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Cases

Ohjelma
Bike Lease Finland

Bike Lease Finland

Leasing and maintenance of employee bicycles, digital services.

Ohjelma
Excelence Solutions

Excelence Solutions

Consulting and data analytics, expert services and consulting.

Ohjelma
Finnish Timber Oy

Finnish Timber Oy

Ecological log buildings and construction site processes, project business.

Ohjelma
Green Scape

Green Scape

Customized green wall services for B2B clients, service business.

Ohjelma
Marine Craft

Marine Craft

Customized motorboats, project delivery, manufacturing industry.

Ohjelma
Scandinavian Design

Scandinavian Design

Leasing and maintenance of company bicycles, digital services.

Task

Identifying Bottlenecks



In this task, the student selects one process from the case company and describes its main stages. They identify 2–3 bottlenecks or risks in the process and assess why these slow down work or weaken the customer experience. Additionally, the student suggests practical ways to eliminate or mitigate the issues. The task develops the ability to critically examine processes and find concrete areas for improvement from a business architecture perspective.

Learning objectives

After completing the task, the student:
1. Can view the case company's process as a whole and describe its main stages.
2. Can identify 2–3 key bottlenecks or risks in the process.
3. Can analyze why the identified points are problematic from the company's and the customer's perspective.
4. Can suggest concrete ways to streamline the process and reduce risks.

Step by step

  1. Identifying bottlenecks

    Objective:
    The objective of this assignment is for the student to critically examine one process of the case company and identify key bottlenecks or risks. The aim is also to consider practical ways to streamline the process and reduce risks.

    Material:

    • The case description of the selected case company from the learning material.

    • Any earlier process descriptions you may have created for the same case company during the course (if applicable).

    • The assignment is based on the information in the case description and justified assumptions about the process flow.

    Assignment process (instructions for the student):

    1. Select the process to analyse
      Choose one clear process from the case company, such as:

      • order–delivery chain

      • service booking and execution

      • procurement process

      • handling of a customer complaint.
        Write briefly (3–5 sentences) why this process is important for the company.

    2. Describe the main steps of the process
      List the 5–8 most important steps in how the process proceeds from start to finish. Write a short, plain-language description of each step (what is done, by whom, and what follows next).
      The goal is not perfect detail, but an overall understanding.

    3. Identify 2–3 bottlenecks or risks
      Examine the process critically and look for points where:

      • work accumulates on one person or step

      • delays, waiting or unnecessary work occur

      • the risk of errors is especially high

      • the customer may have to wait or become disappointed with the service.
        Choose 2–3 key bottlenecks or risks and describe for each:

      • in which step the issue appears

      • how it appears from the company’s perspective

      • how it appears from the customer’s perspective.

    4. Explain why the identified points are problematic
      Write a ½–1 page justification explaining:

      • what harm the bottleneck or risk causes (e.g. delays, errors, costs, poor customer experience)

      • how often or how significant these effects are likely to be for the case company.

    5. Propose ways to remove or mitigate the bottlenecks
      Provide 1–2 practical improvement ideas for each identified bottleneck or risk. You may consider, for example:

      • clarifying division of work or responsibilities

      • improving instructions or communication

      • simple changes to tools or systems

      • combining or eliminating steps.
        Briefly describe how the improvement would be implemented and what benefit it would bring to both the customer and the company.

    6. Summarise the key findings
      Write a final summary (5–7 sentences) explaining:

      • which bottlenecks or risks are the most critical

      • which of your improvement ideas should be implemented first

      • how this change would improve the customer experience and process flow.

    Submission and evaluation:
    Submit a 1–2 page text that clearly shows:

    • the selected process and its main steps

    • 2–3 clearly described bottlenecks or risks

    • justifications for why these points are problematic

    • concrete improvement proposals to remove or mitigate the bottlenecks

    • a concise summary of the key findings.

    In the evaluation, attention will be given to how well you:

    • understand the overall process

    • identify bottlenecks and risks with justified reasoning

    • propose realistic and customer-beneficial improvements

    • write clearly and coherently.

    Recommended working time: approximately 45–60 minutes, individually or in pairs.

Tasks by audience and theme

University of applied sciences

Polytechnics and higher education studies.

68 tasks