about optimizing processes?

When we are available as facilitators or project managers for cross-functional process improvement projects, we make use of various process improvement and excellence methods such as lean management. Behind this are thought principles, methods and procedures for the efficient design of value chains and processes.

The functions here are in the functional responsibility and content expert role, we bring our knowledge of process management and continuous improvement.

Do you have an example of what that might look like?

The basic process of an optimization project is based on best practices: After defining a clear call to action and improvement targets, the first step is to analyze the current process and identify the problems and what is causing them. Then we develop a new target process and derive the necessary measures for implementation, such as system harmonization and process automation. Finally, we ensure that these are also implemented and that the initially set goals are achieved.

How important is standardization for process optimization?

Standardization is important, but it must not be seen as an end in itself. Standardization should always be used where it adds value, for example to reduce complexity, ensure conformity or harmonize the system landscape. Standardization is an elementary factor, especially in the preparation for the process automation mentioned above.

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