Business Process Analysis & Modelling of the 'Hire to Retire' Process at Aluminium Duffel
This project involved analysing and modelling the "Hire to Retire" HR process at Aluminium Duffel, a major aluminium manufacturer in Belgium. Our team conducted a structured interview with a key staff member to gather detailed insights into the employee lifecycle. I translated the interview into a BPMN diagram and authored the final project report outlining the process and areas for potential improvement. The project demonstrated the value of business process modelling for understanding and optimising real-world operations.
This project focused on analysing and modelling a real-world HR process from a manufacturing company using industry-standard BPM practices. Working collaboratively, our team engaged with Aluminium Duffel to understand their “Hire to Retire” process and identify potential areas for future improvement.
Client & Business Process
Company: Aluminium Duffel – a major European producer of aluminium rolled products with ~1,000 employees in Belgium.
Process in Focus: Hire to Retire – encompassing the full employee lifecycle from recruitment to retirement.
Process in Focus: Hire to Retire – encompassing the full employee lifecycle from recruitment to retirement.
Project Objective
To conduct a structured interview about a common business process, document and model it using Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), and identify improvement opportunities—without making direct changes to the process.
My Key Contributions
1. Interview Preparation & Participation
While responsible for the major part I co-designed a structured interview questionnaire covering ERP system usage, BPMN familiarity, and detailed process activities.
Conducted the interview and contributed to gathering qualitative data.
Transformed the recorded interview into a structured flowchart outlining all major tasks, decision points, and participants.
Created a detailed BPMN diagram using BPMN.io, clearly mapping both:
The Hiring sub-process
The Retirement sub-process
Flowchart (Image)
BPMN Final Diagram
3. Report Writing & Process Documentation
Wrote the comprehensive project report, including:
Company overview
Process description
Full BPMN model
Areas with potential for process improvement (e.g., lack of documentation, no ERP system)
Delivered a clear, structured visualisation of the "Hire to Retire" process using BPMN.
Provided the company with actionable suggestions, including adoption of ERP systems and BPMN practices—without implementing changes.
Skills Demonstrated
Business Process Analysis
BPMN Modelling (BPMN.io)
Interviewing & Data Collection
Qualitative Data Interpretation
Technical Report Writing
Presentation Design (Pecha Kucha format)
Collaboration in a Real-World Business Context
What I Learned
This project gave me hands on experience in translating qualitative interview data into structured business process models. I learned how to apply BPMN effectively to represent complex workflows and identify gaps in existing operations. It also taught me the importance of clear documentation, stakeholder communication, and the real-world challenges organisations face when lacking formalised systems like ERP or BPM. Overall, it deepened my understanding of business process management and strengthened my skills in analysis, modelling, and professional presentation.
