ThyssenKrupp Steel USA Case Study

This bptrends.com article is an interesting review of the successful application of a process centric approach to managing a global steel production organisation. ThyssenKrupp Steel USA was faced with a challenge of competing with other steel mills whilst maintaining the highest quality standards and minimising supply chain disruption. Their particular challenges was the management of three production sites on three different continents and cultures, and integrate their BPM initiative with existing computer systems and industry certifications.

As a highly motivated Executive group provided support for this initiative, core to the approach was a conscious decion to not design their business model around transactions but more successfully align their processes with organisational strategy and subsequent transformational activities. Critical to their success was Executive level buy-in for BPM and the accountability, control & governance that this level of stewardship brings to the initiative.

Their model, known as the Integrated Business Management System (iBMS) consists of 5 key goals each linked to a central process repository:
1. Drive best practice
2. Process accountability
3. Business and IT alignment
4. Training
5. Drive standards certification

This model also helped to establish a “hierarchy of process” that linked the strategic goals of the organisation down to the most tactical, operational of processes and gave transparency to the “why” and “who” questions of process outcomes and ownership. Further, the involvement of Executive process owners, advisors, auditors etc supports visibility, accountability and continuous process improvement as the program matures.

ThyssenKrupp Steel USA provides an excellent example of a successful BPM implementation through process transparency, ownership and governance. It will be interesting to analyse their progress and follow how this initiative evolves over coming years.

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