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Schiele, Felix. "Knowledge transfer in business process modelling." Thesis, University of the West of Scotland, 2015. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.690908.
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Knowledge is an important resource, whose transfer is still not completely understood. The underlying belief of this thesis is that knowledge cannot be transferred directly from one person to another but must be converted for the transfer and therefore is subject to loss of knowledge and misunderstanding. This thesis proposes a new model for knowledge transfer and empirically evaluates this model. The model is based on the belief that knowledge must be encoded by the sender to transfer it to the receiver, who has to decode the message to obtain knowledge. To prepare for the model this thesis provides an overview about models for knowledge transfer and factors that influence knowledge transfer. The proposed theoretical model for knowledge transfer is implemented in a prototype to demonstrate its applicability. The model describes the influence of the four layers, namely code, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic layers, on the encoding and decoding of the message. The precise description of the influencing factors and the overlapping knowledge from sender and receiver facilitate its implementation. The application area of the layered model for knowledge transfer was chosen to be business process modelling. Business processes incorporate an important knowledge resource of an organisation as they describe the procedures for the production of products and services. The implementation in a software prototype allows a precise description of the process by adding semantic to the simple business process modelling language used. This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge by providing a new model for knowledge transfer, which shows the process of knowledge transfer in greater detail and highlights influencing factors. The implementation in the area of business process modelling reveals the support provided by the model. An expert evaluation indicates that the implementation of the proposed model supports knowledge transfer in business process modelling. The results of the qualitative evaluation are supported by the findings of a qualitative evaluation, performed as a quasi-experiment with a pre-test/post-test design and two experimental groups and one control group. Mann-Whitney U tests indicated that the group that used the tool that implemented the layered model performed significantly better in terms of completeness (the degree of completeness achieved in the transfer) in comparison with the group that used a standard BPM tool (Z = 3.057, p = 0.002, r = 0.59) and the control group that used pen and paper (Z = 3.859, p < 0.001, r = 0.72). The experiment indicates that the implementation of the layered model supports the creation of a business process and facilitates a more precise representation.
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Tbaishat, Dina Mansour. "Business process modelling for Academic Libraries." Thesis, Aberystwyth University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2160/78c9d144-04d9-45ec-b571-8d68cee56398.
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This study examines business process modelling for academic libraries. Background: Pressures on commercial organisations to be more efficient and effective in their information management have led to interest in the modelling of business processes, to help ensure that information systems – manual and computerised – genuinely support effective operations. Academic libraries have seen huge changes with the growth of the Internet and easier access to information, but examination of library functions and activities, in terms of process architecture has been limited. Aims and objectives: This research investigates academic library processes using a business process modelling method called Riva. The university libraries selected are four cases from two contrasting sites: Jordan and the UK. Methods: The literature review covered academic libraries and their history, the concept of role, operational research and business process modelling. Interviews with library staff (n = 47) were conducted, to learn about library processes. After analysing the information gathered, with consultation of documents, a Process Architecture Diagram and a set of Role Activity Diagrams for selected functions were derived. Results: Models of RADs were provided, demonstrating the processes selected. A comparison between the two sites in terms of application of these processes along with their associated challenges was also provided. Improvements could be extracted from the process models, as they pinpointed some inefficiencies and also helped to raise questions about procedures through comparisons. Conclusions: It seems fair to conclude that the modelling technique used was feasible, as it was able to visualize processes within academic libraries and provide a basis for improvement and management by supporting the analysis of process performance and behaviour. A limitation to this method is that library managers might need to learn new techniques
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Sharma, Garg Sarina. "CASE tools for business process modelling /." Leeds, 2001. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/counter2/compstmsc/20002001/sharma.ps.
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Geyer, Rian Willem. "Value-adding business process modelling : determining the suitability of a business process modelling technique for a given application." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/85758.
