Information Flows Improvement in Production Planning Using Lean Concepts and BPMN an Exploratory Study in Industrial Context

Abstract

Technological evolution is currently triggering changes in companies environments. There is a continuous need of adapting processes to achieve competitive advantage. This paper describes a study developed in a sanitary systems multinational manufacturer that focuses on improving its global performance, especially in the production planning and control department. The main goals are to emphasise the importance of process modelling during the data collection, analysis and visualization procedures and to show the importance of inefficiency reduction in information flows. BPMN 2.0 was used to identify the data sources and information flows and Microsoft Power BI was used to show that it is possible to reduce waste in the processes. A combination of Lean Thinking, Information Systems and Industry 4.0 principles and methods is used. The foreseen result is an information system that connects people, data and processes in a way that efficiency is gained in the daily tasks, in the decision-making processes and in the identification and elimination of non-value-added activities.