A holistic top-down approach
To avoid unnecessary change orders, scope creep and expanding timelines, we believe every modernization project should begin with you. Your needs. Your goals. Your aspirations. Essentially, we define your specific requirements before recommending any software, solutions or services. The process drives the layout, not the other way around. This approach saves time and money across the project lifecycle.
Process mapping
Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a multi-phase, process mapping methodology. KNAPP has adapted this ISO standard and uses it to map intralogistics processes. Multidisciplinary KNAPP teams are engaged from project beginning to end to ensure you have the right software, solutions and services. In this top-down approach, we pass the baton throughout the lifecycle of the project. Each iteration has a deeper level of detail.
Project orientation
This day-long session typically happens pre-RFP or as the RFP is being created. During the session, we gain a holistic, high-level understanding of your requirements, your environment and your current processes. Many times, the collaborative conversations reveal new requirements that prospects and customers haven’t yet considered. This well-structured, well-honed process results in a Project Overview Map, Process Map and high-level Process Flow Diagram, which frequently informs the RFP. At this stage, we avoid talking about specific technologies, but stay on the process level to gain a system-agnostic picture of the current value chain landscape.
Process engineering
Once the RFP is received, we roll up our sleeves and work with your key stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of what makes your business unique. During this 2–3 day session we determine your functional and process requirements. We also identify gaps, disconnects between departments and opportunities for process reengineering. When everyone is on the same page, we create a more detailed Process Map, System Landscape, Interface Map and Warehouse Overview. This map is passed on to our system engineers.
Design engineering
After the initial process engineering, our engineers move beyond process and into business cases and detailed workflow. They then plug in your data for sizing purposes, specify the required technology infrastructure and layout design. They also define how our system is integrated into your environment. By using processes to drive the layout and data to dictate the size of the system, we engineer a system that’s right for you.