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Thesis (MScEng)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organizations formally define and document their business processes in order to properly understand them and to subsequently enable their continuous development, improvement and management. In order to formally define and document their business processes, organizations can use Business Process Modelling, which represents the design of graphical models that portray the business processes of organizations. It is however noted that it is difficult to select a suitable Business Process Modelling Technique in support of a specific application of Business Process Modelling. This is due to the considerable amount of existing Business Process Modelling Techniques, the inherent impact of their varying capabilities and the lack of formal measures that are available to support evaluations regarding their suitability for specific modelling applications. It is therefore considered appropriate to execute a research study that is aimed at the development and validation of a measurement framework that can be used to evaluate the suitability of Business Process Modelling Techniques for specific modelling applications.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisasies definieer en dokumenteer hulle besigheidsprosesse op ʼn formele wyse om hulle ordentlik te verstaan en gevolglik hulle deurlopende ontwikkeling, verbetering en bestuur te bemagtig. Ten einde die uitvoering van hierdie aktiwiteit aan te spreek, kan organisasies Besigheidsproses Modellering gebruik om grafiese modelle van hulle besigheidsprosesse te ontwerp. Daar word egter kennis geneem dat dit moeilik is om ʼn geskikte Besigheidsproses Modellering Tegniek te kies tes ondersteuning van ʼn spesifieke toepassing van Besigheidsproses Modellering. Dit is weens die groot hoeveelheid bestaande Besigheidsproses Modellering Tegnieke, die impak van hulle variërende vermoëns asook die gebrek aan formele maatstawwe wat gebruik kan word om hulle geskiktheid vir spesifieke modellering toepassings te evalueer. Dit lei tot die besluit om ‘n studie te voltooi wat gefokus is op die ontwikkeling en validasie van ʼn metings raamwerk wat gebruik kan word om die geskiktheid van Besigheidsproses Modellering Tegnieke vir spesifieke toepassings van Besigheidproses Modellering te evalueer.
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Miloš, Martin. "Využití agentů při modelování business procesů." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2009. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-19055.
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This diploma thesis deals with the usage of agents in business process modelling. The aim is to identify possible uses in the problem area and to evaluate their potential. Intended usage is analysed on the basis of the objectives of process modelling. Described in detail, it focuses on potential application of agents in a process modelling itself, in deploying executable and flexible processes, process improvements and finally in dynamic planning. A further objective is to provide an overview of current research and literature in problem area. To fulfil the goal available literature is analysed and basis approaches are demonstrated in case study. Paper does not address the implementation of multi-agent systems (MAS). Following introduction reader is guided though basic elements of the processes and their modelling, concept of agents and modelling of MAS. As a process modelling notation BPMN in planned 2.0 release was selected. Next section is devoted to the usage of agents. The last part of the work is a case study discussing the possibilities of agents application in company operating public car auctions. In addition the process model (BPMN) transformation to agent model is presented and further developed as a interconnection between process modelling and agent-based systems. Combination of agent approach with business rules and hybrid simulation are proposed as the most promising usages.
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Tsaneva, Daniela. "Enterprise collaborative portal for business process modelling." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2004. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/55982/.
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The business processes of manufacturing enterprises have to be dynamic, especially when highly customised products are manufactured or different projects run simultaneously. Another trend in contemporary manufacturing is the necessity for co-operation between geographically dispersed teams. This research presents a new method for modelling business processes enabling co-ordination of dynamic workflows. This thesis focuses first on Business Process Modelling (BPM) techniques and outlines the limitations of the existing methodologies. Similarly, an overview of Enterprise Collaborative Portals (ECP) is conducted and a method for collaborative authoring of dynamic workflows is discussed. Next, the thesis introduces the concept of business process models with feedback based on the Product/process (P/p) methodology. An extension to this methodology, validated through a case study, is developed to overcome some of its limitations. The performance of the proposed extension is analysed and compared with that of the Unified Modelling Language (UML) and its advantages are highlighted. The case study used to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed approach involves the development of a golf training device prototype using Rapid Prototyping technology. The proposed process modelling methodology is validated in PTC Windchill EIMS, which also serves as a platform for the implementation of the enterprise collaborative portal. The thesis also proposes a benchmarking method for business processes based on the work of Spendolini and the extended P/p methodology. Benchmarking factors are identified and the proposed benchmarking methodology is validated with an example. The benefits of the proposed benchmarking methodology are outlined. Finally, a method for modelling business processes enabling co-ordination of dynamic workflows is presented. The same case study is used to illustrate the algorithm for collaborative authoring of the business process model. As a platform for the implementation of the proposed method, an object-oriented architecture is adopted.
