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Project types of business process management: Towards a scenario structure to enable situational method engineering for business process management
Journal
Business Process Management Journal
ISSN
1463-7154
ISSN-Digital
1758-4116
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2009
Author(s)
Bucher, Tobias
Research Team
IWI1
Abstract
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore project types (PTs) of business process management (BPM). PTs are a key concept to describe development situations in situational method engineering (SME). SME acts on the assumption that generic methods need to be adapted to the specifics of the development situation in which they are to be applied.
Design/methodology/approach
– The paper draws on results from an empirical analysis directed at the identification of design factors of and realization approaches to BPM. It extends an earlier study through the inclusion of new data points that allow for the derivation and characterization of PTs. To this end, multivariate data analysis techniques such as regression analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis are applied. Albeit inherently behavioral, the research described in the paper constitutes an important foundation for subsequent design research (DR) activities, in particular for the engineering of situational methods.
Findings
– The analysis suggests that there are three major and two minor PTs that characterize development situations of BPM. The common ground of the three major PTs is that they are characterized by a common target state, in this paper denoted as individualist realization approach to BPM. When compared to other realization approaches, this approach is characterized by high maturity and high customization requirements for process management.
Research limitations/implications
– The gain in insight into the PTs of BPM is particularly useful for the engineering of situational methods aimed at the implementation and advancement of process‐oriented management within real‐world organizations. However, there are some research limitations/implications for further research: the empirical results are derived from a relatively small data set. The PTs identified in the present contribution therefore need further validation. In order to complete the proposed scenario structure for BPM, a taxonomy of complementary context types needs to be identified, too.
Practical implications
– Many methods to support BPM or particular aspects thereof have been proposed and discussed. A major shortcoming of most of these methods is that they claim to be of universal validity. SME acts on the idea that there is no “one‐size‐fits‐all” method. Instead, generic methods need to be adapted to the specifics of the development situation in which they are to be applied. The proposed PTs represent a starting point to enable the engineering of situation methods for BPM.
Originality/value
– The research results of this paper are useful for the construction of methods in the field of BPM which can be adapted to specific development situations.
– The purpose of this paper is to explore project types (PTs) of business process management (BPM). PTs are a key concept to describe development situations in situational method engineering (SME). SME acts on the assumption that generic methods need to be adapted to the specifics of the development situation in which they are to be applied.
Design/methodology/approach
– The paper draws on results from an empirical analysis directed at the identification of design factors of and realization approaches to BPM. It extends an earlier study through the inclusion of new data points that allow for the derivation and characterization of PTs. To this end, multivariate data analysis techniques such as regression analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis are applied. Albeit inherently behavioral, the research described in the paper constitutes an important foundation for subsequent design research (DR) activities, in particular for the engineering of situational methods.
Findings
– The analysis suggests that there are three major and two minor PTs that characterize development situations of BPM. The common ground of the three major PTs is that they are characterized by a common target state, in this paper denoted as individualist realization approach to BPM. When compared to other realization approaches, this approach is characterized by high maturity and high customization requirements for process management.
Research limitations/implications
– The gain in insight into the PTs of BPM is particularly useful for the engineering of situational methods aimed at the implementation and advancement of process‐oriented management within real‐world organizations. However, there are some research limitations/implications for further research: the empirical results are derived from a relatively small data set. The PTs identified in the present contribution therefore need further validation. In order to complete the proposed scenario structure for BPM, a taxonomy of complementary context types needs to be identified, too.
Practical implications
– Many methods to support BPM or particular aspects thereof have been proposed and discussed. A major shortcoming of most of these methods is that they claim to be of universal validity. SME acts on the idea that there is no “one‐size‐fits‐all” method. Instead, generic methods need to be adapted to the specifics of the development situation in which they are to be applied. The proposed PTs represent a starting point to enable the engineering of situation methods for BPM.
Originality/value
– The research results of this paper are useful for the construction of methods in the field of BPM which can be adapted to specific development situations.
Language
English
HSG Classification
not classified
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Emerald
Publisher place
Bradford
Volume
15
Number
4
Start page
548
End page
568
Pages
21
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
67965
File(s)