THE TOOLS FOR EVALUATING LOGISTICS PROCESSES

Background: The growing importance of business process approach and dynamic management is triggered by market expectations for lead time r eductions and the pressure for cost cuts. An effici ent process management requires measurement and assessment skills. This article is intended to present the tools u sed in evaluating processes and the way in which they work together u nder simulated conditions. Methods: The project's Authors believe that a process can b e assessed by measuring its attributes: cost, time and quality. An assessment tool has been developed for each of t hose attributes. For costs - it could be activity b ased costing, for time - value stream mapping; for quality - statistical p rocess control. Each tool allows for evaluating one of the attributes, any element in the process hierarchy. The methods p resented in the paper have been supplemented with p rocess modelling and simulation. Results: In order to show how process assessment tools are combined with process simulation the Authors show a sample process in three versions (serial, paralle l and mixed). A variant simulation (using iGrafx so ftware) allows for determining the values of attributes in the ent ire process based on the data set for its component s (activities). In the example under investigation the process vari ant has no impact on its quality. Process cost and time are affected. Conclusions: The tools for identifying attribute values, in com bination with process modelling and simulation, can prove very beneficial when applied in business practice. In the first place they allow for evaluating a proc ess based on the value of the attributes pertaining to its particular acti vities, which, on the other hand, raises the possib ility of process configuration at the design stage. The solution pre sented in the paper can be developed further with a view to process standardization and best variant recommendation.