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Chen, Yih-Chang. "Empirical modelling for participative business process reengineering." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2001. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/4204/.
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The purpose of this thesis is to introduce a new broad approach to computing - Empirical Modelling (EM) - and to propose a way of applying this approach for system development so as to avoid the limitations of conventional approaches and integrate system development with business process reengineering (BPR). Based on the concepts of agency, observable and dependency, EM is an experiencebased approach to modelling with computers in which the modeller interacts with an artefact through continuous observations and experiments. It is a natural way of working for business process modelling because the modeller is involved in, and takes account of, the real world context. It is also adaptable to a rapidly changing environment as the computer-based models serve as creative artefacts with which the modeller can interact in a situated and open-ended manner. This thesis motivates and illustrates the EM approach to new concepts of participative BPR and participative process modelling. That is, different groups of people, with different perceptions, competencies and requirements, can be involved during the process of system development and BPR, rather than just being involved at an early stage. This concept aims to address the well-known high failure rate of BPR. A framework SPORE (situated process of requirements engineering), which has been proposed to guide the process of cultivating requirements in a situated manner, is extended to participative BPR (i.e. to support many users in a distributed environment). Two levels of modelling are proposed for the integration of contextual understanding and system development. A comparison between EM and object-orientation is also provided to give insight into how EM differs from current methodologies and to point out the potential of EM in system development and BPR. The ISMs (interactive situation models), built using the principles and tools of EM, are used to form artefacts during the modelling process. A warehouse and logistics management system is taken as an illustrative case study for applying this framework.
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Wong, Peter Yung Ho. "Formalisations and applications of business process modelling notation." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.555361.
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Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) is a standardised diagram notation for modelling interactive workflow processes graphically at the design stage. The primary objective of this thesis is to provide a framework for precise specifications and formal verifications of workflow processes modelled as BPMN diagrams. We provide two behavioural semantics for BPMN in the process algebra Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP). We apply existing CSP refinement orderings to both the refinement of business process diagrams and the verification of behavioural compatibility of business process collaborations. The first semantic model is an untimed model, focusing on the control flow and communication of business processes. The second semantic model extends the first one to capture the timing aspect of behaviour. We also consider the applications of the semantic models. The secondary objective of this thesis is to apply BPMN and the semantic models to reason about long running empirical studies (e.g. laboratory experiments, clinical trials). We introduce a declarative workflow model Empiricol for recording trials and experiments precisely, and define bidirectional transformation functions between BPMN and Empiricol. Using the transformation functions, we make graphical specification, simulation, automation and verification of trials and experiments possible. We provide two case studies on the applications of BPMN’s formalisations.
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Muhammad, Syamsul A. "A role-based method for business process modelling." Thesis, University of Reading, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.421631.
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Al-Tuwarijari, Jamal Mustafa. "Generic business process modelling framework for quantitative evaluation." Thesis, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10443/1931.
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Business processes are the backbone of organisations used to automate and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their services and prod- ucts. The rapid growth of the Internet and other Web based technologies has sparked competition between organisations in attempting to provide a faster, cheaper and smarter environment for customers. In response to these requirements, organisations are examining how their business processes may be evaluated so as to improve business performance. This thesis proposes a generic framework to expand the applicability of various quantitative evaluation to a large class of business processes. The framework introduces a novel engineering methodology that defines a modelling formalism to represent business processes that can be solved for a set of performance and optimisation algorithms. The methodology allows various types of algorithms used in model-based business pro- cess improvement and optimisation to be plugged in a single modelling formalism. As a part of the framework, a generic modelling formalism (MWF-wR) is developed to represent business processes so as to allow quantitative evaluation and to select the parameters for the associated performance evaluation and optimisation. The generic framework is designed and implemented by developing soft- ware support tools using Java as object oriented programming language combining three main modules: (i) a business process specification mod- ule to define the components of the business process model, (ii) a stochas- tic Petri net module to map the business process model to a stochastic Petri net, and (iii) an algorithms module to solve the models for various performance optimisation objectives. Furthermore, a literature survey of different aspects of business processes including modelling and analy- sis techniques provides an overview of the current state of research and highlights gaps in business process modelling and performance analy- sis. Finally, experiments are introduced to investigate the validity of the presented approach.
