Towards a definitional model of business process technology

Abstract

This paper develops a definitional model of the role played by various forms of technology in a range of business processes. The model draws upon and refines established knowledge of traditional (i.e. manufacturing) process technologies while at the same time engaging with the similarities and differences associated with service and information/inter-connection technologies. It uses five case studies to examine the key elements of business process technology (BPT) based on the conventional input-transformation-output model used extensively in the operations management literature. Explicitly, the definition of business process technology (BPT) is based on a discussion of its competitive impact and the types of transformation process it is applied to. A web-based retailing service is then analysed using the model and the paper concludes with a discussion of its practical and theoretical implications.