MITS5507 Assignment 2: Business Process Management Research Report

This report analyzes the role of the human factor in Business Process Management (BPM) projects, based on a chosen academic paper. It begins with an introduction to BPM and its benefits, highlighting the importance of considering human elements for successful implementation. The report summarizes the research method used in the academic article, including literature review and case study analysis. It discusses the issues and risks related to human factors in BPM, such as resistance to change, lack of commitment, and ineffective communication, which can lead to project failures. The findings emphasize the importance of process mapping, clear goals, and effective communication to mitigate these risks. The report concludes by reiterating the critical role of human factors in BPM and offers recommendations for overcoming challenges, emphasizing the need for organizational adjustments, trained staff, and the involvement of process owners to improve the effectiveness of BPM projects. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the human element in BPM and its impact on project outcomes.

RUNNING HEAD: BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT
Business Process Management
Report
System 0032
[Pick the date]
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Business Process Management
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Analysis...........................................................................................................................................2
Introduction and Objectives.........................................................................................................2
Research method..........................................................................................................................3
Discussion and Issues......................................................................................................................3
Findings...........................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6
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Business Process Management
Introduction
Business process management is becoming popular in this current era and most of the companies
are adopting this concept as this provide various benefits to the organization that includes cost
reduction, improving relation with stakeholders, acceleration cycle time, and improving
productivity but there are other factors also that affect the business process management
projects1. Business process management is a methodology and considered as a holistic approach
that is used for improvement, identification and implementation of processes in the business2.
This report mainly focus on the role of human factor in business process management projects
and for that an article is chosen that highlights the role of human factor and risks connected with
human factor in business process management projects that includes change management and
support processes in order to increase the business potential. Further sections of this report
highlights the research method used in this article to achieve the objective, the aim of article,
issues that are highlighted by author in the article and followed by a brief conclusion.
Analysis
Introduction and Objectives
The article mainly highlights business process management as a holistic approach that is used by
every organization and includes many factors of management. There are many risks related to
implementation of BPM but authors highlight human factor in BPM as the major risk factor 3.
People are considered as important element in businesses and underestimating this factor lead to
problematic situation for BPM projects and organizational change. Hammer and Hershman, 2010
provide description of people role in process oriented businesses. Four cases are discussed
including service sector and industrial sector companies. These companies’ implemented BPM
projects by modeling of business processes, and article analysis the impact of human factor on
these companies. So the main objective of article is to know the role of people in BPM projects
and tools that can be used to avoid risks related to human factor in BPM projects and the
opportunities that can be utilized in human factor4.
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Business Process Management
Research method
The method that are used in article to achieve these objectives are literature review and case
study analysis of BPM projects and through that authors conclude the role of people in BPM
projects3. The article covers literature review on business process management, process owner,
human factor in BPM projects, intellectual capital in management, knowledge management.
Qualitative research method is used to achieve deeper understanding of the subject; researchers
used structured interviews in formed of case studies to conclude its findings and results. Case
study method is unique that helps in systematic analysis and monitoring of problems and
situations. The qualitative research types that are mainly used are case studies, interviews and
focus groups5. To understand the issue related to human factor in BPM projects qualitative
method was used to conduct research which is mainly connected with “measurement of
phenomena in order to answer questions related to how much, how often or how many,
qualitative research seeks answers to tell how and why things happen as they do” and further
qualitative research help to study things as they are in their natural settings and attempting to
interpret them6.
Discussion and Issues
The barriers or risk that in BPM projects are related to human factors and that risks are barrier to
acceptance of new approach, it is known that for process management it is not important to use
software and organizational tools but other factors are also considered as the important aspect
that are people and their thinking that also need to be transformed from “functional management
to process management”7. Process oriented organizations require “specific people with specific
responsibilities” and with the connection of this with business process management the company
divide workers in several categories according to their skills and roles they can perform. It is also
identified that leaders are the change agent and they perform a key role in the process
management. Further processes owners are highlighted hat have authority to enforce and monitor
process description, to use information required in the process implementation, and to initiate the
change in the process8. Thus, importance of human factor in business process management is
proved with this case.
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Business Process Management
In other case the problem that was identified was related to communication as this is the main
tool to implement change in an effective way and effective communication ensure success of
BPM projects as active management of the company’s transformation at the appropriate time
was and still is the condition of survival and it can be allowed only by a good knowledge of all
internal and external interactions and relationships of business processes” so difficult in
implementation of processes comes in assigning and delineation of organizational structure. So
the role of process mapping is highlighted and concluded that correctly mapped business
processes leads to reduction in unnecessary activities and cut cost and time with that
transformation proves can prove to be effective9.
