A Comprehensive Literature Review on the Origins and History of BPM

This literature review explores the origins and history of Business Process Management (BPM), drawing on various authors' perspectives. It highlights the role of industrial revolutions, technical innovations, and key figures like Adam Smith, Henry Fayol, and Henry Ford in shaping BPM. The review discusses the evolution from workflow management to BPM, emphasizing the increasing use of information technology and automation in business processes. Different viewpoints on the development of BPM are presented, with most authors agreeing that the industrial revolution marked the beginning of BPM. The review also touches on the importance of machinery in manufacturing, the elimination of human errors, and the development of BPM conferences and research in the field. Desklib provides access to similar documents and study resources for students.

REVIEW AND REFLECTION
Origins and history of BPM
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Literature review..............................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8
Appendices......................................................................................................................................9
Appendix 1: Reflection................................................................................................................9
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Topic: Origins and history of BPM
Introduction
Business process management is related to the regular improvement by analysing, moderating,
executing, improving and monitoring of the business process. It is a process which is used for
creating a regular development of managing business activities and operation to enhance the
outcomes by minimising efforts. Business process management is focused to engage new ideas
in the business operations by quality and quantity of output can be enhanced. This report will
contain different kinds of literature which are based on the origins and history of the business
process and management to analyse the development of the business process management.
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Literature review
According to the van der Aalst, et. al., (2016), technical innovation and improvements have
increased the productivity of organisation and employees. Enhance use of information
technology is also increased the potential of the organisation or a business to attain its business
objectives effectively. It is analysed by the author in this journal that first industrial revolution in
between the year of 1784-1870 organisations has started to use machinery to produce more
quantities of outputs by their production. It is the starting era of the machinery when most of the
big organisations were focused to establish machine power in the place of human power
resources. In this era, organisations are focused to establish and utilise the steam and water-based
power sources based machines. The second industrial revolution which was developed in
between 1870-1969 was based to maximise the production. Organisations and business are
focused to enhance their productivity by the use of machines which are driven by electrical
energy (van der Aalst, et. al., 2016). Organisations are focused to develop their capabilities to
maximise the number of production units by maximising the use of machines. In the year of
1869 to 2015 was an industrial revolution based on the computer, information technology and
networking to implant automation in the business process. In the current era “industry 4.0”
revolution is ongoing in which focused on smart manufacturing systems by the use of
networking, sensors, a combination of system, big data, and analytics.
All of these industrial revolutions are based on physical production to apply administrative
process and services. The workflow management process used in the starting era was inspired by
the production process in the manufacturing sector (van der Aalst, et. al., 2016). These processes
are focused to manage workflow of the organisation for the optimum production of units.
Straight through process is used for the automation in the working process of an organisation
which has minimum human power involvement which is mostly used in the manufacturing of
cars and vehicles. The Work Flow Management process had driven business process automation
in the organisations by their heavy investments in the business process re-engineering. In the
year of 1995 distinct commercial WFM system has launched for instance: Staffware, COSA and
MQ series IBM etc. It is analysed by the author that business process management was an
evolution of the concept of workflow management (van der Aalst, et. al., 2016). It is analysed
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that workflow management is primarily focused on the automation of the internal process or
working in any industry and organisation to enhance the capabilities of organisation to maximise
outputs. Automated process supports to manage a work process and flow, and minimise the
interruptions of human errors in it. Business process management is used to enhance the
potential of the business to maximise the productivity by creating innovative change by
implementing innovative ideas based on the needs of the business process. It is also focused on
the reducing operational cost of the business to maximise the profits and revenues of the
organisation.
According to Wohlhaupter, (2012), Adam Smith (1723-1790) was the first notable scientist that
worked in the business process management. Subdivision of labour was defined and developed
by him who is based on the conditions of the business process. Henry Fayol (1841-1925) had
analysed and occupied the idea of subdivision of labour in the incensement of the productivity in
the mining industry.
The American engineer Fredrick Taylor (1856-1915) was also a significant part of the history of
business process management who had developed the concept of Taylorism which is focused on
the optimisation of process step. The author has taken different significant concept developer of
the business process management in his journal by which has explained the development of the
business process management history (Wohlhaupter, 2012). The author has also explained the
role of Henry Ford in the development of the business process management. The Henry Ford
(1863-1947) had focused to develop an effective assembly line in the organisation which
supports to enhance the potential for the employees. This assembly line idea is popularised due
to its importance in reducing the time consumption in the production of a unit. It is analysed by
the author in his journal that automation on the internal working environment has developed after
the Second World War. From the year of 1970, use of computer system and information
technology started in the office work and internal process of working.
According to Van der Aalst (2013), business process management is related to the computer
science and management science which maximise the potentials to develop better outcomes in
the organisation. It has been analysed by the author that it is difficult to ensure the starting point
of the business process management. As per the view of the author industrial revolution was the
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era from which productivity has increased in the organisation by the use of technical innovations
and improvements in the organisational work (Van der Aalst, 2013). Informational technology
has also worked as a key player in the development of the business process management which
enhances the capabilities of the organisation to reduce the cost of production and maximise the
number of units as outputs. Adam Smith, Fredrick Taylor, Henry Ford and Black T-Fords are
also used by the author to explain the development and focus of these business management
experts. It is analysed by the author that after the year of 1950 use of information technology and
digital communication has increased in the business and organisation which enhances the
internal management of the process.
As stated by van der Aalst (2012), origin of the conference series on the business process
management has started from the year of 2003 by The First International Conference on Business
Process management in Eindhoven. The author has focused on the development of the business
process management after the year of 2003. The author has centered on the development of
business process management in the duration of 2003-2012 (van der Aalst, 2012). According to
the author, this decade is focused to use information technology in the business process
management by which organisation can enhance their potentials to maximise the outputs with
quality control. Digital communication and use of information technology in the management is
effective by which organisation can reduce the human errors from the internal process of
working.
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Conclusion
On the basis of above report, it has been concluded that different authors have huge
differentiation in the views regarding the development of the business process management.
Most of the authors have analysed that industrial evolution era was the origin of business process
management. In the starting of the business process management, organisation was focused to
align machinery in the internal process of working. Enhancement of machinery in the
manufacturing industry has improved the production of organisations and also eliminate the risk
of human errors from the output or production.
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References
 van der Aalst, W.M., 2012, September. A decade of business process management
conferences: personal reflections on a developing discipline. In International Conference on
Business Process Management (pp. 1-16). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
 Van der Aalst, W.M., 2013. Business process management: a comprehensive
survey. ISRN Software Engineering, 2013.
 van der Aalst, W.M., La Rosa, M. and Santoro, F.M., 2016. Don’t forget to improve the
process!.
 Wohlhaupter, P., 2012. Research in Business Process Management: A bibliometric
analysis (Doctoral dissertation, University of Ulm).
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Reflection
Origin and history of business process management is a specific topic so it is significant for me
to search articles and journals which are specifically focusing on this subject. I have used
keywords to search these articles and journals which contains the highest relevancy with the
topic. All of the literatures which I have used in this review are containing the information about
the origin or history of the business process management. All of the literatures are containing a
specific heading about the history of the business process management which I have read
properly to obtain the crux from the readings. I have properly read these journals to analyse the
viewpoint of the author and the meaning of their views.
All of these selected journals are containing specific information about the beginning and
development of the business process management that’s why I used them in completing the
review part. Most of this literature are containing the information about the reasons behind the
development of business process management which is the key reason for which I selected these
in the literature review. Each author contains his point of view in his journal which has briefly
explained the history of the business process management. It has developed a broad perception in
mind about the need and significance of management in the business process.
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