Discover how Process Functional Modelling (PFM) helps teams understand, analyze, and improve operational processes. This presentation from PRIZ Academy explores how to classify and evaluate each operation in a process, reduce complexity, and boost productivity using the PRIZ Engineering Thinking Platform. Ideal for QA leaders, engineers, and process improvement professionals.

1. “If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't
know what you're doing.”
W. Edward Deming
(Theory of quality management)
PRIZ Guru
Engineering Thinking Platform
Process Functional Modelling (PFM)
In Action with the PRIZ Platform
PRIZ Academy - Webinar - June 04, 2025

2. PROCESS FUNCTIONAL MODEL (PFM)
PFM is an analytical tool for
understanding processes
through modeling various
operations, solving
problems, and identifying
ways to improve process.
Understand how a process works
Understand each operation
Analyze and comprehend the functional
value and contribution of each operation
Make strategic and tactical decisions for
process improvements
Create a common language within the
organization

3. PROCESS FUNCTIONAL MODEL (PFM)
PFM is an analytical tool for
understanding processes
through modeling various
operations, solving
problems, and identifying
ways to improve process.
Design a process
Improve existing processes
Reduce the complexity of a process
Reduce costs of a process
Improve process yield
Identify redundant and low-value operations
Lean, Kaizen, and similar events
Use-cases

4. WHAT IS PROCESS?
Process
Energy Product
A process is a human-made system aimed to generate a product (value)
An energy feeds the process to ensure create a product
Energy is anything needed for a process to create a product: raw materials, electricity,
chemicals, information, etc.
Process is a system built to convert energy to a product: manufacturing equipment,
computers, devices, software, knowledge, people, etc.
Product is a carrier of value created by a process to satisfy a customer: food, clothes,
electric components, devices, software, knowledge, etc.

5. Operation 1
Energy Operation 2 Operation 3
Operation 4
Operation 5
Operation 6 Product
PROCESS
FROM PROCESS TO OPERATIONS
A process consists of sequential steps - operations
Model the process flow as a sequence of operations. But how should one proceed?
Which operations should be improved?
Which operations should be terminated?
What should be changed within the operation to improve the process?
To answer these questions: Apply Process Functional Modeling

6. Operation Type Description Value Added Examples
Productive Irreversible Change Yes
Boil an agg
Drill a hole in metal plate
Deposit thin film on a wafer
Providing Temporary Change No
Soap hands before rinsing
Fixate the metal plate before drilling
Pattern the wafer with Photolithography
Corrective
Mainly irreversible change to
remove defects created by
another operation
Yes / No
Dry hands after washing
Remove burrs after drilling
Remove residual Photoresist from wafer
Metrology Measure parameters No
Perform a visual inspection
Measure physical parameters
Count number of defects
TYPES OF OPERATION

7. TYPICAL SHARE OF DIFFERENT OPERATIONS
Providing
42%
Corrective
22%
Metrology
20%
Productive
16%
Usually, Productive operations do not exceed 20%
Average microchip manufacturing
process mainly consists of
Providing operations.
Productive operation is about 16%

8. WHAT DO WE GET FROM EACH OPERATION TYPE?
Classification of process operations helps to create strategic decisions
Productive operation
Irreversible changes to an object
Increase in the final product's value
Strategy
Focus your efforts on productive
operations during a process
design and improvement.
Goal: Improve performance of productive operations

9. WHAT DO WE GET FROM EACH OPERATION TYPE?
Classification of process operations helps to create strategic decisions
Providing operation
Temporary changes on an object
Increases the cost of the final product
Never adds value to the final product
Strategy
Avoid developing providing
operations - simplify or eliminate
them entirely
Goal: Eliminate providing operations

10. WHAT DO WE GET FROM EACH OPERATION TYPE?
Classification of process operations helps to create strategic decisions
Corrective operation
Exists due to improper performance of
productive operations and the necessity
of providing operations
May add some value to the product as a
complement to the improper performance
of productive operations
Strategy
Do not improve or develop corrective
operations. Focus on enhancing
productive operations and eliminating
unnecessary ones to prevent the need
for corrective measures.
Goal: Eliminate corrective operations

11. WHAT DO WE GET FROM EACH OPERATION TYPE?
Classification of process operations helps to create strategic decisions
Metrology operation
No changes on the object
No value is added to the final product
The purpose is to create information
Strategy
Analyze the necessity of the
information and eliminate metrology
operations if possible
Goal: Analyze and remove metrology operations
Ask: “Do we really need this information?”

12. FUNCTIONAL MODELING OF PROCESS OPERATIONS
Create Functional Model for each operation and make tactic decisions

13. PRIZ - ENGINEERING THINKING PLATFORM
https://www.priz.guru
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