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Ghanbari, Ghooshchi Nina. "Constraint-based Automated Planning and Business Process Modelling." Thesis, Griffith University, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/398414.
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Business processes are essential parts of any organisation which define the series of steps performed to achieve their goal. Business processes are normally designed manually by business experts who have deep knowledge of the activities performed in the organi-sations. This knowledge is commonly described in a declarative way as business rules. Organisations have to cope with large numbers of business rules and existing regulations governing the business in which they operate. Such rules are difficult to maintain due to their size and complexity, and it is increasingly challenging to ensure that each business process adheres to those rules. As such, extraction of business processes from rules has three clear advantages: (1) visualisation of all possible executions allowed by the rules,(2) automated execution and compliance by design, (3) identification of “inefficiencies” in the business rules. Extraction of business processes from rules set is a time and re-source consuming process. In this thesis, we have investigated two approaches to extract the business processes from the declarative specification of it.
In the first approach, we have investigated the application of constraint satisfaction based planners to automatically extract the business process from the sets of rules specifying it. For this purpose, we have developed a constraint-based automated planner named Transition Constraints for Parallel Planning (TCPP). As a constraint-based planner, it encodes a planning problem as a constraint satisfaction problem and then extracts the plan from the solution to that. TCPP constructs its constraint model from a redefined version of the domain transition graphs (DTG) of a given planning problem. TCPP encodes state transitions in the redefined DTGs by using table constraints with cells containing don’t cares or wild cards. TCPP uses Minion the constraint solver to solve the constraint model and returns a parallel plan. We empirically compare TCPP with the other state-of-the-art constraint-based parallel planners. Experimental results we have conducted show that our developed planner outperforms existing constraint-based planners for a large set of benchmarks. Then we have described the specification of the activities and regulations in the organisation in PDDL, the language used for describing planning problems, and the business process is extracted from the resulted plan.
In the second approach, to handle uncertainties which may occur during execution of the process and to have a comprehensive business process, we have also designed a formal method to visualise and operationalise sets of rules as a verifiable business process that is compliant by design, which allows us to analyse all possible execution paths. Additionally, we formally prove correctness of the business processes generated by our method. The approach is implemented in a tool and evaluated on both performance and correctness, showing that even for highly complex sets of rules the approach performs well and outperforms a well-known state-of-the-art approach. Evaluation on a real-life process shows the feasibility of the presented approach.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Inst Integrated&IntelligentSys
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Moattar, Haleh. "Empirical evaluation of subject-orientated business process modelling." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2016. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/101341/1/Haleh_Moattar_Thesis.pdf.
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This study is a comparative evaluation of Subject-oriented Business Process Modeling (S-BPM). It examined modeling effectiveness and efficiency of S-BPM, from the novice modeler perspective, in comparison to the current industry standard process modeling language; Business Process Modeling Notations (BPMN). A laboratory experiment were set up in which participants were trained in S-BPM and BPMN and asked to model with each of these process modeling languages accordingly.Overall, participants in the S-BPM group created models faster than those using BPMN and models in S-BPM had more accuracy than the ones using BPMN. However, there was no significant evidence to confirm that participants perceived modeling with S-BPM to be easier than modeling with BMPN.
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Tolis, Christofer. "Framing the business : business modelling for business development." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm : Economic Research Institute, Stockholm School of Economics (Ekonomiska forskningsinstitutet vid Handelshögskolan) (EFI), 2005. http://web.hhs.se/efi/summary/664.htm.
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Greenwood, Robert Mark. "Modelling processes with constraints." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.261508.
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Melao, Nuno Filipe Rosa. "Improving the effectiveness of business process modelling and simulation." Thesis, Lancaster University, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.392320.
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Moosawi, Athraa. "A business process modelling approach to enterprise application integration." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.503028.
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Fourli-Kartsouni, Florendia. "Intelligent workflow support for context sensitive business process modelling." Saarbrücken VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2004. http://d-nb.info/99121773X/04.
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Hejtman, Jan. "Zlepšování procesů hospodaření s vodou." Master's thesis, Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta strojního inženýrství, 2009. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-228631.
