Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management - Project Proposal & Plan

This project proposal and plan explores the role of IT tools in business process management. It covers the rationale, problem domain, purpose and justification, research questions, methodology, and project plan. The deliverables include a list of IT tools, trends and patterns, and a final report.

Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Project Proposal & Plan
0
AUGUST 8, 2018

Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Table of Contents
Title.......................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Rationale............................................................................................................................................2
Problem Domain............................................................................................................................2
Purpose & Justification..................................................................................................................2
Sponsor/Supervisor Recommendation...............................................................................................3
Research Questions...........................................................................................................................3
Conceptual or Theoretical Framework..................................................................................................3
Methodology.........................................................................................................................................4
Research & System Development Method(s)....................................................................................4
Data Collection Methods...................................................................................................................5
Ethical Issues.....................................................................................................................................5
Compliance Requirements.................................................................................................................5
Analysis of Data................................................................................................................................5
Project Plan...........................................................................................................................................6
Deliverables.......................................................................................................................................6
Work Breakdown Structure...............................................................................................................6
Risk Analysis.....................................................................................................................................7
Duration.............................................................................................................................................8
Timeline & Gantt chart......................................................................................................................8
References...........................................................................................................................................11
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Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Title
Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Introduction
Information Technology (IT) has an application in a majority of the business sectors. There
are IT tools and applications that have been developed and these are being used in the area of
business process management as well. There are varied IT tools, such as data analytics tools,
Big Data tools, data warehousing tools, etc. that are being used for business data management
for enhanced process and operations management. There are also different types of
management information systems and enterprise resource planning systems being used for
handling the operations at the back-end. Decision support tools are also used for business
process management.
Rationale
Problem Domain
There are a large number of business processes that the organizations simultaneously carry
out. The use of manual set of operations in the business organizations is no longer feasible
due to the number and types of business processes that are executed. The understanding of
the IT tools necessary for the business is essential to enhance the accuracy and speed of
operations. Also, it will provide a competitive edge in the market (Meier, 2017).
Purpose & Justification
The research purpose is to understand the use and trends associated with the IT tools in the
area of business process management.
The use of IT tools has become essential for business process management. The trends
associated with these tools keep on changing as per the changes in the technology. For
example, some of the emerging technologies include artificial intelligence and Internet of
Things. As a result, the IT tools for office automation or smart workplace management are
now trending in the market. The research fulfils the analysis of such trends and requirements
for better management of the business processes (Al‐Mudimigh, 2007).
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Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Sponsor/Supervisor Recommendation
During the research timeline, it may be required to have practical hands-on on some of the IT
tools for business process management to understand their utility and purpose. The sponsor
shall be ready to give funds for the procurement of the tools.
The supervisor shall have an IT background to review and provide comments on the
correctness of the research results and activities.
Research Questions
 What is the applicability of IT tools in the area of business process management?
 What are the current trends in the IT tools being used for business process
management?
 What are the primary set of challenges and issues involved in the usage of these tools?
Conceptual or Theoretical Framework
Corporate Process Model (Luyckx, 2009)
The corporate process model for business process management has been shown in the image
above.
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Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Hadoop Data Analysis & Management in Retail (Kalakota, 2015)
Hadoop is a Big Data tool and its use and implementation in the retail industry has been
shown in the image above.
Methodology
Research & System Development Method(s)
The research method that will be applied for conducting the research on the topic as role of
IT tools in business process management will be qualitative research.
The method will explore and analyse the different tools being currently deployed in the
organizations. There will also be market studies and analysis carried out to find out the
emerging trends. There are issues and challenges associated with these tools in terms of
security issues, technical challenges, and ethical issues. The analysis will also cover the
understanding and listing of these issues (Scott, 2005).
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Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Data Collection Methods
 Interviews: The business organizations from different sectors are using IT tools for
managing their respective business processes. Also, the marketing experts are
witnessing changes in the patterns associated with the rise and fall of these tools. The
method will include the conduction of interviews with the business representative and
marketing experts.
 Surveys: There are a lot many organizations and business sectors that are present and
all of them cannot be reached through interviews. This method will be used as an
online method to collect the required information.
 Group Discussions: Different groups from varied backgrounds, such as business
executives and representatives from different sectors shall be called along with the
marketing associates to discuss the role and trends associated with the IT tools for
business process management.
Ethical Issues
IT Tools that are used for business process management comprise of sensitive sets of data
associated with the business organizations. These data sets may be misused and mishandled
by the operators and users of the tools. This may in turn impact the confidentiality and
privacy of the information. This may also violate the ethical codes of honesty, professional
development, professionalism, and competence.
Compliance Requirements
Compliance to the ethical and professional codes of ethics shall be maintained along with the
adherence to regulatory policies around information privacy. Data Protection Act shall be
complied with.
Analysis of Data
The data analytics tools are the automated tools that work on the input sets of data that are fed
and provide the outputs in the forms of statistical results and patterns. These tools will be
used for the analysis of the research data as well (Ali & Bhaskar, 2016).
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Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Project Plan
Deliverables
 Research Proposal & Plan: The deliverable shall have the research title along with the
details of the research methodology, steps for conducting the research, set of issues
involved, and planning details.
 List of IT Tools for Business Process Management: The research results shall include
the list of the primary set of tools that are being used or shall be used for business
process management.
 Trends in the IT Tools usage: The set of trends and patterns involved in the usage of
the IT tools for business process management.
 Supervisor Report: The supervisor shall review the research work and provide the
comments on the gaps and areas for improvement.
 Final Report: The closure report shall be submitted to the research panel as the final
deliverable.
Work Breakdown Structure
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical diagram that comprises of five phases.
These phases will be utilized for the conduction of the research process. The WBS below is a
3-level WBS that shows the packages and sub-packages involved with the research. There are
milestones that are also represented in the diagram and the set of activities involved can be
clearly understood as well.
Risk Analysis
Name Description Probability Impact (Scale of Score (Probability x
6
Role of IT
Tools in
Business
Process
Management
Project
Initiation
Feasibility
Analysis -
Technical
Features and
AspectsFeasibility
Analysis -
Operational
Features and
AspectsFeasibility
Analysis -
Financial
Features and
Aspects
Chartering
Processes
Submission of
the Results
Milestone 1:
Project
Charter
Document
Requirements
Analysis &
Project
Planning
Information
collection and
analysis
Project
requirements
analysis
Identification
of the scope
Estimations
Management
& Planning of
communicatio
ns and risks
Allocation of
Roles &
Responsibilitie
s
Milestone 2:
Project Plan
Project
Execution
Automated
Research Data
Analysis
Markey
studies and
analysis
List of IT tools
for Business
Process
Management
Trends and
Patterns
Statistical
Analysis &
results
Compilation
of results
Milestone 3:
List of IT Tools
& Trends
Project
Control
Supervisor
review
Management
and planning
of the
changes
Final Review
Submission of
the Results
Milestone 4:
Supervisor
Report
Closure Phase
Ethical
analysis
Documentatio
n activities
Sign offs and
acceptance
Lessons
acquired
Submission of
the closure
report
Milestone 5:
Closure
Report

Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
(Scale of 1 to 5
with 5 being the
highest)
1 to 5 with 5
being the
highest)
Impact)
Technical Faults The research
tools being used
may have
certain errors
and turn faulty
3 4 12
Legal Issues There may be
legal obligations
if the sensitivity
of the data sets
collected for the
research gets
compromised
2 5 10
Quality Issues The quality of
the end results
may not be as
per the best
standards and
practices
1 5 5
Ethical Risks The research
team may not
follow and
adhere to the
ethical
principles and
standards
1 5 5
Schedule/
Budget Risks
An overrun of
the estimated
schedule or
budget may
come up
2 5 10
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Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
Duration
The research work will be completed in 84 days in a series of five phases as initiation,
analysis and planning, execution, control, and closure.
Timeline & Gantt chart
Week Task
1 Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management – Confirmation of
topic of research
2 Determination of research method as qualitative analysis
3 Estimations on the risks, schedule, and budget
4 Information collection
5 Categorization of varied sets of data collected
6 Analysis of the data sets
7 List of IT tools for Business Process Management
8 Trends and Patterns, Statistics involved in the IT tools
9 Supervisor review on the work done
10 Implementation and management of the changes recommended
11 Documentation of the research report
12 Final submission and final presentation to mark the end of the research
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Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
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Role of IT Tools in Business Process Management
References
Ali, Z., & Bhaskar, S. (2016). Basic statistical tools in research and data analysis. Indian
Journal Of Anaesthesia, 60(9), 662. doi: 10.4103/0019-5049.190623
Alâ€Mudimigh, A. (2007). The role and impact of business process management in
enterprise systems implementation. Business Process Management Journal, 13(6),
866-874. doi: 10.1108/14637150710834604
Kalakota, R. (2015). Big Data Analytics Use Cases. Retrieved from
https://practicalanalytics.co/2015/05/25/big-data-analytics-use-cases/
Luyckx, F. (2009). Enterprise BPM framework. Retrieved from
https://www.ariscommunity.com/users/frlu/2009-03-02-enterprise-bpm-framework
Meier, C. (2017). Managing Digitalization: Challenges and Opportunities for Business.
Management, 111-113. doi: 10.26493/1854-4231.12.111-113
Scott, S. (2005). Three handbooks of qualitative research and data analysis. Qualitative
Research, 5(1), 133-137. doi: 10.1177/1468794105048662
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