Analysing and improving a recruitment process : a teaching case for developing business process improvement capabilities

The demand for Business Process Management (BPM) is rapidly rising and with that, the need for capable BPM professionals is also rising. Yet, only a very few structured BPM training/ education programs are available, across universities and professional trainers globally. The ‘lack of appropriate teaching resources’ has been identified as a critical issue for BPM educators in prior studies. Case-based teaching can be an effective means of educating future BPM professionals. A main reason is that cases create an authentic learning environment where the complexities and challenges of the ‘real world’ can be presented in a narrative enabling the students to develop crucial skills such as problem solving, analysis and creativity-within-constraints, and to apply the tools and techniques within a richer and real (or proxy to real) context. However, so far well documented BPM teaching cases are scarce. This article aims to contribute to address this gap by providing a comprehensive teaching case and teaching notes that facilitates the education of selected process improvement phases, namely identification, modelling, analysis, and improvement. The article is divided into three main parts: (i) Introductory teaching notes, (ii) The case narrative, and (iii) Student activities from the case and teaching notes.

Developing and evaluating a methodology for business process improvement

Purpose – There appears to be an ever-insatiable demand from markets for organisations to improve their products and services. To meet this, there is a need to provide business process improvement (BPI) methodologies that are holistic, structured and procedural. Therefore, this paper describes research that has formed and tested a generic and practical methodology termed model-based and integrated process improvement (MIPI) to support the implementation of BPI; and to validate its effectiveness in organisations. This methodology has been created as an aid for practitioners within organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The research objectives were achieved by: reviewing and analysing current methodologies, and selecting a few frameworks against key performance indicators. Using a refined Delphi approach and semi-structured interview with the “experts” in the field. Intervention, case study and process research approach to evaluating a methodology. Findings – The BPI methodology was successfully formed and applied by the researcher and directly by the companies involved against the criteria of feasibility, usability and usefulness. Research limitations/implications – The paper has demonstrated a new knowledge on how to systematically assess a BPI methodology in practice. Practical implications – Model-based and integrated process improvement methodology (MIPI) methodology offers the practitioner (experienced and novice) a set of step-by-step aids necessary to make informed, consistent and efficient changes to business processes. Originality/value – The novelty of this research work is the creation of a holistic workbook-based methodology with relevant tools and techniques. It extends the capabilities of existing methodologies.

Revising history for cost-informed process improvement

Organisations are constantly seeking new ways to improve operational efficiencies. This study investigates a novel way to identify potential efficiency gains in business operations by observing how they were carried out in the past and then exploring better ways of executing them by taking into account trade-offs between time, cost and resource utilisation. This paper demonstrates how these trade-offs can be incorporated in the assessment of alternative process execution scenarios by making use of a cost environment. A number of optimisation techniques are proposed to explore and assess alternative execution scenarios. The objective function is represented by a cost structure that captures different process dimensions. An experimental evaluation is conducted to analyse the performance and scalability of the optimisation techniques: integer linear programming (ILP), hill climbing, tabu search, and our earlier proposed hybrid genetic algorithm approach. The findings demonstrate that the hybrid genetic algorithm is scalable and performs better compared to other techniques. Moreover, we argue that the use of ILP is unrealistic in this setup and cannot handle complex cost functions such as the ones we propose. Finally, we show how cost-related insights can be gained from improved execution scenarios and how these can be utilised to put forward recommendations for reducing process-related cost and overhead within organisations.

Analysis and improvement of a construction permit approval process: A teaching case for developing business process development capabilities, targeting developing nations

With the increasing competitiveness in global markets, many developing nations are striving to constantly improve their services in search for the next competitive edge. As a result, the demand and need for Business Process Management (BPM) in these regions is seeing a rapid rise. Yet there exists a lack of professional expertise and knowledge to cater to that need. Therefore, the development of well-structured BPM training/ education programs has become an urgent requirement for these industries. Furthermore, the lack of textbooks or other self-educating material, that go beyond the basics of BPM, further ratifies the need for case based teaching and related cases that enable the next generation of professionals in these countries. Teaching cases create an authentic learning environment where complexities and challenges of the ‘real world’ can be presented in a narrative, enabling students to evolve crucial skills such as problem analysis, problem solving, creativity within constraints as well as the application of appropriate tools (BPMN) and techniques (including best practices and benchmarking) within richer and real scenarios. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive teaching case demonstrating the means to tackle any developing nation’s legacy government process undermined by inefficiency and ineffectiveness. The paper also includes thorough teaching notes The article is presented in three main parts: (i) Introduction - that provides a brief background setting the context of this paper, (ii) The Teaching Case, and (iii) Teaching notes.

