Adoption Of Business Process Management Research Articles

The Role of Organizational Culture in Business Process Management Adoption: A Case Study

Business Process Management adoption requires extensive effort, time, resources and discipline. Therefore, several studies have attempted to identify the factors that influence BPM adoption. Most of studies identify organizational culture among the key factors, but few attempted to explore its influence on BPM adoption. Thus, this study sets out to explore the role of organizational culture in BPM adoption. This study employed a qualitative approach and held in-depth interviews. Twenty BPM professionals who are working in different Saudi Arabian organizations started adopting BPM have been selected. Commitment, Continuous improvement, Cross-functional teamwork, Customer centricity, Innovation and Process ownership are important organizational culture values influencing BPM adoption positively. This study contributes to theory by proposing a model including six important cultural values in BPM adoption and also increases awareness among practitioners of the importance of organizational culture in BPM adoption.

Alignment patterns for process-oriented appraisals and rewards: using HRM for BPM capability building

PurposeWhile the business process management (BPM) literature highlights the significance of aligning employee appraisals and rewards practices with business processes, little is known about the realization. The purpose of this paper is to concretize the impact of process-oriented appraisals and rewards on business process performance and to provide empirical evidence on how organizations actually align their appraisals and rewards practices with BPM.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method approach has been employed by combining survey results with case studies to offer first-hand evidence. Survey data have been used to quantify the real impact of process-oriented appraisals and rewards. Next, case studies with 10 organizations have allowed us to gain deeper insight into organizational practices for making appraisals and rewards more process-oriented.FindingsThe survey proves that process-oriented employee appraisals and rewards positively affect performance if different employee levels are involved. The case studies reveal similarities and differences in alignment efforts across organizations, based on pattern-matching and a multidimensional analysis, resulting in four alignment patterns.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings extend knowledge about appraisals and rewards within a business process context by providing a quantification and pattern refinement, which specifically advance a BPM-facilitating culture.Practical implicationsManagers and executives benefit from the recommendations for a gradual BPM adoption to improve the success of their business processes and their people-related practices.Originality/valueThe authors offer one of the first in-depth, cross-disciplinary studies that intend to bridge between the disciplines of BPM and human resource management (HRM).

Performance evaluation of web service response time probability distribution models for business process cycle time simulation

ContextThe adoption of Business Process Management (BPM) is enabling companies to improve the pace of building new capabilities, enhancing existing ones, and measuring process performance to identify bottlenecks. It is essential to compute the cycle time of the process to assess the performance of a business process. The cycle time typically forms part of service level agreements (SLAs) and is a crucial contributor to the overall user experience and productivity. The simulation technique is versatile and has broad applicability for determining realistic cycle time using historical data of web service response time. BPM tools offer inadequate support for modeling input data used in simulation in the form of descriptive statistics or standard probability distributions like normal, lognormal, which results in inaccurate simulation results. ObjectiveWe evaluate the effectiveness of different parametric and non-parametric probability distributions for modeling data of web service response time. We further assess how the choice of probability distribution impacts the accuracy of the simulated cycle time of a business process. The work is the first of such a study using real-world data for encouraging Business Process Simulation Specification (BPSim) standard setters and BPM tools to enhance their support for such distributions in their simulation engine. MethodWe consider several parametric and non-parametric distributions and explore how well these distributions fit web service response time from extensive public and a real-world dataset. The cycle time of the business process of a real-world system is simulated using the identified distributions to model the underlying web service data. ResultsOur results show that kernel distribution is the most suitable choice, followed by Burr. Kernel outperforms Burr by 86.63% for the public and 84.21% for the real-world dataset. The choice of distribution affects the percentile ranks like 90 and above than the median. The use of single-point values underestimates cycle time values at higher percentiles. ConclusionBased on our empirical results, we recommend the addition of kernel and Burr to the current list of distributions supported by BPSim and BPM tools.

