An analysis of company structure and business processes in the capital goods industry in the UK

This work is based on a study of capital goods suppliers to the power generation and distribution, materials handling, and offshore industries. Business processes are project-based and interdependent. They include sales, marketing, tendering, engineering, manufacturing, procurement, assembly, and commissioning. A model is presented which groups these processes into three categories: nonphysical, physical, and support processes. Capital goods companies have dynamic and evolving structures, aggregating processes in ways which seek to exploit new and changing markets. The model provides a mechanism for describing and analyzing structures. The combination of structural, process, and operational perspectives offers a framework for the analysis of capital goods companies.