CASE STUDY
Outsourcing a complex process
heavily based on institutional
knowledge
Maritime agency taps Bonita BPM 6 to facilitate handoff
of a system currently managed with multiple information
systems and individual expertise
Bonita BPM’s connectors ensure that the customer doesn’t have to do any extra modifications to their existing information systems as they document ‘people‐based’ processes into objective workflows. It saves money, it saves time and it preserves the capability of people to work with existing systems.
– Heerbod Etemadi , CEO of Heerbod Corporation 1 | www.bonitasoft.com © 2013 Bonitasoft About Heerbod Corp., Bonitasoft’s partner
Heerbod Corp., founded in 2000, provides business process consulting and automation services. Heerbod Corp. has been a Bonitasoft partner since 2009. Business needs and the process to be automated
The coast guard of a sovereign nation is now embarking on a multi‐year project to outsource the deployment of a large number of coastal buoys to private contractors. The agency hired Heerbod Corp. to develop its business process architecture and get all systems ready to go when the government authorizes the outsourcing contract. Having managed the buoy system for many years, this marine organization developed a detailed institutional knowledge about every facet of the operation. But much of this knowledge – of systems themselves and processes their personnel have followed for decades – was not well documented. “Everybody has always talked to each other, knew each other, knew what to do,” said Etemadi, CEO of Heerbod Corp. “Now they need specific, clear processes to hand over to the contractor.” Coastal buoys are deployed as floating aids to mariners, letting them know the rules they must follow in certain waters at different times of day and at different times of year. There are over 300 buoys, and the agency uses a complex and scattered set of information systems to manage and track them. For example, detailed information about these buoys –where and when they are deployed, individual characteristics such as color, height, width, signal strength, and other features – is contained in multiple databases. To outsource the deployment of the coastal buoy system, the agency has embarked on an initiative to create process maps and procedures that cover virtually every facet of their operations. These include processes for commissioning, quality assurance, request for materiel, payments, scheduling, decommissioning, and the return of materiel to the agency. In the commissioning process, for instance, specific buoys are scheduled for deployment. The material procured must be verified. The condition of each buoy is evaluated and confirmed as ready to go in the water. The buoys are loaded to specific vessels, deployed, and their position is verified. At the end of the commissioning process, there is a check that all buoys have been deployed correctly, on schedule, and are working properly. Previously, the maritime agency personnel managed each of these detailed policies and procedures in their own way, based on deep experience and using an information system specific to their needs. Now the processes need to be objectively clarified to a third party, and the various information systems used today must be preserved. Heerbod and the agency are creating a © 2013 Bonitasoft www.bonitasoft.com | 2 business process management flow that documents the detailed processes, connects the existing information systems, and guides the new contractor through every phase of these operations. The choice for Bonita BPM
Bonita BPM was chosen for its capability to easily connect and integrate the MAXIMO asset management system, the SIPA buoy information system, and the Marinfo mariners’ information system. “Bonita BPM’s connectors ensure that the agency doesn’t have to do any extra modifications to their existing information systems as they document ‘people‐based’ processes into objective workflows,” says Etemadi. “It saves money, it saves time and it preserves the capability of people to work with existing systems.” Key Results
As the subcontracted buoy management transfer ramps up, the coast guard expects more transparency during operational processes. Employees responsible for overseeing the contractor’s operations will be better able to see, for example, which state of the commissioning process any particular buoy is in. This higher level of visibility will allow them to better report on status and to identify potential problems, consequently allowing them to easily alter operations when needed. Integrating Bonita BPM with the marine agency’s databases will also allow for better inventory management. This is expected to result in cost savings by allowing the agency to make informed decisions on whether to approve or adjust a request for materiel. It will also help them with forecasting projections and to anticipate what will be needed for the next season. For more information on Bonita BPM and to see other case studies, visit our web site at www.bonitasoft.com. 3 | www.bonitasoft.com © 2013 Bonitasoft