Business process management success framework for transition economies

ABSTRACTThis article presents business process management (BPM) framework, which considers the specific circumstances in transition economies. The analysis of 47 papers shows that in addition to common critical success factors, BPM adoption in transition economies should also consider factors such as environment, external stakeholders impact, ownership, and implementation context. The proposed framework contributes to the theory by offering a solid foundation for future research and to the practice by indicating essential constructs for effective BPM.

Propositions on the interaction of organizational culture with other factors in the context of BPM adoption

PurposeThe paper investigates differences in the success of business process management (BPM) initiatives and their connection with organizational culture. The purpose of this paper is to identify propositions on characteristics of BPM initiative that are favorable for its success according to dominant organizational culture. Therefore, the authors’ aim was to identify connections of organizational commitment to BPM and dimensions of business process orientation (BPO) with dominant organizational culture.Design/methodology/approachAs a research design, the authors used a questionnaire to collect data on the BPM adoption practices of organizations in Austria, Croatia and Slovenia with more than 50 employees. BPM adoption was measured with BPO and organizational culture with Competing Values Framework (CVF). Non-parametric tests have been applied for the analysis. On this survey data, the authors conducted statistical tests to identify those factors that discriminate successful from unsuccessful BPM initiatives.FindingsThe study revealed empirical insights about characteristics of successful BPM initiatives in different organizational cultures. There are several statistically significant differences with respect to the success of BPM adoption. The chance of success appears to be higher: when the BPM initiative is rolled out in the entire organization if the organization has Clan, Market or Hierarchy culture; when the BPM is run on a continuous basis in Hierarchy culture and repeatedly in Adhocracy culture; when a top-down approach is used in organizations with Market or Hierarchy dominant culture; when the BPM initiative has a strategic role and formal responsibilities are defined in Clan and Hierarchy cultures.Originality/valueThe authors’ empirical findings provide the basis for the formulation of detailed propositions on the interaction of various factors and their impact on BPM adoption in connection to organizational culture. In this way, the authors’ contribution is situated in the inductive research cycle and informs theory building for BPM adoption.

Understanding the Success Factors in Adopting Business Process Management Software: Case Studies

A number of studies on the successes and failures of business process management (BPM) have been conducted with the aim of identifying BPM adoption success factors. The complex and comprehensive nature of BPM has resulted in the lack of a generally accepted framework for successful BPM adoption. One general means of ensuring BPM success is through the adoption of business process management software (BPMS). The fact that there is currently no consensus as to a generally accepted definition of BPM software makes it difficult to define the criteria for its selection. There are several reasons for this: (i) the size and complexity of the field, (ii) determining business needs is not always straightforward, and (iii) the BPM software market is complex and its features and capabilities vary greatly across vendors. In this article, we examine the contextual and technical perspectives of BPMS adoption and related critical success factors (CSF). The goal of this study was to propose BPMS selection guidelines with regard to the organizational, environmental and technological CSFs of BPMS adoption, to support decision makers in selecting the right BPMS. To accomplish this, we applied a multiple- case study approach and carried out a set of interviews in companies that have fully or partly adopted BPMS. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather quantitative data for those topics that can be evaluated numerically, and qualitative contextual (organizational and environmental) CSFs relevant for BPMS adoption success.

The Effect of Organization Size and Sector on Adopting Business Process Management

The business process management (BPM) discipline is starting to recognize the importance of context-awareness. In spite of this recognition, few studies investigate the effect of diverse contextual factors on BPM. To fill this gap, the study statistically analyzes the effect of organization size and sector, as specific contextual factors, on the adoption of BPM. The latter is measured by means of BPM capabilities for which data was collected from 2309 employees in 72 organizations. The study relies on the Contingency Theory by hypothesizing that, in practice, organizations adopt BPM by taking into account factors that fit an organization’s context. Surprisingly, the results do not show a dependency between BPM adoption and organization size, suggesting that BPM adoption levels can equally be achieved by large or small organizations. In contrast, a dependency is found for organization sector (partly based on market velocity), suggesting different BPM adoption practices and/or speed in different sectors.

