1. Process and Capacity Analysis Process Analysis
What is process analysis?
Why is this important?
Flowcharts
Compiled by:
Alex J. Ruiz-Torres, Ph.D.
From information developed by many.

2. What is process analysis?
The study of the components, activities, inputs, outputs, results,… related to a process.
So what is a process?
Definitions:
A set of activities interconnected by a common goal
A set of activities that transforms a set of inputs into a set of outputs
We all do processes all the time.
Eating, walking,… are all natural processes.

3. Why is this important?
From a business perspective, processes are the backbone of how organizations function.
Our discussion is about business processes (BP), in particular operational processes.
BP are defined as a set of activities that
Are “well” defined and structured.
Create a product /output for a customer – service or physical.
Require resources ($, space, people, machines,…) and inputs (information, raw materials, …).
Can be measured.
Properly designing and then improving BPs is essential for business success
Efficiency, profitability and to meet customer needs.

4. Process Analysis Basics
Process analysis requires determining the scope of the BP under consideration. This includes the level of detail and the start + finish points.
Are we defining the luggage check in process, or the complete process from when a traveler enters the airport to the point it leaves it (hopefully in an airplane).
Defining scope/boundaries is essential. Must identify
Customers and outputs.
Suppliers and inputs.
Activities and resources.
Measures of performance (metrics).
Entities – what flows.

5. Process Analysis Basics
5. Entities – what flows.
There are many possible types of entities. For example:
People: patients in an hospital.
Forms: admission application at a university.
Materials: food items at a warehouse.
Waste: trash collected from offices.
Vehicles: trucks at a post office.
Containers: Tanks at a chemical plant.
Information: inventory information at a supermarket
Some analysis will consider multiple types at a time.
For example an analysis may consider what happens to both the patients and the samples being processed in a medical clinic.

6. Process Analysis Basics
There are typically multiple processes in a business system.
For example: multiple processes at an airport
Check in.
Security check to terminal.
Luggage (check-in to being loaded into the plane).
Airplane landing and taxi to gate.
Passenger loading.
Airplane gate connection and passenger unload.
Airplane luggage unload. …
Each with different customers, inputs, entities, resources, and measures of performance.

7. Entity
Resources
Activities
Output
Metrics
Check in
Passenger
Airline Agents; Info System
Information exchange; luggage collected; payments
Passenger with ticket and luggage checked in.
Waiting time, customer complaints.
Security
TSA Agents; scan machines
Passengers and carry on luggage scanned
Secure passenger and luggage
Security failures; Waiting time
Luggage to plane
Luggage
Conveyor System; Airport staff
Luggage moves from check in to airplane; inspection
Secure luggage in airplane
Percent of time luggage makes it to the correct plane
Airplane Landing
Airplane
Control tower staff; Info Systems; Runway; …
Airplane request permission to land; tower approves, …
Airplane has a safe landing
Safe landing; Waiting time for a landing spot

8. Entity
Resources
Activities
Output
Metrics
Check in
Passenger
Airline Agents; Info System
Information exchange; luggage collected; payments
Passenger with ticket and luggage checked in.
Waiting time, customer complaints.
Security
TSA Agents; scan machines
Passengers and carry on luggage scanned
Secure passenger and luggage
Security failures; Waiting time
Luggage to plane
Luggage
Conveyor System; Airport staff
Luggage moves from check in to airplane; inspection
Secure luggage in airplane
Percent of time luggage makes it to the correct plane
Airplane Landing
Airplane
Control tower staff; Info Systems; Runway; …
Airplane request permission to land; tower approves, …
Airplane has a safe landing
Safe landing; Waiting time for a landing spot

9. Entity
Resources
Activities
Output
Metrics
Check in
Passenger
Airline Agents; Info System
Information exchange; luggage collected; payments
Passenger with ticket and luggage checked in.
Waiting time, customer complaints.
Security
TSA Agents; scan machines
Passengers and carry on luggage scanned
Secure passenger and luggage
Security failures; Waiting time
Luggage to plane
Luggage
Conveyor System; Airport staff
Luggage moves from check in to airplane; inspection
Secure luggage in airplane
Percent of time luggage makes it to the correct plane
Airplane Landing
Airplane
Control tower staff; Info Systems; Runway; …
Airplane request permission to land; tower approves, …
Airplane has a safe landing
Safe landing; Waiting time for a landing spot

10. Entity
Resources
Activities
Output
Metrics
Check in
Passenger
Airline Agents; Info System
Information exchange; luggage collected; payments
Passenger with ticket and luggage checked in.
Waiting time, customer complaints.
Security
TSA Agents; scan machines
Passengers and carry on luggage scanned
Secure passenger and luggage
Security failures; Waiting time
Luggage to plane
Luggage
Conveyor System; Airport staff
Luggage moves from check in to airplane; inspection
Secure luggage in airplane
Percent of time luggage makes it to the correct plane
Airplane Landing
Airplane
Control tower staff; Info Systems; Runway; …
Airplane request permission to land; tower approves, …
Airplane has a safe landing
Safe landing; Waiting time for a landing spot

11. Entity
Resources
Activities
Output
Metrics
Check in
Passenger
Airline Agents; Info System
Information exchange; luggage collected; payments
Passenger with ticket and luggage checked in.
Waiting time, customer complaints.
Security
TSA Agents; scan machines
Passengers and carry on luggage scanned
Secure passenger and luggage
Security failures; Waiting time
Luggage to plane
Luggage
Conveyor System; Airport staff
Luggage moves from check in to airplane; inspection
Secure luggage in airplane
Percent of time luggage makes it to the correct plane
Airplane Landing
Airplane
Control tower staff; Info Systems; Runway; …
Airplane request permission to land; tower approves, …
Airplane has a safe landing
Safe landing; Waiting time for a landing spot

12. Entity
Resources
Activities
Output
Metrics
Check in
Passenger
Airline Agents; Info System
Information exchange; luggage collected; payments
Passenger with ticket and luggage checked in.
Waiting time, customer complaints.
Security
TSA Agents; scan machines
Passengers and carry on luggage scanned
Secure passenger and luggage
Security failures; Waiting time
Luggage to plane
Luggage
Conveyor System; Airport staff
Luggage moves from check in to airplane; inspection
Secure luggage in airplane
Percent of time luggage makes it to the correct plane
Airplane Landing
Airplane
Control tower staff; Info Systems; Runway; …
Airplane request permission to land; tower approves, …
Airplane has a safe landing
Safe landing; Waiting time for a landing spot

13. Flowcharts
Process flowcharting : a fundamental component of process analysis.
A visual representation of a process.
There are many types of flowcharts.
Some basic elements of a flowchart include actions, direction of flows, inspections, and decision points.
These are example symbols used to develop flowcharts:
ACTION/
OPERATION
CONNECTOR
WAIT
QUALITY
ACTION
MOVE
DECISION

14. Flowcharts https://www.pinterest.com/pin/415879346812907720/

15. Flowcharts http://www.conceptdraw.com/samples/flowcharts

16. Flowcharts
Developing flowcharts may take as long as a few minutes to as much as weeks.
Involves asking questions to all the resources involved and to its customers.
Who does what? what happens then?...
Time to develop a flowchart depends on how complex is the process.
Number of different actions.
Number of decisions and different routes.
Level of desired detail (the scope).

17. Flowcharts Developing flowcharts helps identify:
Lack of control points (or too many).
Redundant steps (or missing).
Bottlenecks (or excess capacity).
Starving points (work is not performed for lack of inputs).