Business Processes

Abstract

The concept of a business process is central to many areas of business systems, specifically to business systems based on modern information technology. In the new era of computer-based business management the design of business process has eclipsed the previous functional design. Lindsay, Downs, and Lunn (2003) suggest that business process may be divided into material, information and business parts. Further search for efficiency and cost reduction will be predominantly through office automation. The information part, including data warehousing, data mining and increasing informatisation of the office processes will play a key role. Data warehousing and data mining, in and of themselves, are business processes that are aimed at increasing the intelligent density (Dhar & Stein, 1997) of the data. But more important is the significant roles they play within the context of larger business and decision processes. Apart from these the creation and maintenance of a data warehouse itself comprises a set of business processes (see Scheer, 2000). Hence a proper understanding of business processes is essential to better understand data warehousing as well as data mining.