Approach towards BPM Adoption under Hierarchy-Market Culture: A Case Study

Organizational culture affects the success of business process management (BPM) adoption. Since organizational culture is very difficult to change, organizations should adapt their approach towards BPM adoption to suit the existing organizational culture. The aim of this paper is to find out what approach towards BPM adoption might be appropriate in an organization with Hierarchy-Market culture. For this, we conducted a case study of a large insurance company in South-East Europe. Our findings show that elements, such as formal and well organized approach, and emphasis on benefits of BPM contributed to BPM adoption success in the studied organization with Hierarchy-Market culture. DOI: 10.15458/85451.20

How to go from strategy to results? Institutionalising BPM governance within organisations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how business process management (BPM) is incorporated within organisational structure. The authors demonstrate how a strategic interest in BPM and formal responsibilities for BPM activities shape the efficiency, quality and agility of BPM initiatives. By conducting field research, useful empirical insights were drawn about the necessary conditions for ensuring the success of BPM initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey of BPM adoption practices was conducted among private- and public-sector organisations with more than 50 employees. A cross-national sample of 60 Croatian and 51 Slovenian companies is analysed by applying a subsampling strategy and using inferential statistics methods. Findings – The study clearly shows how particular structural decisions can foster the operational excellence of BPM initiatives. Formal process roles and specialised BPM units were recognised as important drivers of organisational success. In addition, how strategic support and related structural choices create a synergistic effect and make process efforts worthwhile is explained. Practical implications – The research findings offer useful benchmarking of current BPM practices. The developed BPM commitment matrix represents a simple tool for self-assessment. Its path-dependent logic provides guidelines for improving the outcomes of BPM governance in general, and BPM initiatives specifically. Originality/value – The paper extends previous research by showing the performance effects of several BPM governance practices. The results clearly suggest that the best outcomes of BPM initiatives were achieved by organisations that had introduced a strategic approach to BPM, along with having defined a centralised BPM responsibility and assigned decentralised process ownership roles.

Accounting Information Systems: Evolving towards a Business Process Oriented Accounting

This article presents a reflection on the role of Business Process Management and associated technologies on supporting/evolving current Accounting Information Systems. Although traditional Accounting Information Systems fulfill the need of financial reporting, collecting data from central databases and consolidating it, so that the information can be easily consumed by decision-makers, they were not created bearing in mind the idea of performing business process oriented accounting. Organizations have always worked in a business process oriented way either implicit or explicit. Business Process Management adoption as a management practice has been gaining popularity in recent years, making sense an evolution of Accounting Information Systems towards a business process oriented accounting supported on a Business Process Management Suite. The benefits of this evolution include, among others, the flexibility and agility in business process redefinition, the empowerment of knowledge workers, the implementation of control points for data collection to produce real-time reports and alerts relating the use of financial and non-financial information, so that decision-makers can act on.

Critical success factors for different stages of business process management adoption – a case study

Many organisations fail in their attempt to adopt business process management (BPM). Although general critical success factors (CSFs) are well understood, we argue that CSFs are not the same for all stages of BPM adoption. The purpose of this article is to identify the CSFs in different stages of BPM adoption. A case study approach was used to analyse a successful BPM adoption in a public company. The article provides empirical insights about CSFs in individual stages of BPM adoption. We find that the guidance of external consultants was very important, although this factor is not commonly recognised in the literature. The article shows that the identification of well-known CSFs of BPM adoption gives only a limited view since the factors change between stages. Organisations need to carefully identify the stage and prepare a roadmap for their BPM adoption.

Business process management-based job assignment in ship hull production design

As a part of the IT convergence in the shipbuilding industry, we examine the adoption of business process management (BPM) for the ship hull production design process. Ship hull production design, which is a process-based task, requires the most man-hours (M/H) among all ship design processes and is directly coupled with ship production, whereby improvements in this task can provide large contributions to enhancing productivity. Thus, we analyze the hull production design task from the perspective of the business process to generate BPM models for a manager and design engineers. Particularly for the manager process, we implement the optimal assignment method as a part of the decision support system to help the manager efficiently assign hull blocks to design engineers in the BPM system (BPMS). In this paper, we suggest the concepts of the block standard design M/H and variable design M/H for the assignment problem. We compute the estimated M/H by using models developed after this concept. To minimize the total required M/H of assignments for the production design, we adopt the Hungarian algorithm. The BPM executable model of the hull production design process is implemented using Bonita Open-Solution 5.7, which is a representative open-source BPMS.

