How Fien Wonen keeps processes up to date by involving managers
Results
Twice a year
Managers meet to set process management priorities.
4-5 processes
completed every six months.
2-3 hours
to gather all the input needed for a process.
Industry Housing association
Company size: 40 employees
Objective Working with up-to-date processes
Making process management part of day-to-day operations
Why Fien Wonen needed a stronger focus on processes
For years, Fien Wonen outsourced much of its work. This made it increasingly important to regain control of its own processes. “There was a time when we outsourced almost everything. We’d lost touch with the parts of our work that we were still responsible for.”
Fien Wonen wanted to regain that control step by step, with process management playing an important role. It clarifies how work should be done, who is responsible for what, and where there is room for improvement. Fien Wonen focuses on the main flow of each process. This gives colleagues clear guidance without going into the level of detail you would expect from a work instruction.
“We don’t write detailed work instructions, but we do document the flow. Who is responsible for what? In the past, when something went wrong, there were times when no one took responsibility. Now we have a final check, a four-eyes principle, and we know who is responsible.”
Deciding what needs attention first
Kim works closely with the management team and managers when deciding which processes to develop. Every six months, they discuss what is coming up in the months ahead. Which topics need attention? How much capacity do departments have? Kim and the managers use this to set their priorities together.
“That means they know how much time I’ll need from their department. They can also say, ‘You may have time to do four processes, but I only have capacity for one or two.’”
This keeps expectations realistic, and Kim doesn’t have to convince managers of the value of process management. They know what to expect, and the work on processes ties in with topics that are already on their agenda.
Colleagues don’t need to become process experts
Kim also tries to keep the time she asks of colleagues to a minimum. She schedules an initial session to gather their input, then documents the process herself in Sensus BPM Online. In a follow-up session, they review the process together and make any necessary adjustments.
“I only ask colleagues to spend a limited amount of time helping me document a process. So far, I’ve been able to keep it to two or three hours per process. I do show them Sensus, but they don’t need to know what every box is for.”
This keeps things accessible. Colleagues contribute their knowledge, while Kim makes sure each process is documented consistently.
“My advice is to ask just enough of people to get them thinking, without asking too much.”
“The pace at which I can complete processes says a lot about how easy Sensus is to use. I only spend a fifth of my time on this, yet I still manage to complete four or five processes every six months.”
Why Fien Wonen returned to Sensus
Fien Wonen had worked with Sensus before. Over time, a lack of time and other priorities pushed it into the background. When Kim and a colleague took on process management in their new roles, they also took the opportunity to reconsider which software would be the best fit. Once again, they chose Sensus BPM Online.
“We also considered Microsoft Visio and Canva, but they would have taken far too much time. What made the difference for us was Sensus’s simple structure, consistency, and its connection to the CORA models.”
Rather than picking up where they had left off, Fien Wonen decided to start again with its processes.
“We let go of all our old processes. They were created at a time when we worked very differently, so we started again from scratch.”
With the CORA model , Kim had a useful foundation to work from and help her get started quickly.
Documenting many processes in limited time
Process management only makes up a small part of Kim’s role. Even so, she manages to keep up a good pace.
“The pace at which I can complete processes says a lot about how easy Sensus is to use. I only spend a fifth of my time on this, yet I still manage to complete four or five processes every six months.”
Sensus helps her with more than documenting processes. It also keeps KPIs, areas for improvement, and agreements together in one place. Every six months, Kim sits down with the managers to discuss any changes and decide which processes to focus on next.
This way, process management remains part of Fien Wonen’s day-to-day operations.
Processes get people talking
Documenting a process gives you more than an overview of the steps involved. The conversations that happen along the way can be just as valuable. Kim often finds that working through a process helps colleagues spot gaps in their agreements or realize that responsibilities aren’t clear.
One example is the fire safety process for residential buildings. New legislation prompted Fien Wonen to take another look at the agreements and procedures around fire safety.
“We decided to document the process properly straight away. I can come in with a fresh perspective and ask: how do you do this, why do you do it this way, and who takes care of what? The next day, they sat down together again and said, ‘There are a few things we haven’t thought through yet. How are we going to handle those, and who is going to do what?’”
Small improvements make a difference too
Sometimes these conversations lead to bigger decisions. Other times, they result in small changes that save time every day.
During one session, for example, they discovered that a colleague was waiting for approval in the system before carrying out certain tasks. It turned out that approval wasn’t actually required.
Responsibilities in the tenant turnover process had also shifted over time.
“Mapping the process in Sensus after responsibilities had shifted helped us see how everyone was actually working. The manager could then make the necessary changes straight away, giving everyone more clarity in their day-to-day work.”
“Even a small change can make a difference. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing a single letter or adjusting one colleague’s permissions. To us, those are real improvements.”
Giving tenants greater consistency
Most process management happens behind the scenes, but tenants ultimately benefit from it too.
“We noticed that when letting properties, different colleagues would send different emails. We’ve now eliminated those inconsistencies. Tenants may not notice it directly, but their experience shouldn’t depend on which colleague they speak to. Everyone now follows the same process.”
Process documentation has also proved surprisingly useful in conversations with the tenants’ council. When discussing the complaints process, for example, Fien Wonen can show how it works and explain the reasoning behind its answers.
“We can show them every step we take. When they see those steps in Sensus, they have a better understanding of the process behind our decisions. That really helps with those conversations.”
Above all, process management needs to stay simple
After more than a year, Fien Wonen has built a solid foundation in Sensus BPM Online. But Kim sees process management as something that will always keep evolving.
“The most important thing is to keep our processes up to date. We want it to become second nature: there’s a process for this, so let’s check it or update it.”
That’s why Kim meets with the management team and managers every six months. By linking process management to what is happening in the organization at the time, it stays relevant and manageable for colleagues.
For Kim, that also means taking a practical approach.
“Try to make it something people actually use, and keep it as simple and enjoyable as possible for everyone else. It shouldn’t become a burden. The whole organization needs to see why it matters.”
Article content
- Making process management part of day-to-day operations
- Why Fien Wonen needed a stronger focus on processes
- Deciding what needs attention first
- Colleagues don’t need to become process experts
- Why Fien Wonen returned to Sensus
- Documenting many processes in limited time
- Processes get people talking
- Small improvements make a difference too
- Giving tenants greater consistency
- Above all, process management needs to stay simple
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