Our approach
Process first. Technology follows. These principles guide how we approach every process transformation.
Fundamental principles
1. Process first. Technology follows.
We always start with the business process and the desired outcome. We first examine how the process can operate better, more simply and more autonomously from beginning to end. Only then do we determine the role people and technology should play.
2. Human value over repetitive work.
People should devote their time to work where human insight, creativity, responsibility and interaction add value. We automate repetitive and predictable work wherever possible.
3. Technology is the enabler, not the objective.
We use technology only when it demonstrably contributes to a better, simpler or more autonomous business process. Technology is a means of creating value, not the starting point.
How we prove value: Cost per Transaction
Time, error rates and human interventions are drivers of financial impact rather than end measures in themselves:
- Less processing time reduces labor cost per transaction.
- Fewer errors reduce rework and correction cost.
- Less human control reduces the cost of checking transactions.
| Measure | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Total annual process cost | Number of transactions × Cost per Transaction |
| Cost per Transaction | Labor cost + Error correction cost + Control cost |
| Detailed calculation | (processing time × hourly rate of operator) + (error rate × rework time × hourly rate of rework) + (average control time per transaction × hourly rate of checker) |
Control cost is the monetary value of the time other employees spend checking a transaction. If only part of the transaction population is checked, the average control time per transaction reflects that frequency.
The CLEMAS Framework
The framework connects process analysis, autonomy and financial value. It separates the current baseline from the expected target and the value that is ultimately proven after implementation.
| Step | Stage | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Current process | Map the end-to-end process and identify human tasks, controls, errors and rework. |
| 2 | Cost baseline | Calculate current Cost per Transaction and annual process cost. |
| 3 | Autonomy assessment | Determine what can reliably become autonomous and where people remain necessary. |
| 4 | Target process design | Redesign the process around the appropriate autonomy level. |
| 5 | Target Cost per Transaction | Calculate expected Cost per Transaction and quantify the business case. |
| 6 | Implement & measure | Implement the redesigned process and measure actual performance. |
| 7 | Proven value | Compare actual Cost per Transaction with the baseline and quantify realized value. |
Target value is the financial improvement expected from the redesigned process. Proven value is the improvement actually measured after implementation.
The CLEMAS Process Autonomy Model
The model helps determine the appropriate target state for a process. It starts with four questions:
- Which tasks are currently performed by humans?
- Which checks are currently performed by other employees?
- Where do errors and rework originate?
- Which of these activities can be reliably automated or performed autonomously?
| Level | Mode | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manual | The process is executed entirely by people. |
| 2 | Assisted | Technology supports people; people remain responsible for execution. |
| 3 | Automated | Routine tasks are automated; people oversee or approve the process. |
| 4 | Autonomous | The process operates independently; people handle exceptions and situations requiring human judgment. |
| 5 | Self-optimizing | The process operates independently and improves based on data and AI within defined boundaries. |
The goal is appropriate autonomy, not maximum autonomy. Level 5 is not automatically the objective. The target level is the highest level of autonomy that is reliable and appropriate for the process, while preserving human involvement where it adds value or is required.