Implementation of an executable business process management model for the ship hull production design process

The shipbuilding industry has adopted IT convergence as a new engine for growth encompassing conventional production know-how and economies of scale. Brand new solutions for enterprise IT, such as three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) systems, enterprise resource planning systems, and product lifecycle management systems have been adopted and customized to shipyards and contribute to productivity enhancement. As part of IT convergence in the shipbuilding industry, we examine the adoption of business process management (BPM) for the ship hull production design process. Ship hull production design, a process-based task, requires the most man-hours among all ship design processes and is directly coupled with ship production; thus, improvements in this task can contribute hugely toward enhancing productivity. First, we explain the concept of the executable model, which is an essential condition for executing defined processes in a business process management system (BPMS). In addition, we analyze the hull production design task and use this as the basis of a process to build executable BPM models. Thus, we present detailed implementations and the expected effects for the BPM execution of the hull production design process. The executable BPM model of the hull production design process is implemented using Bonita Open-Solution 5.5, a representative open-source BPMS.

What affects the extent of business process management implementation? An empirical study of Malaysia’s manufacturing organizations

This study seeks to examine the factors that affect the extent of Business Process Management (BPM) among manufacturing firms in Malaysia. The factors comprised of internal and external drivers. Data was gathered from a survey of 200 manufacturing companies of which 59 respondents participated in this study. Our statistical results indicate that business environment is the key driver that affects the extent of BPM implementation, followed by organization strategy. The findings provide insight to managers that business environment, organization strategy and BPM programs are closely linked. To promote the adoption of BPM in Malaysia, these critical drivers should be emphasized.

Agile BPM in the age of Cloud technologies

This article is focused on application of agile principles during adoption of Business Process Management in an organization.

Towards an Understanding of the Business Process Analyst: An Analysis of Competencies

The increase in adoption of business process management (BPM) and service oriented architecture (SOA) has created a high demand for qualified professionals with a plethora of skills. However, despite the growing amount of literature available on the topics of BPM and SOA, little research has been conducted around developing a detailed list of competencies required for SOA and BPM professionals. According to Gartner’s 2011 predictions, by 2014 there will be a growing emphasis on process-related skills and competencies to create competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the required competencies of the business process analyst. The new business process analyst role is seen as indispensable to the success of BPM and SOA projects. This qualitative research used data collected through semi-structured interviews and through subsequent thematic analysis; a business process analyst competency framework emerged. The findings show that the business analyst competencies form a foundation for the business process analyst role. Even more than the business analyst role, the business process analyst requires strong interpersonal competencies and strengths as well as both left brain (statistical) and right brain (emotional) thinking. Business and organisational knowledge is seen as important while technical competencies were considered the least important. Although this research is positioned in South Africa, where the availability of skills is a major challenge facing the establishment of the business process analyst role, the resultant framework should be useful for any information systems educators designing curriculum for this new role and for organisations hoping to employ these professionals.

Managing Process Model Complexity Via Abstract Syntax Modifications

As a result of the growing adoption of Business Process Management (BPM) technology, different stakeholders need to understand and agree upon the process models that are used to configure BPM systems. However, BPM users have problems dealing with the complexity of such models. Therefore, the challenge is to improve the comprehension of process models. While a substantial amount of literature is devoted to this topic, there is no overview of the various mechanisms that exist to deal with managing complexity in (large) process models. As a result, it is hard to obtain an insight into the degree of support offered for complexity reducing mechanisms by state-of-the-art languages and tools. This paper focuses on complexity reduction mechanisms that affect the abstract syntax of a process model, i.e., the formal structure of process model elements and their interrelationships. These mechanisms are captured as patterns so that they can be described in their most general form, in a language- and tool-independent manner. The paper concludes with a comparative overview of the degree of support for these patterns offered by state-of-the-art languages and tools, and with an evaluation of the patterns from a usability perspective, as perceived by BPM practitioners.