IT service desk process improvement : a narrative style case study

This paper is a detailed case narrative on how a Faculty of a leading Australian University conducted a rigorous process improvement project, applying fundamental Business Process Management (BPM) concepts. The key goal was to increase the efficiency of the faculty’s service desk. The decrease of available funds due to reducing student numbers and the ever increasing costs associated with service desk prompted this project. The outcomes of the project presented a set of recommendations which leads to organizational innovation having information technology as an enabler for change. The target audience includes general BPM practitioners or academics who are interested in BPM related case studies, and specific organisations who might be interested in conducting BPM within their service desk processes.

Value-oriented process modeling : integrating financial perspectives into business process re-design

Purpose – Financial information about costs and return on investments are of key importance to strategic decision-making but also in the context of process improvement or business engineering. In this paper we propose a value-oriented approach to business process modeling based on key concepts and metrics from operations and financial management, to aid decision making in process re-design projects on the basis of process models. Design/methodology/approach – We suggest a theoretically founded extension to current process modeling approaches, and delineate a framework as well as methodical support to incorporate financial information into process re-design. We use two case studies to evaluate the suggested approach. Findings – Based on two case studies, we show that the value-oriented process modeling approach facilitates and improves managerial decision-making in the context of process re-design. Research limitations / implications – We present design work and two case studies. More research is needed to more thoroughly evaluate the presented approach in a variety of real-life process modeling settings. Practical implications – We show how our approach enables decision makers to make investment decisions in process re-design projects, and also how other decisions, for instance in the context of enterprise architecture design, can be facilitated. Originality/value – This study reports on an attempt to integrate financial considerations into the act of process modeling, in order to provide more comprehensive decision making support in process re-design projects.

Virtual Environment Visualisation of Executable Business Process Models

Business Process Modelling is a fast growing field in business and information technology, which uses visual grammars to model and execute the processes within an organisation. However, many analysts present such models in a 2D static and iconic manner that is difficult to understand by many stakeholders. Difficulties in understanding such grammars can impede the improvement of processes within an enterprise due to communication problems. In this chapter we present a novel framework for intuitively visualising animated business process models in interactive Virtual Environments. We also show that virtual environment visualisations can be performed with present 2D business process modelling technology, thus providing a low barrier to entry for business process practitioners. Two case studies are presented from film production and healthcare domains that illustrate the ease with which these visualisations can be created. This approach can be generalised to other executable workflow systems, for any application domain being modelled.

Diffusion of business improvement processes in manufacturing companies in India

Manufacturing organisations spend more on Business Process Improvement initiatives to make them more competitive in growing global market. This paper presents a Rapid Improvement Workshop (RIW) framework which companies can used to identify the critical factors regulating the diffusion of business process improvement in their company. The framework can then be used address how process improvement can be efficiently implemented. We use the results from case studies at Caterpillar India. The paper identifies the critical factors that contribute to the successful implementation of process improvement programs in manufacturing organisations. We further identify certain technological and cultural barriers to the implementation of process improvement programs and how Indian manufacturing companies can overcome these barriers to attain competitive advantage in the global markets.

