Inúmeras organizações, em todo o mundo, estão adotando a gestão por processos como forma de aumentar sua produtividade e conseguir resultados mais eficazes com um tempo de resposta menor como forma a responder às ofertas da concorrência. Entre as empresas prestadoras de serviços, foi identificado que em função de suas complexas regras de contratos, o mercado segurador se destaca no mercado em que se encontra o maior crescimento de participação no PIB brasileiro. Com o propósito de observar o impacto que a implementação de software de gestão por processos pode efetuar em organizações que adotaram gestão por processos e seus benefícios, foram delimitadas pesquisas com as sete maiores seguradoras do mercado brasileiro. Utilizando-se de pesquisa com estudo de caso múltiplo, foram avaliados os impactos, benefícios e maturidade destas seguradoras e comparados entre elas de forma a ter a consolidação do entendimento se estas práticas estão condizentes com o que são propostos pelos diversos autores. Temos como conclusão que os resultados foram positivos nas organizações avaliadas, de forma a demonstrar a efetividade das ações, porém com limitações conforme o nível de maturidade encontrada. / The adoption of Business Process Management (BPM) tools has increased significantly in organizations around the world with promises to reduce cost, improve productivity and quality and it is not different in Brazil. As insurance market is one of the fastest-growing segments in the country, their operations are based on complex business rules and improvement of their process and operations is mandatory to remain competitive in a globalized market. Based in multiple case study research with the biggest insurance companies in Brazil, compare maturity before and after BPM tools implementations and assesses if the main benefits provided by the use of Business Process Management tools implementation were identified in these organizations. The results were positive and consistent in all insurance companies that participate of this research.

Methods for estimating productivity and costs, and dependent equipment selection process, have needed to be increasingly reliable. Estimated productivity and costs must be as accurate as possible in reflecting actual productivity and costs experienced by mining operations to accommodate the long-term trend for diminishing commodity prices, For loading and hauling equipment operating in open pit mines, some of the interrelated estimating criteria have been investigated for better understanding; and, consequently, more reliable estimates of production and costs, also more effective equipment selection process. Analysis recognizes many of the interrelated criteria as random variables that can most effectively be reviewed, analyzed and compared in terms of statistical mathematical parameters. Emphasized throughout is the need for management of the cyclical loading and hauling system using conventional shovels/excavators/loaders and mining trucks to sustain an acceptable “rhythm” for best practice productivity and most-competitive unit-production costs. Outcomes of the research include an understanding that variability of attributes needs to be contained within acceptable limits. Attributes investigated include truck payloads, bucket loads, loader cycle time, truck loading time and truck cycle time. Selection of “ultra-class” mining trucks (≥ 290 -tonne payload) and suitable loading equipment is for specialist mining applications only. Where local operating environment and cost factors favourably supplement diminishing cost-benefits of truck scale, ultra-class trucks may be justified. Bigger is not always better – only where bigger can be shown to be better by reasons in addition to the modest cost benefits of ultra-class equipment. Truck over-loading may, to a moderate degree, increase productivity, but only at increased unit cost. / From a unit-cost perspective it is better to under-load than overload mining trucks. Where unit production cost is more important than absolute productivity, under-trucking is favoured compared with over-trucking loading equipment. Bunching of mining trucks manifests as a queuing effect – a loss of effective truck hours. To offset the queuing effect, required productivity needs to be adjusted to anticipate “bunching inefficiency”. The “basic number of trucks” delivered by deterministic estimating must provide for bunching inefficiency before application of simulation applications or stochastic analysis is used to determine the necessary number of trucks in the fleet. In difficult digging conditions it is more important to retain truck operating rhythm than to focus on achieving target payload by indiscriminately adding loader passes. Where trucks are waiting to load, operational tempo should be restored by sacrificing one or more passes. Trucks should preferably be loaded by not more than the nominal (modal) number plus one pass. The research has: • Identified and investigated attributes that affect the dispersion of truck payloads, bucket loads, bucket-cycle time, loading time and truck-cycle time. • The outcomes of the research indicate a need to correlate drilling and blasting quality control and truck payload dispersion. Further research can be expected to determine the interrelationship between accuracy of drilling and blasting attributes including accuracy of hole location and direction. • Preliminary investigations indicate a relationship between drill-and-blast attributes through blasting quality control to bucket design, dimensions and shape; also discharge characteristics that affect bucket cycle time that needs further research.

Inúmeras organizações, em todo o mundo, estão adotando a gestão por processos como forma de aumentar sua produtividade e conseguir resultados mais eficazes com um tempo de resposta menor como forma a responder às ofertas da concorrência. Entre as empresas prestadoras de serviços, foi identificado que em função de suas complexas regras de contratos, o mercado segurador se destaca no mercado em que se encontra o maior crescimento de participação no PIB brasileiro. Com o propósito de observar o impacto que a implementação de software de gestão por processos pode efetuar em organizações que adotaram gestão por processos e seus benefícios, foram delimitadas pesquisas com as sete maiores seguradoras do mercado brasileiro. Utilizando-se de pesquisa com estudo de caso múltiplo, foram avaliados os impactos, benefícios e maturidade destas seguradoras e comparados entre elas de forma a ter a consolidação do entendimento se estas práticas estão condizentes com o que são propostos pelos diversos autores. Temos como conclusão que os resultados foram positivos nas organizações avaliadas, de forma a demonstrar a efetividade das ações, porém com limitações conforme o nível de maturidade encontrada. / The adoption of Business Process Management (BPM) tools has increased significantly in organizations around the world with promises to reduce cost, improve productivity and quality and it is not different in Brazil. As insurance market is one of the fastest-growing segments in the country, their operations are based on complex business rules and improvement of their process and operations is mandatory to remain competitive in a globalized market. Based in multiple case study research with the biggest insurance companies in Brazil, compare maturity before and after BPM tools implementations and assesses if the main benefits provided by the use of Business Process Management tools implementation were identified in these organizations. The results were positive and consistent in all insurance companies that participate of this research.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Riverside, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-162).