Phase 1: Foundational Strategy & Baseline Architecture
What is Business Process Analysis? The AS-IS to TO-BE Framework Explained
Business Process Analysis (BPA) is the systematic method of mapping and examining your company's day-to-day operations. It involves documenting every step in your business processes—from how orders are received to how invoices are sent—and analysing them for efficiency and effectiveness.
For many growing businesses, these processes exist only in the minds of long-time employees or scattered across spreadsheets and manual forms. BPA brings these "AS-IS" processes into clear focus, providing an objective picture of how your business actually operates today. This clarity becomes the foundation for defining your "TO-BE" state—a strategic vision of how your business should operate with the right ERP system in place.
Why Business Process Analysis is Critical for ERP Success
The Hidden Cost of Skipping BPA
According to industry research, 55-75% of ERP implementations fail to meet their original objectives. In our experience, companies who skip thorough Business Process Analysis encounter:
Scope Creep and Budget Overruns Without documented requirements, projects frequently expand beyond original specifications. What starts as a £200,000 implementation can balloon to £400,000 or more as undocumented needs surface mid-project.
Poor User Adoption When end-users aren't involved in the BPA process, the resulting system often doesn't match how they actually work. This leads to resistance, workarounds, and eventually system abandonment.
Wrong System Selection Vendors demonstrate their software's strengths, not your business needs. Without a clear BPA, you risk choosing a system that excels at features you don't need while lacking critical functionality you do.
Extended Implementation Timelines Projects that should take 6-9 months stretch to 18-24 months as teams repeatedly revisit requirements and resolve misunderstandings that should have been addressed during BPA.
Failed Implementations In the worst cases, companies abandon implementations entirely, writing off hundreds of thousands of pounds and remaining stuck with their legacy systems.
From Process Gaps to Strategic Vision: Our Collaborative BPA
Core of Phase 1 in the 4bluefeet Methodology
1
AS-IS Discovery Workshops
We conduct facilitated workshops with your team members across all departments. These sessions document your current processes, capturing not just the official procedures but the reality of how work actually gets done—including workarounds and pain points.
2
Process Gap Analysis
We identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, redundancies, and areas where manual intervention creates risk. This isn't about criticism—it's about finding opportunities for improvement.
3
TO-BE Vision Development
Working collaboratively with your stakeholders, we help you envision optimised processes that leverage ERP capabilities. This includes eliminating unnecessary steps, automating manual tasks, and creating more efficient workflows.
4
Requirements Documentation
We translate your business needs into clear, vendor-neutral technical requirements that form the basis of your Business Requirements Document.
Real-World Example: End-to-End Process Mapping
When we work with businesses, we map entire business cycles from start to finish. For example, with agricultural businesses, we might map the complete potato season—from field planning through harvest, storage, processing, and sales.
This comprehensive view allows you to:
- Identify dependencies between departments
- Spot seasonal bottlenecks before they impact operations
- Question legacy processes that may no longer serve your business
- Design workflows that support growth rather than maintain status quo
The 4bluefeet Baseline Architecture: Your Custom Digital Blueprint
We establish the Baseline Architecture by rigorously analysing your current operations and translating those findings into an actionable, optimised blueprint. Our independent solution architects focus on quality and feasibility, ensuring the foundation is technically sound before we look at a single vendor.
We accomplish this through two core deliverables:
1. AS-IS/TO-BE Process Architecture
We deploy our proprietary analysis tools to meticulously map every workflow, from order-to-cash to procurement. We capture the current AS-IS state, identifying every dependency, bottleneck, and manual workaround. We document and highlight business processes that cannot be solved with a new ERP. More importantly, we then design and document the highly efficient TO-BE state, visualising the optimal flow within a future ERP environment and the opportunities for process improvement. This architecture establishes the performance targets that all subsequent vendor candidates must meet.
2. The Final Requirements Catalogue
Using the TO-BE architecture as our guide, we finalise the detailed, non-negotiable functional and non-functional requirements. This is not a wish list; it is a meticulously prioritised, cross-departmental requirements catalogue. This critical document will be directly input into our Certified Blueprint Architecture (Phase 2) and will serve as the contractual benchmark for vendor selection, eliminating scope creep and ensuring implementation success.