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The aim of this thesis is a lay of the business processes in Vodárenska akciová společnost, a.s. In theoretical part of the thesis are describe characteristics, mapping and modeling of processes in this company. In practical part are mapping processes, which this company make in order for their customers and daily processes, whereby sustains own infrastructure.
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Giaglis, George M. "Dynamic process modelling for business engineering and information systems evaluation." Thesis, Brunel University, 1999. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5258.
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This research is concerned with the pre-implementation evaluation of investments in Information Systems (IS). IS evaluation is important as organisations need to assess the financial justifiability of business change proposals that include (but usually are not limited to) the introduction of IS applications. More specifically, this research addresses the problem of benefits assessment within IS evaluation. We contend that benefits assessment should not be performed at the level of the IS application, as most extant evaluation methods advocate. Instead, to study the dynamics and the interactions of the IS applications with their surrounding environment, we propose to adopt the business process as the analytic lens of evaluation and to assess the impacts of IS on organisational, rather than on technical, performance indicators. Drawing on these propositions, this research investigates the potential of dynamic process modelling (via discrete-event simulation) as a facilitator of IS evaluation. We argue that, in order to be effective evaluation tools, business process models should be able to explicitly incorporate the effects of IS introduction on business performance, an issue that is found to be under-researched in previous literature. The above findings serve as the central theme for the development of a design theory of IS evaluation by simulation. The theory provides prescriptive elements that refer both to the design products of the evaluation and the design process by which these products can come into reality. The theory draws on a set of kernel theories from the business engineering domain and proposes a set of meta-requirements that should be satisfied by business process models, a meta-design structure that meets these requirements, and a design method that provides guidance in applying the theoretical propositions in practice. The design theory is developed and empirically tested by means of two real-life case studies. The first study is used to complement the findings of a literature review and to drive the development of the design theory's components, while the second study is employed to validate and further enhance the theory's propositions. The research results support the arguments for simulation-assisted IS evaluation and demonstrate the contribution of the design theory to the field.
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Eatock, Julie. "Dynamic integrated modelling of information systems and business process simulation." Thesis, Brunel University, 2003. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5248.
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Business processes and information technology are two areas that are very closely related to the sustained competitive advantage in organisations. However, investment in information technology often leads to disappointment, which may in part be due to the non-alignment of the information system domain with the business process domain. Simulation modelling is an established technique often used in business process change projects, as it allows a comparison of different possible scenarios without the expense of physically implementing the system. However business process simulation fails to effectively capture the information systems perspective in the model. This thesis contends that by combining information systems modelling techniques with business process simulation the model will be able to capture all the four perspectives (functional, behavioural, organisational and informational) of an organisation, and the design of the business processes and the information system will be better aligned. Initially, attempts were made to integrate business process simulation with computer network simulation in a simple two- or three-layered simulation model, but this gave rise to significant problems the most significant being the underlying assumptions of the original hypothesis. This led to a refined hypothesis in which the layered models were discarded along with the network domain. The revised hypothesis aimed to capture the informational changes that occur in the information system and therefore combines prototyping with business process simulation. This overcomes the unsafe assumptions of the initial hypothesis about whether the system is 'correct' and provides a method of validating the design of the information system within the context of the business processes. The integrated model allows concurrent design of the information system domain and the business process domain and therefore ensures that the domains are better aligned. The framework is tested on a case study and the results indicate that it is an effective tool in the combined design of business processes and information systems.
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Poppe, Erik. "The use of embodiments in distributed collaborative business process modelling." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/86125/1/Erik_Poppe_Thesis.pdf.
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Remote networked collaboration with business model documentation has many communication problems. The aim of this project is to solve some of these communication problems by using digital 3D representations of human visual cues. Results from this project increased our understanding of the role and effects of visual cues in remote collaboration, specifically for validating business process models. Technology designs to support such cues across a distance have been proposed in this thesis with qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis being combined to analyse the impact of these cues on the communication, coordination and performance of a team collaborating remotely.
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Střížová, Blanka. "Procesní modelování jako nástroj pro zlepšování." Master's thesis, Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta podnikatelská, 2017. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-318357.
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This thesis engages in process modelling and description of selected business processes which are underway in the department of Economy and Operation of the Czech TV, in Television studio in Brno. The process models are created using the CASE tool Adonis. The theoretical part is focused on clarifying important concepts, methodologies and tools in the process management. In the analytical part, the selected processes are thoroughly described and graphically illustrated. The proposal part of the thesis highlights the improvement of selected business processes and assesses their effectiveness.
