Process Excellence on Track
#3 Performance & Process Excellence
Transparent and documented processes are the foundation for organizations to respond dynamically to new market conditions and manage their company in a future-oriented manner. This is where Success Factor #3 “Performance and Process Excellence” of the SHAPE30 strategy comes into play. The ElringKlinger Operating System (EKOS), introduced in 2018, provides the basis for standardized operations at the global production sites. In PEEK, the company has created a new central platform that covers the entire ElringKlinger Group.
Laying the foundations
PEEK stands for Process Excellence Portal @ ElringKlinger. This involves a new process landscape that lays the foundation for process management at ElringKlinger. In this context, established business process management (BPM) ensures that all key business processes and their interfaces within the Group are recorded consistently – at a global level.
Defining core methods
and parameters
The PEEK project team is set up in 2021 for the purpose of developing a new platform and establishing professional business process management within the Group. This is accompanied by the initial implementation of BIC Process Design, a cloud-based BPM software solution. Based on the defined BPM roles (e.g., modeler or process owner), around 700 trained employees worldwide ensure that the new process landscape is applied and maintained on a global scale. Process owners are now responsible for defining specification documents, directives, and processes in PEEK. At the same time, the PEEK team operating from within the Quality unit is responsible for the ongoing provision and refinement of the infrastructure and BPM methodology for process documentation.
Establishing standardized
process representation
The core element in PEEK is graphical notation. The uniform visualization of business processes with standardized symbols and diagrams, i.e., a consistent process language, can only be achieved if the BPM standards and conventions are applied by all users. It should be noted that the language is machine-readable. Thus, it can be transformed into executable workflows using no- or low-code methods without any major programming effort. The PEEK team ensures that users are trained in these conventions and that all those involved adhere to the specifications for process representations.
Drawing up clearly
defined responsibilities
The clearly structured role model based on a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) is used to define accountabilities for global processes as well as central and local documents, in addition to determining responsibilities for each process level for the purpose of ensuring unambiguous visibility. This transparency provides the basis for structuring and implementing processes more efficiently, leading to improved productivity and better results.
First audit
passed
As part of the recertification audit at the two plants in Dettingen, PEEK is put to the test for the first time at the beginning of March 2024. The result: all audited employees are familiar with the tool and know their way around the processes and documents. At the concluding debriefings, the implementation of PEEK is rated as extremely successful by the external auditors.
Rollout completed
On April 1, 2024, PEEK replaces the former process landscape, which is finally deactivated. The rollout includes data migration of existing processes and documents of the corporate units, business units, and plants as well as the first-time inclusion of new central processes. Around 800 processes and 20,000 documents undergo revision as part of the migration and are transferred to the new system or newly created. The process structure and complexity within the ElringKlinger Group have been visualized by the project team in a very short period of time. As a result, all employees are now able to read and understand the processes across departments, plants, and countries thanks to the uniform process language.
Quality assurance in
process management
Since the successful completion of the project and rollout stage of PEEK, the team of experts has been working towards enhancing platform maturity and achieving data consistency across all plants. The PEEK Community is established as a communication channel and for the purpose of regular community meetings aimed at system refinement. In parallel, the Group applies the CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) maturity model as a basis for displaying the quality and functionality of processes in a quantifiable format.
PEEK as the basis for
digital transformation
Transparent and effective process management constitutes an important basis for digital transformation. Looking ahead to the future, other aspects such as process mining, robotic process automation, and human workflow management can be evaluated and implemented if necessary. In preparation for this, the first key interfaces between PEEK and other applications in the ElringKlinger software architecture, such as LeanIX, SAP BW, and SAP ECTR, have already been implemented.
Culture of continuous improvement
The year 2025 is all about optimizing, improving, and expanding the process management system. In addition to developing processes with a view to end-to-end alignment, the “Process Execution” module for low-threshold automation of processes modeled in PEEK will be piloted for the first time. This is a step towards automating process management, in particular, in the future.
Achieving targets
The aim of PEEK is to ensure that all processes interlock seamlessly and provide the basis for optimal end-to-end process flow within the Group – in all core processes defined by ElringKlinger: End-of-Production Management, Demand-to-Delivery, New Product Introduction, and Idea-to-Market. Processes can then be measured by means of a smart KPI system that is closely linked to the process architecture. This makes PEEK an important tool for ElringKlinger when it comes to tracking and comparing the effectiveness and efficiency of all key processes in a transparent manner and continually optimizing them in keeping with the principle of excellence. This is an essential prerequisite for the Group’s competitive performance. The current phase of product transformation in particular, which is associated with growing levels of complexity, places enormous demands on product development and manufacturing processes. It is precisely here that PEEK, with its process management capabilities, makes a significant difference and helps to achieve business objectives.