Why This Phase is Crucial
Any ERP project started without this verified Baseline Architecture is instantly exposed to unnecessary risk. Our independent analysis ensures:
Unbiased Prioritisation: Requirements are driven by strategic necessity, not by current systems or vendor sales pitches.
Clear Accountability: We define clear ownership and measurable success criteria for every critical process.
Definitive Scope: By defining the Baseline Architecture first, we ensure the RFP (Phase 3) is based on a fixed scope, protecting your budget and timeline.
This foundational work guarantees you enter the ERP selection process with total clarity and control. The culminating output of our BPA is the Business Requirements Document (BRD)—a comprehensive, vendor-neutral blueprint that serves as the legal foundation for your entire ERP project.
Learn more about how we transform your BRD into a comprehensive Solution Architecture →
How Long Does Business Process Analysis Take?
The timeline for BPA varies based on your business complexity:
- Small businesses (10-50 employees): 4-6 weeks
- Mid-size businesses (50-200 employees): 8-12 weeks
- Larger enterprises (200+ employees): 12-16 weeks
This investment of time upfront typically reduces overall project timelines by 30-40% by eliminating rework and scope changes during implementation.
Continuing the 4bluefeet Methodology
The Foundational Strategy is the essential first step. Following this, the complete 4bluefeet Methodology proceeds through these six critical phases:
Foundational Strategy & Baseline Architecture
Key Deliverable: The AS-IS/TO-BE Process Architecture and the Final Requirements Catalogue.
The Certified Blueprint Architecture
Key Deliverable: The 4bluefeet Blueprint Document (BRD), certified for technical feasibility.
Objective Vendor Selection & Investment Modelling
Key Deliverable: Validated Vendor Suitability Report and the Financial Investment Model.
Organisational Readiness & Adoption Framework
Key Deliverable: Change Impact Assessment (CIA) and the Organisational Readiness Framework.
Integrated Quality Assurance Oversight
Key Deliverable: iQA Sign-Off and the UAT Completion Certificate.
Cutover Assurance & Performance Governance
Key Deliverable: Cutover Readiness Audit and the Long-Term Governance Model.
Business Process Analysis & ERP Strategy FAQs
Get answers on how business process mapping creates the foundation for successful ERP selection, defining your "AS-IS" state, and identifying strategic growth areas.
Vendors are experts in their software, not in your business. They'll naturally guide you toward how their system works rather than how your business should work. Independent BPA ensures you get a solution designed for your needs, not the vendor's sales targets.
Size doesn't eliminate complexity. Small businesses often have more customised processes because they haven't been forced to standardise yet. BPA is even more critical to avoid overpaying for features you don't need or missing critical requirements.
That's actually common and valuable. The BPA process often reveals opportunities for improvement you hadn't considered. We document both current and desired future states, building change management into the project from day one.
BPA investment typically ranges from 5-10% of your total ERP project budget. For a £300,000 ERP implementation, expect to invest £15,000-£30,000 in BPA. This upfront investment routinely saves 3-5 times that amount in avoided scope creep, change orders, and implementation delays.
That's actually common and valuable. The BPA process often reveals opportunities for improvement you hadn't considered. We document both current and desired future states, building change management into the project from day one.
We use your BRD to create a detailed Solution Architecture and manage the vendor evaluation process. We remain your advocate throughout implementation, ensuring vendors deliver what they promised based on your documented requirements.
Ready to Mitigate Risk? Start With Your Digital Blueprint.
Don't let your digital transformation project start on shaky ground. Business Process Analysis is the critical investment that sets your ERP project up for success.
Our BPA service includes:
- Facilitated AS-IS discovery workshops
- Complete process documentation and gap analysis
- TO-BE workflow design
- Comprehensive Business Requirements Document (BRD)
- Vendor-neutral requirements specification
- Change management foundation
Schedule a Free Consultation to discuss your AS-IS state and learn how we can help you build a solid foundation for ERP success.