The business process starts with a customer filing a complaint online using a web-based software system called RentalBot. The details of the complaint filed by the customer are stored in RentalBot. The floor manager of the rental company then downloads the information about the complaint using RentalBot, which for each complaint generates a (paper) form to be used for processing of the complaint. The floor manager then places the complaint forms in a box for later processing.

Once every week, the floor manager of the rental company reviews each complaint form, using a manual containing several rules for reviewing complaints. Those rules have been devised so that certain complaints can be filtered out (e.g., complaints not related to car maintenance problems) before they progress any further in the business process. Once the floor manager is finished reviewing the complaint forms, (s)he/they hand delivers the reviewed complaint forms to the rental company's manager, briefly explaining why complaints should proceed in the process.

The rental car company's manager then hand-delivers the reviewed complaint forms to the company's quality manager, again briefly explaining why the complaints should be processed. The quality manager is the main point of contact for the rental company's manager in the company's unit that processes customer complaints.

The quality manager then, upon receipt of a reviewed complaint form, places the form in a box for processing by the quality control specialist. The quality control specialist enters the reviewed complaint into the SmartFleet software system. Smartfleet incorporates artificial intelligence algorithms that operate on predictive maintenance rules, which are both used and updated by SmartFleet based on each new complaint processed through the system and on details about previous maintenance activities. The algorithms allow the SmartFleet system to create a schedule of predictive maintenance activities (called 'jobs') that reduces maintenance costs while also reducing the likelihood of future car problems occurring.

The schedule of predictive maintenance jobs generated by SmartFleet is a printed set of pages (one page per job), organized in the order of execution as prescribed by SmartFleet. The quality control specialist places those pages in a box with other predictive maintenance jobs. The box is located at the entrance of the workshop used by the maintenance department.

A team of mechanics then processes each predictive maintenance job. Upon completion of each job, the team enters the details about each completed job into the SmartFleet computer system."

1. Make an activity/swimlane diagram (using Microsoft Visio) of the rental car maintenance process. Make sure that your diagram tracks all documents and document exchanges. Also ensure that the information systems RentalBot and SmartFleet have their own lanes as they are considered actors in the process. (For help on making a Visio swimlane diagram, refer to Making Activity/Swimlane Diagram Guidelines - Detailed Version and/or Making Activity/Swimlane Diagram Guidelines - Quick Reference)

2. Why is the process as described inefficient and how can its efficiency be improved? Hint: do we need all actors? Can we eliminate some (or all?) of the paper? (Note: mechanics may like working from a piece of paper which they can take with them on the shop floor without having to be afraid of dropping, damaging or smudging it).

3. Make an activity/swimlane diagram (using Microsoft Visio) of the improved process.