Service process analysis using process engineering and the theory of constraints thinking process

Purpose – The paper aims to present a case of integration between process engineering and the thinking process of the theory of constraints (TP‐TOC) through the analysis of an organization's processes, pointing out the complementary aspects between the two theories and their benefits for the organization. Design/methodology/approach – The paper has used an Institution of Higher Education as its case study. The research has started by identifying the processes of the institution and choosing one to model according to the process engineering approach. The process was then analyzed through the elaboration of the current reality tree technique. After the analysis, the evaporating clouds technique was applied in order to breach the assumptions that were avoiding the problems to be solved. Finally, the process has been redesigned based on the results of the previous steps. Findings – The analysis of this case contributes towards understanding and identifying the causes of the current problems in the studied processes, providing a systemic and systematic view through the proposed approach. Originality/value – The paper proposes an approach that enables a systematic and systemic analysis of organizations' processes through the use of process engineering and the TP‐TOC.