Generating and evaluating process redesign options: A network modeling approach

Organizations are seeking ways to redesign their business processes to streamline and simplify operations and remain competitive in a changing environment. In order to evaluate various business process redesign options that will accomplish this objective, one needs to assess the potential performance of each of these options on various performance measures such as cycle time and resource utilization. This research proposes the use of a structured approach to model a business system using Petri networks, and then uses this network model to simulate the performance of various options prior to implementing any such option. A case study is used to illustrate this approach and discuss its implications.