Aligning Operations and Marketing Processes from the Information Flow Perspective

Abstract

This Thesis focuses on aligning the Operations and Marketing processes from the information flow perspective. Due to a recent change in ownership and a change in ERP, people and processes have changed and the information does not flow between departments as it should. This leads to errors in operational tasks.

This study is conducted as an action research by using qualitative research methods. The data was collected by first making the current state analysis of the case company Operations and Marketing processes by mapping the current processes and interviewing key stakeholders. Next, relevant theories and best practices are reviewed from literature in order to build a conceptual framework for designing processes, improving information flow between departments and breaking organizational silos to improve information flow. Based on these, an initial proposal is built. The proposal was then validated by the case company CEO into the final proposal for aligned processes from the information flow perspective.

The outcome of this Thesis is the aligned Operations and Marketing processes in the case company, designed to improve the information flow between the departments. The aligned processes developed in this Thesis result as a new process for Operations and Marketing to analyse campaign results together with Finance department. The analysis happens through Before Action Review (BAR) and After Action Review (AAR) forms, which are then reviewed quarterly. This not only increases the information flow but creates and environment of learning. In addition, to improve the process information flow between departments, Operations start to attend meetings in the campaign design phase to spot the possible errors and discuss the campaign structures in advance. To start breaking the organizational silos, sales plans are made available for all departments and product codes and names are standardized.

Having blocks in the information flow and errors in the process creates challenges in the case company daily operations, which need improvement. Marketing campaign implementations result in operative challenges due to insufficient information flow between Operations and Marketing. By standardizing process parts emphasizing on information flow and participant roles and responsibilities, these challenges are reduced. Additionally, with a systematic process design, role and responsibility and information flow improvement approach may yield important benefits also in other context within the case company. The improvements proposed in this Thesis are either already taken to use or are about to be implemented in the immediate near future.