Business Process Model.

Kaplan University
MT 400

Organization: The organization which will be presented with this Business Process Model is Insurance Auto Auctions. This firm works in partnership with a variety of sellers, including insurance companies, dealerships, rental car companies, fleet lease companies, and charities to facilitate the efficient sale, disposal, and transportation of total loss and unwanted vehicles (Insurance Auto Auctions, n.d.). Insurance Auto Auctions has been in business since 1982 and is considered one of the leaders in the salvage auto auction industries (Insurance Auto Auctions, n.d.). There are over 150 Insurance Auto Auction locations is the United States and a corporate office located in Westchester, Illinois (Insurance Auto Auctions, n.d.). Each of the locations is individually managed. The Insurance Auto Auctions branch that will be present with this Business Process Model is located in Loganville, GA. This branch employs 15 individuals as well as 20 subcontracted transportation drivers. I have included the subcontracted transportation drivers in the number of Insurance Auto Auction employees because they are a vital part of the everyday operations at the branch and without them transportation of the vehicle would not occur. I have personally managed the transportation operations at this branch for over eight years. Over the years I have watched the industry go through drastic changes and the company fight to stay in business by offering faster pick up time and after hour towing to stay ahead of the competition that is growing every day. In this ever changing environment the Business Process Model that will be present will provide the transportation department with a systematic approach to meeting the rigorous and ever changing goals and deadlines created through the increased need to beat out the completion.

Process:
The process that will be created is a business process model for the transportation process. 1. The objective of the process.
The definition of a business process is a series of logically related activities or tasks (such as planning, production, or sales) performed together to produce a defined set of results (Business Dictionary, n.d.). This definition would apply to the objective of the transportation process. The transportation process would combine the activities performed by the sales team with the activities performed by the transportation department to ensure that both units are working together to effectively develop goals and deadlines that are reachable by the transportation team. The focus of the improvements will be on the actions that make the customer service experience better for our customers, as well as our partner’s customers, and on reducing wasted time and effort. The goal of this business process model will be to develop a complete transportation process that will enable managers, sales personnel, and staff to streamline the transportation process as well as improve its flow. The outcomes of this business process model are to essentially add value for the customer, reduced costs for the company, which will lead to an increase in profits for the firm. This process should also help the firm increase its competitive advantage, market growth, and hopefully increase staff retention among the subcontracted transportation companies.

2. The scope (Where the process begins and ends).
The transportation process will begin with the sales team meeting with the customers and developing the goals and time frames that must be kept under the contact with each provider. This first step in the business process will set the goals that must be met by the transportation department. Once the goals have been set by sales team and then agreed upon by the customers, the customers will then submit their pick up assignments to Insurance Auto Auctions. After the assignments have been submitted the transportation department will then facilitate contact the owner of the vehicle, or the storage facility holding the vehicle, in order to schedule pick up of the salvage. The next step in the business process will be to dispatch a transportation company to pick up the vehicle. Upon pick up of the vehicle the transportation company will then deliver the vehicle to Insurance Auto Auctions. Upon arrival at Insurance Auto Auctions the transportation company will provide the transportation department with supporting tow bill and documentation indicating that the pickup process has be completed. After the transportation department received the tow bill for the vehicle it will be logged into the system as being located at the salvage yard. The final step in the transportation process will be for the transportation department to submit the tow bill to the accounting office for payment. 3. A brief description of those involved.
The transportation process will involve the combined activities of the sales department, transportation department, and subcontracted transportation drivers. The sales department is comprised of a group of individuals who reach out to our current customers and write contracts with agreed transportation guidelines and time agreements. The sales team also reaches out to potential customers which will increase the volume and restraints faced by the transportation department. The transportation department is comprised of Insurance Auto Auction employees who facilitate contact with our partner’s customers and storage facilities to confirm and schedule the removal of salvage vehicles. This department will also handle the submission of invoices to the accounting department as well as determining when the vehicle has been dropped off at Insurance Auto Auctions. These combined departments will begin and end the transportation process.
Justification.
1. How can this business or organization benefit from learning about the BPM model?
Insurance Auto Auctions can benefit from learning about the BPM model because it will help increase customer satisfaction, increase the firm’s market share, improve reliability among transporters, and help transporters avoid wasted time and fuel. 2. What unique challenges will this organization have in using or implementing the BPM?
The salvage transportation industry is ever changing and this could lead to challenges implementing the BPM. If the BPM is not monitored and changed accordingly it could lead to failure. Unique challenges that could affect the BPM would be traffic, weather related road conditions, and a shortage of reliable subcontracted transportation drivers.
References
Business Dictionary. (n.d.) Definition of Business Process. Retrieved from: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/business-process.html. Insurance Auto Auctions. (n.d.) About Insurance Auto Auctions. Retrieved from: http://insideiaa.iaai.com/Pages/Default.aspx.