Today, I am talking to Peter, Maarten and Vincent, the initiators of the process management and continuous improvement system at Credit Management & Investor Solutions B.V. (CMIS Group). When looking for a process management solution to support its Lean project, CMIS Group decided to go with Sensus process management. CMIS Group is a service provider operating on the German and Dutch mortgage and consumer loan markets, with Dutch franchise distribution brands like De Hypotheekshop and Huis & Hypotheek. That decision was made a year and a half ago and, since that time, the expectations have been exceeded, with time savings of at least 20%, and even up to 60%.

That CMIS Group is very clear on what it wants to achieve can be seen in its reply to the question of how the company started using Sensus BPM Online. “We wanted to become a Lean organisation, which involves process optimisation, but also requires a change in the mindset and culture at the company. We were looking for a tool to support this ambition and settled on the BPM application offered by Sensus process management,” explains Peter Ros, Business Process Improvement Director. His colleagues Maarten van der Burg and Vincent van den Heuvel, both business analysts, concur. “Last year, we had an intern carry out an extensive package survey from among a longlist of around 20 providers of BPM software. We ultimately opted for Sensus BPM Online because it’s simple, low-threshold and very clear. Exactly what we were looking for.”

Understanding what you do

Mapping and optimising processes is the first step CMIS Group is taking towards becoming a Lean organisation. “The basic principle of working Lean is understanding what you do and how your processes work.” To this end, the Business Process Improvement department organises mapping sessions to map the processes together with the staff involved. Maarten and Vincent are the initiators. “During a mapping session, we use the magnetic icons to map the process together. This approach makes for a very visual, light and lively session, one in which all the participants enjoy taking part. It really adds value.”

Expectations exceeded

Around 90% of the processes have been mapped already, a result that has exceeded the expectations of the gentlemen across from me. “We were able to get everyone committed to this project. One of the key positives is that when you mention process management here everyone, from bottom to top, chimes in with ‘the Sensus method’. It’s really caught on!” That’s how Peter, Maarten and Vincent describe the culture change, going on to say,

“This is mainly because they are increasingly seeing the usefulness of it and they are pleasantly surprised. Occasionally, a colleague will say, ‘Now show me the processes I’m involved in’, and we can do exactly that in no time at all, making it all very clear. That’s just brilliant!”

Ambitious targets, even better results

CMIS Group’s target was to achieve a 15% efficiency improvement across the entire organisation through the Lean project. However, Peter and his team are even more ambitious. “For every process we get our hands on, we don’t let go of until it’s running 20% faster. And with Notary Services, for example, we even achieved time savings of 60%!”

Sounding board

Sensus process management BPM consultant Yvo Zollner was there right from the start of the project. “Yvo really helped us get going. He is very clear and to the point, with both feet firmly on the ground. Thanks to the excellent training and guidance, we can now run this project ourselves. And, once in a while, we turn to him for a ‘check-up’; it’s nice to have this sounding board.”

Engagement is something you create yourself

CMIS Group is especially keen on creating reports and publications, something that they certainly experience as an advantage of working with Sensus BPM Online. Besides publishing the mapped and optimised processes on the intranet using the Visual Navigator, CMIS Group has also created a dashboard that displays the status of all the processes, linked to Sensus BPM Online. The eight statuses, running from “not yet started”, through “process flow modelled” and “risks mapped” all the way to “complete”, enable team managers to see what is still to be done and which processes need attention.

To keep the staff engaged, the Business Process Improvement managers hold “Lean waves”. “Applying the Lean principles, a department or team works actively to understand the processes, improve them, eliminate waste and so on. We coach them intensively for a period of two months, after which time they can do this on their own. And that’s essential with a Lean project.”