Further, author highlights the problems from the side of human factor in the BPM
implementation and gets to know from the case analysis that BPM failure mainly caused by
people and mainly these causes were lack of commitment from the side of top management for
BPM projects and moreover CFO and managers were happy in their comfort zone and
ineffective communication and no clear vision resultant in insufficient change10. From other
case of manufacturing company some other human factor problems was also highlighted that
includes lack of vision and communication, no trained process owners, lack of short term
planning and wins . From all these human factors issues in implementation of BPM projects
author gave some recommendations that include that companies should communicate effectively
about process modeling goals in whole organization and then a process can be chosen that need
to be change or implemented then accordingly process owner, teams and trained staff can
establish and start process mapping and improvement. All other groups could proceed only when
goal is achieved and project is evaluated11.
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Business Process Management
Findings
From the article it is known that the foundation of business process management or business
process reengineering is process mapping as “on this basis the decisions on changes during the
processes are build” and this is what processes are built for that is to change and contribute in
company’s goal and to make its successful position in the market. Further it is known that
processes are carried out as quickly as possible, as efficiently as possible and with high quality
and low cost. In a nutshell, from the cases that author discussed it is analyzed that at the start of
BPM projects, training and education about the concept of BPM given with that strategy and
goals are communicated and after that process modeling and implementation is done followed by
controlling. Some human factors that cause failure of BPM projects are lack of awareness,
communication, clear vision and resistance to change if these all factors are overcome than
implementation of BPM projects become easy. Some recommendations that author give to
overcome these problems include clear goals of the BPM project, in process mapping one
process group should be involved, proper adjustments and changes should be done in
organizational structure, and process owner, and teams are divided as per their role all this are
together make human factor and this can help in improving the effectiveness of BPM projects3.
Conclusion
Business project management is an approach that helps in implementing processes in the
businesses in a systematic way and this is getting popularity in this changing market. there are
various benefits that business gets by using BPM in the businesses that include cost reduction,
increases in productivity, and improving relation. The article focused on the role of human
factor in the BPM projects and how this cause failure of BPM projects in the organization for
that case study method of research is opted with that four case study were presented that
highlights the issues that companies faced while implementing the BPM projects. The human
factors that cause failure and identified from the article are lack of communication, resistance to
change, lack of commitment by top management towards projects, insufficient capacity of
change and role of process owner and managers. Thus, it is known that human factors play an
important role in implementation of business process management any issue in this may lead to
failure of BPM projects and resultant in poor image of the company and declining profits.
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Business Process Management
References
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[1] M Hammer, "What is business process management?," In Handbook on business process
management, vol. 1, no. 6, pp. 3-16, 2015.
[2] James F Chang, Business process management systems: strategy and implementation.:
Auerbach Publications., 2016.
[3] David Tucek and Martin Hrabal, "The Role of Human Factor in Business Process
Management Projects ," In Proceedings of the 6th European Conference on Intellectual
Capital, vol. 6, no. 13, pp. 264-271, Oct. 2014.
[4] J Jeston and J Neils, Business Process Management: Practical Guidelines to Successful
Implementations. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2008.
[5] D R Cooper and P S Schindler, Business research methods. Boston: McGraw Hill , 2008.
[6] C F Lehmann, Strategy and business process management: techniques for improving
execution, adaptability, and Consistency. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2012.
[7] T Nesheim, "Balancing Process Ownership and Line Management in a Matrix‐like
Organization," Knowledge and Process management, no. 2, pp. 109-119, 2011.
[8] L A Silva and P M Damian, "Process management tasks and barriers: functional to
processes approach," Business Process Management, no. 5, pp. 762-776, 2012.
[9] D Tucek, "Theory and Practice of Business Process Management," European Financial and
Accounting Journa, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 66-83, 2009.
[10] T Sonteya and L Seymour, "Towards an Understanding of the Business Process Analyst:
An Analysis of competencies," Journal of Information Technology Education, vol. 11, pp.
43-63, 2012.
[11] R S Kohlbaucher, M Ohlabache, and S Gruenwald, "Process ownership, process
performance measurement and firm performance," International Journal of Productivity
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and Performance Management, no. 7, pp. 709-720, 2011.
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