The phenomenon of business process management : practitioners’ emphasis

Since 2005, Business Process Management (BPM) has been one of the top 10 issues for CIO’s. However, while there is a general awareness what BPM is and what it relates to, one needs to ask ‘does everyone have the same understanding of the BPM phenomenon? And if not, is there a pattern to these conceptions and how do the ways of conceptualizing BPM differ?’ This paper presents the practitioner conceptions of BPM using a phenomenographic approach to detect variations in the BPM conceptions emphasised. 26 interviews were conducted with BPM practitioners with various scopes of work (namely program management, project management and execution levels) in this qualitative research. Distinct variations in how BPM is conceptualized among BPM practitioners are revealed, showing that emphasis is put depending on their scope of work either towards value generation, improvement or managing processes. This is of particular relevance to the Information Systems and BPM community in order to align the rigorous work done to date by the research community with the current understanding of BPM in the practitioner community.

From product innovation to organizational innovation – and what that has to do with Business Process Management

One of the key trends that we currently witness not only in academic circles but also in industry - all throughout Australia at least – is that “Innovation” is becoming an important driver for business projects, for change agendas – and in turn, for Business Process Management initiatives.

Fundamentals of business process management

Encompasses the whole BPM lifecycle, including process identification, modelling, analysis, redesign, automation and monitoring Class-tested textbook complemented with additional teaching material on the accompanying website Covers both relevant conceptual background, industrial standards and actionable skills Business Process Management (BPM) is the art and science of how work should be performed in an organization in order to ensure consistent outputs and to take advantage of improvement opportunities, e.g. reducing costs, execution times or error rates. Importantly, BPM is not about improving the way individual activities are performed, but rather about managing entire chains of events, activities and decisions that ultimately produce added value for an organization and its customers. This textbook encompasses the entire BPM lifecycle, from process identification to process monitoring, covering along the way process modelling, analysis, redesign and automation. Concepts, methods and tools from business management, computer science and industrial engineering are blended into one comprehensive and inter-disciplinary approach. The presentation is illustrated using the BPMN industry standard defined by the Object Management Group and widely endorsed by practitioners and vendors worldwide. In addition to explaining the relevant conceptual background, the book provides dozens of examples, more than 100 hands-on exercises – many with solutions – as well as numerous suggestions for further reading. The textbook is the result of many years of combined teaching experience of the authors, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as in the context of professional training. Students and professionals from both business management and computer science will benefit from the step-by-step style of the textbook and its focus on fundamental concepts and proven methods. Lecturers will appreciate the class-tested format and the additional teaching material available on the accompanying website fundamentals-of-bpm.org.

Business process management : an introduction to the special focus issue

The management and improvement of business processes are a core topic of the information systems discipline. The persistent demand in corporations within all industry sectors for increased operational efficiency and innovation, an emerging set of established and evaluated methods, tools, and techniques as well as the quickly growing body of academic and professional knowledge are indicative for the standing that Business Process Management (BPM) has nowadays. During the last decades, intensive research has been conducted with respect to the design, implementation, execution, and monitoring of business processes. Comparatively low attention, however, has been paid to questions related to organizational issues such as the adoption, usage, implications, and overall success of BPM approaches, technologies, and initiatives. This research gap motivated us to edit a corresponding special focus issue for the journal BISE/WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK. We are happy that we are able to present a selection of three research papers and a state-of-the-art paper in the scientific section of the issue at hand. As these papers differ in the topics they investigate, the research method they apply, and the theoretical foundations they build on, the diversity within the BPM field becomes evident. The academic papers are complemented by an interview with Phil Gilbert, IBM’s Vice President for Business Process and Decision Management, who reflects on the relationship between business processes and the data flowing through them, the need to establish a process context for decision making, and the calibration of BPM efforts toward executives who see processes as a means to an end, rather than a first-order concept in its own right.

Improving business process models using observed behavior

Process-aware information systems (PAISs) can be configured using a reference process model, which is typically obtained via expert interviews. Over time, however, contextual factors and system requirements may cause the operational process to start deviating from this reference model. While a reference model should ideally be updated to remain aligned with such changes, this is a costly and often neglected activity. We present a new process mining technique that automatically improves the reference model on the basis of the observed behavior as recorded in the event logs of a PAIS. We discuss how to balance the four basic quality dimensions for process mining (fitness, precision, simplicity and generalization) and a new dimension, namely the structural similarity between the reference model and the discovered model. We demonstrate the applicability of this technique using a real-life scenario from a Dutch municipality.