Process management at Andritz Hydro : an analysis and comparison

Abstract

We regard a good and fully developed (process) management system as essential for the long term success of a globally acting enterprise. ANDRITZ Hydro emerged out of many well established companies. In order to unite the former independent firms an overall common -hydro management system- has been implemented. It was examined and rated to which extend the actual hydro management system meets the current state of the art. Moreover a comparison to other project oriented companies was carried out. The second focus was laid on the question to which extend the ANDRITZ Hydro organisational structure fits to the needs of its core business - the efficient project execution. The boarder between line hierarchy, process- and project management was analysed. Finally a questionnaire amongst employees covering both research questions was carried out. The structure of the management system meets the state of the art in this research field. The implemented framework would allow a higher detail level although this would limit the flexibility. The sustaining establishment and continuous improvement of such a management system is a permanent challenge. The regular evaluation must not only cover single processes but also the overall system itself, which includes the organisational structure. Awareness, understanding and commitment of the stakeholders are the key success factors of a management system.