Process design and improvement · Alexander Koltsov
My business process optimization consulting helps you reduce delays, repeated work and unclear handoffs. I follow how the work actually happens, identify the causes of problems and help your team implement a process it can manage.
Discuss your project ↗How I can help
We agree the priorities and deliverables around your business, current systems and team.
Slow approvals, repeated data entry and conflicting records are often symptoms of a process problem. Teams compensate with spreadsheets or informal messages, which makes the business harder to manage as it grows. I identify where work is delayed or corrected and what those problems cost in effort and reliability.
I observe the work, review documents and speak with the people handling normal transactions and exceptions. We define the start and end of the process and gather examples of what happens in practice. This avoids redesigning a procedure that exists only in a policy document.
I map activities, decisions, data and handoffs across the full process. The map makes waiting time, duplicated effort and system boundaries visible. It also records exceptions, because unusual transactions often reveal why the standard process is difficult to operate.
I investigate where work accumulates and why it needs correction. A delayed approval may reflect missing information or unclear authority rather than an unresponsive manager. We test the explanation against transaction examples before deciding whether to change roles, rules, data or technology.
I define who owns the process and what each team must provide before the next step can begin. We agree how decisions are escalated and how exceptions return to normal processing. Clear handoffs reduce repeated clarification and make accountability visible.
I help select measures that show whether the process is improving, such as elapsed time, rework, exception volume or reconciliation effort. We agree definitions, data sources and review ownership. Controls focus on preventing or detecting material errors without adding unnecessary approvals.
I design the revised sequence with process owners and users. We simplify unnecessary steps, clarify decisions and define how systems support the work. You receive a practical process description, responsibilities and acceptance criteria that can guide implementation and training.
I translate the future process into ERP requirements and configuration priorities. We distinguish a necessary business rule from a workaround created by the old system. This helps avoid paying to reproduce inefficient practices inside a new ERP.
I identify steps suitable for rules-based automation and those that still need judgement. We define the required data, exception handling and expected benefit before choosing a tool. The result is a prioritised set of automation opportunities connected to the process design.
I sequence improvements around business impact, dependencies and the team’s capacity. We agree owners, measures and a review point for each change. The roadmap includes training and follow-up so the new process continues to work after the project team steps back.
Relevant experience
These projects show the processes and responsibilities behind the service. Open a case to review the full scope and result.
Operations
Manufacturing assignments included a multi-stage tea production process, a drone production scenario, and inventory-intensive wholesale and retail operations with traceability requirements.
Read the case study ↗Operations
A Portuguese fulfillment and logistics business required an ERP solution for warehouse operations, client service flows, integrations, and billing.
Read the case study ↗Before we start
Not always. Clarifying ownership, removing duplicate steps or changing how existing software is used may address the problem. A system change should follow the requirements identified in the review.
Yes, but I also look at its upstream and downstream handoffs. Improving one department should not simply move delays or errors to another team.
We agree a baseline and a small set of relevant measures before changing the process. The review can include time, rework, exceptions or reporting effort, depending on the problem.
Define the next step
Describe your situation, the systems you use and the result you need. I will help define a useful starting point.
All consulting services ↗