Business process improvement and the tax department

Abstract

Purpose-This paper aims to demonstrate that operations management techniques and operations strategy can be successfully implemented to create more efficient and effective tax department functionality. The paper seeks to bridge two areas that can have a significant impact on the competitive success of any type of enterprise-not just in the short term, but on an enduring basis. Design/methodology/approach-The driver for this article came from client engagements and discussions with CEOs/CFOs, vice presidents of tax, and directors of tax and operations that the author has served on engagements over recent years. Findings-The tax department should benefit from effective implementation of management consulting and operational strategy consulting. There is an opportunity to have a huge impact on the tax function, allowing tax to play a more central role within the overall finance function. Practical implications-Firms have found that implementation of some or all of these ideas into their tax function and tax processes has afforded them a way to more effectively and efficiently manage their operations and set themselves apart from other functions within an enterprise. Originality/value-The paper is very creative in demonstrating a valuable connection between operations strategy, operations management, and the tax function. The author shows how tools and process improvements can be effectively applied to tax just as they are to other functions of an enterprise.

Assessment of the Feasibility to Improve Business Incubation Processes

“…The improvement of processes is a logical sequence of tasks, which includes the identification of processes, analysis and development (Holtzman, 2011). There are a lot of articles related to the development of business processes, however, none of them offers a consistent improvement methodology.…”

The impact of human resource management on business process improvement: An analysis within the MSMEs of the textile and clothing industry

“…Business process improvement (BPI) refers to the business initiative (Holtzman, 2011). It aims to identify strategic goals and targets, while improving business processes of an organization in order to satisfy customers needs and expectations to a greater extent.…”

Process Improvement for Value Creation: a Case of Health Care Organization

“…In the process improvement paradigm, improvement originates in mapping processes and measuring carefully defined quality characteristics and performance metrics (de Mast et al, 2011). The results of process improvement can be measured in the enhancement of product or service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty, development of the skills of employees, cost reduction, increased productivity, efficiency, and profit (Holtzman, 2011;Vessella, 2015).…”

“…While focusing on business processes is not new, it has achieved some kind of "vogue" in the past several years (Holtzman, 2011). Processes and their improvement concepts, tools and techniques were analyzed by Dalmaris (2007), Lepak et al (2007), Langabeer et al (2009), Brandao de Souza (2009), Does et al (2009), Bowman and Ambrosini (2010), Chena (2010), McAlearney et al (2011), de Mast et al (2011), Brandao de Souza and Pidd (2011), Schiuma and Carlucci (2012), Tvedt et al (2012), Boyer et al (2012), Kumar et al (2013), Matthews (2013), Svagzdiene et al (2013), Antony (2014), Ciarniene and Vienazindiene (2015), Gardner et al (2015), Morrison (2015), Vessella (2015), Pekkola and Ukko (2016), and by other researchers.…”