A customer centric process innovation toolkit for SMEs

Abstract

The business environment is changing at an accelerated pace. Consequently, continuous systemic changes within companies are imperative. In light of this, we are witnessing a shift in the way organizations are designed, structured and organized. Contemporary organisations are reorganizing their processes and systems to be more responsive to the ever-changing needs of the customer. This move towards the customer focused enterprise can be facilitated by the use of methodologies and tools to ensure that the proposed new system will operate as planned. However, process innovation is a complex and difficult activity and often requires specialized support. The methods and tools available are not always suitable for small and medium size enterprises (SME). This paper identifies the support structures and dedicated tools required to facilitate customer focused process innovation in SMEs. A web enabled toolkit designed with these requirements in mind is presented. The toolkit supports all aspects of the process innovation life cycle namely; analysis and conception, specification and selection as well as roll out and implementation. It consists of a methodology repository, a description framework, a navigator as well as a performance measurement module. The toolkit has been implemented and validated in industry. From this procedure feedback and lessons learned have been captured and integrated to refine the product.