Process Analysis:
The First Step to Optimization
Before you can optimize, you need to understand. Process analysis creates transparency, uncovers weaknesses, and identifies potential. Here's how it works.
Every optimization project starts with the same question: How does it actually work today? Process analysis is the systematic examination of workflows - to understand the current state, identify weaknesses, and develop improvement potential. Without solid analysis, optimization remains guesswork. In this guide, you'll learn methods, tools, and a step-by-step approach.
What is Process Analysis?
Process analysis is the systematic examination of business processes to understand their current state, efficiency, and optimization potential.
Unlike process documentation, which only captures processes, analysis goes deeper: It asks why processes work the way they do, where problems arise, and what can be improved. Process analysis is the foundation for any optimization - because you can only improve what you understand.
When is Process Analysis Needed?
- Before optimization projects - to establish a baseline and set priorities
- For quality problems - to identify root causes of errors
- For cost pressure - to find inefficiencies and waste
- Before digitalization - to optimize processes before digitalizing
- During growth - when processes no longer scale
- For employee complaints - when workflows lead to frustration
Goals of Process Analysis
Create Transparency
Understand how processes actually work - not how they should work. Document the current state honestly and completely.
Identify Weaknesses
Find bottlenecks, media breaks, duplicate work, unnecessary waiting times. Name problems specifically and measurably.
Recognize Improvement Potential
Derive concrete improvement opportunities from weaknesses. Prioritize by effort and impact.
Establish Baseline
Collect metrics that can later prove optimization success. Without before-after comparison, no proof.
Methods of Process Analysis
Various methods and tools are available for process analysis. The right mix depends on the process complexity, available resources, and goals:
Interviews & Workshops
Talk to those who live the process every day. Structured interviews and workshops bring out the real knowledge - including workarounds and problems that aren't documented anywhere.
Best for: Understanding the real situation, uncovering hidden problems
Observation
Watch how processes actually run. What people say and what they do are often two different things. Observation reveals the reality - including inefficiencies that participants themselves don't notice anymore.
Best for: Physical processes, operational workflows
Document Analysis
Analyze existing process documentation, work instructions, forms, system data. What processes are documented? How current is the documentation? What do the numbers say?
Best for: Auditing existing processes, quantitative analysis
Flowcharts & Process Maps
Visualize the process in flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, or BPMN notation. Visualization makes complexity visible and helps identify weaknesses.
Best for: Understanding complex processes, communication with stakeholders
Metrics Analysis
Measure KPIs like throughput time, error rate, processing costs. Numbers don't lie - but must be interpreted correctly.
Best for: Objective assessment, baseline for optimization
Process Mining
Automatic analysis based on data from IT systems. Process Mining reconstructs how processes actually run - based on digital traces, not assumptions.
Best for: High-volume processes, complex systems
Root Cause Analysis
Methods like 5-Why, Ishikawa, or Pareto Analysis help find the real causes of problems - not just symptoms.
Best for: Recurring problems, quality issues
Process Analysis Step by Step
A structured approach leads to solid results. These 6 steps have proven effective:
Step 1: Define Scope
Clearly define which process to analyze. Where does it start, where does it end? Who is involved? What are the interfaces to other processes? A clear scope prevents overload.
Step 2: Build Team
Assemble the right people: process owners, employees who work in the process daily, possibly IT and controlling. A diverse team brings different perspectives.
Step 3: Gather Information
Collect all relevant information: conduct interviews, observe work, analyze documents, evaluate data. Quantity and quality of information determine analysis quality.
Step 4: Document Current State
Map the current process - as it actually runs, not as it should. Visualize with flowcharts or swimlanes. Document every step, every decision, every interface.
Step 5: Identify Weaknesses
Analyze the documented process for problems: Where are waiting times? Where is work duplicated? Where do errors occur? Mark weaknesses and quantify their impact.
Step 6: Document and Prioritize Results
Compile findings in an analysis report. Prioritize weaknesses by urgency and improvement potential. Develop concrete recommendations for optimization.
Tools for Process Analysis
Visualization Tools
For creating flowcharts, swimlane diagrams, and process maps.
Lucidchart, Miro, Microsoft Visio, draw.io
Process Mining
Automatic process reconstruction from IT system data.
Celonis, UiPath Process Mining, Signavio
Documentation
For capturing interviews, findings, and recommendations.
Confluence, Notion, SharePoint
Process Analysis Checklist
- Analysis scope clearly defined
- All stakeholders identified and involved
- Current state documented (not target state)
- Interviews conducted with process participants
- Metrics collected (throughput time, error rate, costs)
- Weaknesses specifically named and quantified
- Root causes analyzed (not just symptoms)
- Improvement potential derived and prioritized
- Results validated by stakeholders
Typical Weaknesses We Find
Across all industries and process types, similar patterns emerge. These are the most common weaknesses:
Media Breaks
Data is transferred from system to system - often manually. Every media break is a source of errors and delays.
Duplicate Work
The same information is entered in multiple places. Double and triple work is more common than most companies think.
Waiting Times
Processes are stuck - waiting for approvals, information, decisions. Often the actual processing takes minutes, waiting takes days.
Unclear Responsibilities
Nobody knows exactly who is responsible. Tasks fall through the cracks or are done by multiple people in parallel.
Manual Routine Tasks
Employees spend hours on tasks that could be automated: copying data, generating reports, sending reminders.
Too Many Exceptions
The 'standard process' is the exception. Every case is treated individually - with corresponding effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
A simple process can be analyzed in 1-2 weeks. Complex processes with many participants and interfaces need 4-8 weeks. The scope depends on analysis depth and available resources.
Definitely the people who work in the process daily - they know the reality. Plus process owners who have decision-making authority. Depending on focus, also IT, controlling, quality management.
Documentation captures how a process works. Analysis goes deeper: Why does it work that way? Where are problems? What could be better? Documentation is a sub-task of analysis.
When processes are executed in IT systems and leave digital traces - invoices in ERP, tickets in CRM, orders in online shop. Process Mining delivers objective data - but needs data quality and expertise for interpretation.
Depends on scope and approach. A simple internal analysis costs mainly time. External support for analysis and recommendations typically costs €5-15k for a process - but quickly pays off through targeted optimization.
Conclusion: Analysis as Foundation
Good process analysis is the foundation for successful optimization. It creates transparency, makes problems visible, and prioritizes improvement measures. Those who skip the analysis often optimize the wrong things - or the right things wrongly. Invest time in understanding before you change.
Free Process Check
In an initial consultation, we'll briefly look at a process together - and show you what a professional analysis could reveal.
Book Free Consultation30 minutes. Concrete insights. No obligation.
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