건설기업의 전략지원을 위한 BPM 우선적용 프로세스 선정에 관한 연구

건설 산업은 다양한 프로젝트를 수행하는 수주중심의 산업적 특성상 정형화된 프로세스로 구축하여 운영하는 것이 매우 어렵다. 이에 건설기업의 동적인 업무 변화 특성 수용과 업무개선을 동시에 만족시킬 수 있는 BPM(Business Process Management)의 도입이 대형 건설업체를 중심으로 이루어지고 있는 상황이다. BPM의 특성과 기업의 고유 전략이 상이하기 때문에 일괄적인 적용은 어렵다. 이에 건설 산업의 특성과 프로세스를 이해하고 기업이 추구하는 비전과 목표에 부합하는 업무 프로세스를 우선 선정하여 적용하는 것이 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 기존 연구 고찰을 통하여 BPM 우선 적용 대상 프로세스 선정방안의 필요성을 제시하고, 건설기업 업무 프로세스 분석을 통해서 건설기업의 BPA를 구축하였다. 국내 건설기업의 전략목표 우선순위 파악을 통하여 높은 우선순위를 가지는 것으로 도출된 수익성과 성장성의 관점에서 핵심 업무 프로세스를 도출하였다. 또한 BPM 적용대상 프로세스 평가 기준을 6가지로 제시하여 이를 바탕으로 핵심 업무 프로세스를 평가하여 BPM 우선 적용 대상 프로세스를 도출하였다. Construction companies are fulfilled in according to project, and it is difficult to execute the standardized process in various construction projects. Thus many construction companies is adopting BPM(Business Process Management) that meet business process change and business improvement. However, it is difficult to apply BPM in a lump because of difference of BPM characteristics and company's strategies. For this reason, it is desirable to select business process based on company's priority. This study indicated need of method for selecting business process through studying current researches, and made BPA for construction company by analyzing business process in construction company. Moreover, this study indicated core business process from a point of profitability and growth view through grasping strategic goal priority. And also, it proposed criteria for process evaluation for BPM adoption, evaluated core business process, and indicated prior business process for BPM adoption.

Towards the Mapping of Multidimensional BPMN Models to Process Definition Standards

Business Process Management (BPM) community has accepted Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) as de facto business process modeling standard. In this research BPMN is chosen as the notation for representation of multidimensional business processes, as it uses the set of graphical elements that can be refined with specific attributes, allowing to describe every important aspect of the business process, which can be regarded as the modeling dimension. However, BPMN is only graphical notation and does not support the essence of BPM – full business process lifecycle support: from documenting and modeling to execution and monitoring. To accelerate the adoption of BPM, industry has come forward with two BPMN complementing standards – Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) and XML Process Definition Language (XPDL). These two standards are used for different purposes – BPEL is process execution language and XPDL is process exchange language. The problem of mapping BPMN models to BPEL and XPDL is covered in various sources. This paper addresses the issue of mapping BPMN process models in different dimensions to BPEL and XPDL and explores how the structure of BPEL and XPDL is affected after the process is transformed to another dimension. The findings during experiments accomplished in this research can contribute to the creation of the guidelines of how BPMN model in different dimensions can be executed using BPEL or interchanged between different modelling tools.

Business process management – lessons from European business

This paper reports on the findings of a survey and case study research into the understanding and application of business process management (BPM) in European companies. The process perspective is increasingly being seen as a mechanism for achieving competitive advantage through performance improvement and in response to market pressures, customer expectations for better and more reliable service and increasing competition. We reveal the level of importance European companies attach to BPM, what it means to them and what they have done in practice. The paper draws on a postal survey conducted with quality directors and business process managers in organisations which are members of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and case studies in a number of organisations regarded as being leaders in the adoption of BPM. The study has helped to highlight some interesting approaches and reveal features which are important for BPM to be successful.