Business process analysis and improvement in marinas: An application on a marina

Presently by the effect of globalization and the intensity of competition in every field of business, businesses reconsider their activities which do not produce any added value and focus on the work processes with the aim to maintain the customer satisfaction. For this reason, they are adapting a more process focused understanding of management instead of traditional view. The tendency toward process management allows corporations use their resources for the improvement and refinement of their processes. Together with the pressure created by the intense city life, people's longing for sea and nature, the urge to have active preoccupations, the reaction against the standard life, the increase on the economic prosperity and technological developments have rapidly improved yachting and so the marina management all around the world and in our country. The intense competition is observed between marina businesses as well. In this highly competitive environment, marinas, should maintain their existence, sustain their profitability and develop their corporations while they preserve and improve their quality. At this point, as two important concepts in process management, "process analysis" and "process improvement" emerges as vital elements for marina businesses. The main process which is directly related to the major services offered in marina businesses is 'The Process of Marina Operations Activities". In this study, it is aimed to analyze the sub work processes within the marine operation process, understand the current situation and provide process improvements for each work process of a selected marina business. With this aim "case study" and "interview" are used as the research methods. After the case study and the analysis of the processes of a marina business, a number of interviews have been conducted to different marina businesses in Turkey. The information regarding the general practices that are relevant to the works and business processes on these marina businesses in Turkey is gathered. Within the context of the case study employed, the work processes of the selected marina have been analyzed; evaluated, mapped and process improvement recommendations have been presented. Keywords: Marina Business, Process Management, Process Analysis, Process Improvement.