Streamlining a Complex Certification Process for One of the Nation’s Largest Trade Associations

 

Problem

One of the nation's largest trade associations was facing difficulties in its Training and Certifications department.  The department was responsible for auditing and certifying manufacturing facilities across the globe.  Its existing processes were adequate for a small scale operation, but as the department's workload grew, performance became an issue.  Associates were working harder than ever, but there was still a six month backlog between when an audit occurred and when a facility received its certification.  A Synteractive Team was brought in to review the processes and provide recommendations.

 

The Synteractive team redesigned the business processes from the ground up in order to ease handoffs, reduce the use of printed paper, and eliminate unnecessary meetings.  In support of these new business processes, a web based system was designed to facilitate communication between clients, auditors, and the association.  The system included reporting tools that provided new, concise views of data from disparate systems.

 

Analysis shows that the new system results in the virtual elimination of postage, printing and copying costs, saving the department up to $800,000 per year.  Time to respond to an audit decreases from six months to a matter of weeks.  Correspondence that once took weeks via mail can now be accomplished in real-time through web enabled technologies. The new reporting information enables the department to embark on a path of continual process improvement.