Area: More process joy with Sensus BPM Online

Results

A societal challenge calls for clear processes

Housing corporation Area, in the Northeast Brabant region, is working on an important social mission: providing affordable and sustainable homes for people who need them most. To realize these homes, Area deploys various tools and initiatives, ranging from real estate projects and livability programs to internal operational improvements, such as the implementation of ICT solutions like Sensus BPM Online.

In conversation with Ilse van Hout, project manager/advisor at Area, it becomes clear how this housing association is tackling the implementation of a new process management system. Ilse is actively committed to the quality of service delivery. She believes it is important for colleagues to have a clear understanding of the work processes within Area, so that residents are helped in a consistent manner and clearly know what to expect.

The need for a user-friendly system

Area had been using a process registration system for some time, but “This system was not very accessible and practical, which made it difficult for process owners to keep their processes up to date,” Ilse notes. Which led to friction and outdated processes. The organization therefore looked for a system that was “accessible and user-friendly.” Although Ilse herself was not involved in the purchase, Sensus process management was already known as an “established name.” Sensus' approach with visual templates and icons is inherent to the unique Sensus method for modeling and visualizing business processes.

The Easter Promotion

To get employees excited about the new system, Area is linking the implementation of the primary processes in phase 1 to a creative Easter campaign. The goal is to internally promote Sensus and raise awareness of the process management application in a fun way. “I want to bring fun to continuous improvement and I believe that if you make something fun, it will land much better,” Ilse explains. A meeting room was transformed into an Easter atmosphere for the campaign, complete with various decorations, thematic posters, and a basket filled with chocolate eggs.

Employee participation started simply: they discovered via the Intranet how to open Sensus. Once in Sensus BPM Online, the Area employees went through a specific process that, using the Sensus-method icons, explained the steps for folding an Easter bunny. As a reward, employees could submit their folded Easter bunny and pick up a treat. The director also dropped by to show his support for the campaign. Students from Students Consultant, who had previously been involved in optimizing and transferring the primary processes within Area, helped with the guidance and testing of the process.

The Easter campaign was a success: many employees stopped by, looked up their own processes, and started conversations about Sensus BPM Online. It created the desired “buzz” and ensured a positive introduction to the application.

Beyond implementation: assurance and continuous improvement

To ensure that employees keep using Sensus BPM Online, Area focuses on the power of communication: repetition and a personal approach. “Every two weeks, we post fun messages about Sensus and did-you-knows with tips on functionalities such as the search function or KPIs,” Ilse explains. They also organize one-on-one and team sessions to provide explanations.

Area wants to develop Sensus BPM Online into a fully-fledged quality management system. They are currently populating all linked applications with descriptions, functional administrators, instructions, manuals, and policy documents, and linking KPIs to long-term objectives. The goal is for information that is currently scattered across various locations to all come together in Sensus BPM Online.

The success of the project became apparent the moment flowcharts from Sensus BPM Online were used at a staff meeting, confirming that employees are now actually using the tool. “For me, the transition to Sensus is an opportunity to improve our way of working and create more overview and structure,” according to Ilse.

Challenges and the way forward

For the future, Area is focusing on several key goals. They strive to fully complete and further organize phase 2, which includes the steering and supporting processes, with the ambition of having everything completely in order by October at the latest. In addition, establishing a management structure for Sensus is central; this involves investigating how process owners can bear responsibility themselves and whether lite licenses can be used for this purpose. Area also wants to develop broader ICT training for new employees, in which process management and Sensus BPM Online play an important role, in order to offer “warm guidance.” “I envision a train-the-trainer principle here, where Sensus and Area provide the training together,” Ilse adds.

Finally, Area wants to become stronger in the check and act phases of the PDCA cycle by focusing more on results and figures. Sensus BPM Online can help with this to actively go through the standard working method together with colleagues and improve it where possible.

Through the combination of a user-friendly application, a creative implementation, and a strong focus on communication and assurance, Area transforms process management from an administrative burden into a living, valuable tool that helps the organization achieve its societal goals. They are a learning organization that continuously strives for improvement and is committed to process optimization.

Sensus Process Management thanks Area and Ilse van Hout for their time and candor during this interview.

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