Leveraging the potential of process technology through workflow scheduling

Abstract

The paper proposes that improvements in the productivity of process technology can be achieved by analyzing and instituting changes in the rules and methods through which work is organized. The implementation of information‐based process technology in a bank’s check processing system provides the context for the study. A simulation approach is used to assess the benefits of introducing alternative workflow scheduling rules after implementation of the new technology. Results from a hypothetical setting, using data from an actual check processing center, demonstrate the cost advantages of introducing a priority‐based scheduling rule. The implications and problems associated with practical implementation are discussed.