Felix P. Santhiapillai and R.M. Chandima Ratnayake
The purpose of this paper is to present a risk-based prioritization method (RBPM), using functional failure risk and strategic importance assessment, in order to support public…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a risk-based prioritization method (RBPM), using functional failure risk and strategic importance assessment, in order to support public managers' decision-making process for the planning and allocation of scarce resources.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology incorporates two assessment matrices into a management group’s decision-making process for resource allocation. As part of an action research strategy, the authors present the developed RBPM and its application in one Norwegian police district.
Findings
The RBPM provides a processual approach to detect risk of failures in the organization, which can facilitate better planning and allocation of resources, to mitigate risks from materializing and enhance performance. The results also indicate that the proposed assessment models provide an easier approach to consolidating different perspectives and weighting the strategic importance of disciplinary functions, when prioritizing the planning and allocation of scarce resources is necessary.
Research limitations/implications
The research is restricted in that it only considers one police district in Norway. Further limitation surrounds the issue of generalizability, as only one unit from the district is used. Further research should adapt and extend the developed RBPM in the district.
Practical implications
The RBPM may be of interest to public managers in the emergency sector operating with a large number of disciplinary functions in a highly dynamic and uncertain environment.
Originality/value
The RBPM applied in this study is based on approaches with advanced application in the oil and gas industry adapted to a contextually different environment which, in contrast, consists of functional hierarchies composed of human resources.
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Felix P. Santhiapillai and R.M. Chandima Ratnayake
This paper aims to explore knowledge work waste and defines the priorities for enhancing performance and productivity in policing and prosecution services (PPS), especially in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore knowledge work waste and defines the priorities for enhancing performance and productivity in policing and prosecution services (PPS), especially in the crime investigation process (CIP).
Design/methodology/approach
Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a case study of a Norwegian police district is examined to identify and prioritize the most performance-vulnerable crime investigation unit, using the adapted knowledge work waste as the performance metric.
Findings
Nine waste categories and 15 subcategories are identified and understood within a two-dimensional network of managerial and operational waste adapted for the PPS. The AHP helps classify levels of priority for each knowledge work waste and orderly prioritization of crime investigation units.
Research limitations/implications
The findings have limited generalizability, as they are based on a single Norwegian police district. This warrants research on the wider applicability of the adapted waste categories and approach.
Practical implications
This study can support public managers in implementing lean thinking and identifying the most prominent wastes in a complex system. In this context, processes and operations are among the factors dominated by knowledge work and are dependent on multiple stakeholders, cross-functional activities and interdisciplinary collaboration, which is more challenging to measure systematically and quantitatively than in a manufacturing environment.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the gap in lean thinking literature by advancing the knowledge on the adaptation and application of the foundational principles of lean thinking in the PPS and CIP.
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Felix Preshanth Santhiapillai and R.M. Chandima Ratnayake
The purpose of this study is to investigate the integrated application of business process modeling and notation (BPMN) and value stream mapping (VSM) to improve knowledge work…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the integrated application of business process modeling and notation (BPMN) and value stream mapping (VSM) to improve knowledge work performance and productivity in police services. In order to explore the application of the hybrid BPMN-VSM approach in police services, this study uses the department of digital crime investigation (DCI) in one Norwegian police district as a case study.
Design/methodology/approach
Service process identification was the next step after selecting an appropriate organizational unit for the case study. BPMN-VSM-based current state mapping, including time and waste analyses, was used to determine cycle and lead time and identify value-adding and nonvalue-adding activities. Subsequently, improvement opportunities were identified, and the current state process was re-designed and constructed through future state mapping.
Findings
The study results indicate a 44.4% and 83.0% reduction in process cycle and lead time, respectively. This promising result suggests that the hybrid BPMN-VSM approach can support the visualization of bottlenecks and possible causes of increased lead times, followed by the systematic identification and proposals of avenues for future improvement and innovation to remedy the discovered inefficiencies in a complex knowledge-work environment.
Research limitations/implications
This study focused on one department in a Norwegian police district. However, the experience gained can support researchers and practitioners in understanding lean implementation through an integrated BPMN and VSM model, offering a unique insight into the ability to investigate complex systems.
Originality/value
Complex knowledge work processes generally characterize police services due to a high number of activities, resources and stakeholder involvement. Implementing lean thinking in this context is significantly challenging, and the literature on this topic is limited. This study addresses the applicability of the hybrid BPMN-VSM approach in police services with an original public sector case study in Norway.
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Felix Preshanth Santhiapillai and R.M. Chandima Ratnayake
This paper aims to propose a methodology to support public managers' adaptation of the Hoshin Kanri (HK) strategy deployment approach in the context of lean thinking (LT)…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a methodology to support public managers' adaptation of the Hoshin Kanri (HK) strategy deployment approach in the context of lean thinking (LT), considering strategic alignment and consensus reaching when prioritizing a vital few of the organization's continuous improvement (CI) projects.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology incorporates the A3 problem-solving report into the HK approach to identify and outline CI projects. The priority and deployment of the projects are weighted by a composite score for impact and innovation using the Delphi method. The proposed methodology was applied in one Norwegian police district as part of action research.
Findings
The obtained results indicate that the proposed methodology provides an intuitive and systematic approach to weigh the importance and ensure alignment of CI projects with the organization's strategy and goals. Consequently, this minimizes the possibility of strategy deployment priorities being weighted by decision bias and siloed decision-making.
Originality/value
The literature on strategy deployment in the context of LT in police services is significantly limited and this study aids in fixing this gap. The adapted HK approach can support the implementation of LT as an integral part of a comprehensive strategic management system, thereby enabling knowledge sharing and exploration of the extendibility of implemented best practices and improvement ideas to problems arising across the organization.