ASSESSING METHODS FOR MANAGEMENT OF R&D PROCESS INFORMATION

Paper in proceeding, 2009

In this paper a new method incorporating flexible collection of process information along with an intuitive manner of presenting the processes along with the process information is presented and compared to a standard DSM process chart. A prototype tool implementing the proposed method is also presented. A bio-medical process is mapped using interviews and available documentation from Nobel Biocare as the main method to collect process information. The complete model is documented applying a DSM tool. The proposed interactive process modeling (IPM) method has been developed in parallel with the mapped process, along with a prototype process documentation tool, to map the same process and compare the two mapping cases. The studied process contains 101 process activities that have been mapped and described using the two methods (DSM and the new interactive process mapping (IPM)). It has been found that the IPM method enables a more complete approach to process improvement since it can be applied and updated easier because of features such as: version control, higher level of user interactivity, alternative representations of process properties using links between information objects, IT-resources and organizational roles within the process chart. A flexible approach using the IPM method ensures rich and easily accessible process information that is easier to interpret, communicate and maintain over time than the standard DSM model.