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ADAMO, GRETA. "Investigating business process elements: a journey from the field of Business Process Management to ontological analysis, and back." Doctoral thesis, Università degli studi di Genova, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11567/1010191.
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Business process modelling languages (BPMLs) typically enable the representation of business processes via the creation of process models, which are constructed using the elements and graphical symbols of the BPML itself. Despite the wide literature on business process modelling languages, on the comparison between graphical components of different languages, on the development and enrichment of new and existing notations, and the numerous definitions of what a business process is, the BPM community still lacks a robust (ontological) characterisation of the elements involved in business process models and, even more importantly, of the very notion of business process. While some efforts have been done towards this direction, the majority of works in this area focuses on the analysis of the behavioural (control flow) aspects of process models only, thus neglecting other central modelling elements, such as those denoting process participants (e.g., data objects, actors), relationships among activities, goals, values, and so on.
The overall purpose of this PhD thesis is to provide a systematic study of the elements that constitute a business process, based on ontological analysis, and to apply these results back to the Business Process Management field. The major contributions that were achieved in pursuing our overall purpose are: (i) a first comprehensive and systematic investigation of what constitutes a business process meta-model in literature, and a definition of what we call a literature-based business process meta-model starting from the different business process meta-models proposed in the literature; (ii) the ontological analysis of four business process elements (event, participant, relationship among activities, and goal), which were identified as missing or problematic in the literature and in the literature-based meta-model; (iii) the revision of the literature-based business process meta-model that incorporates the analysis of the four investigated business process elements - event, participant, relationship among activities and goal; and (iv) the definition and evaluation of a notation that enriches the relationships between activities by including the notions of occurrence dependences and rationales.
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Kalinin, Evgeniy. "Business Process management in medical organization." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2016. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-203979.
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The goal of this paper is to describe process management and a possibility of its implementation in the real medical organization. The first part is devoted to a description of the basic concepts, principles, definitions and procedures of process management, which form the paradigm. The second part deals with the application of process management in the real dental clinic and presents an analysis of the current state and its improvement recommendations, conceptual and process modeling, description of basic levels of medical information systems and recommends criteria for information system selection. Diagrams are created in programs PowerDesigner and Cacoo.com are also included in this paper.
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Abu, Rub Faisal Asad Farid. "A business process improvement methodology based on process modelling, applied to the healthcare sector." Thesis, University of the West of England, Bristol, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.429689.
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Process modelling can be used to provide a comprehensive understanding of business activities and functions and thence a base for detailed process analysis. Business process improvement refers to a family of approaches which aim to help an organisation adjust its processes to fit a dynamic or complex business environment, particularly so as to take advantage of rapid advances in information technologies. However, most business process improvement methodologies do not make significant use of process modelling to guide the evaluation and improvement of business processes. The current research uses process modelling techniques in a systematic and generalisable manner to gain deeper understanding of processes in a particular complex case. By analysis and further probing of the process models, it then seeks to develop a practical methodology for business improvement which will be applicable not only in the case in question but also more broadly. The case explored in detail in this work is the process of Cancer Care and Registration (CCR) in Jordan. This is introduced after a discussion of business processes in general, business processes in healthcare, and methods of business process modelling. There is some comparative treatment of CCR processes in the UK. The main method used for modelling existing processes in the Jordanian CCR case is Role Activity Diagramming (RAD). Models for six major sub-processes were prepared. The models thus produced were validated in discussion with participants. They were then subjected to an extensive analysis, with the objective of discovering whether the processes might be improved. One form of analysis examined the structural properties of the models, to discover for instance how closely coupled different roles were. A second, model-led, form of analysis methodically queried, through interview or questionnaire, each activity or interaction in the models, to see how well it was working, in its particular context, in terms of general criteria such as efficiency or reliability. Thirdly, the notion of non-functional requirements (NFRs), borrowed from software engineering, was used to derive detailed NFRs from high-level business objectives, as a basis for a systematic examination of broad quality levels achieved in existing processes. These complementary analyses, supported by further validation with - I - participants, then provided the base for a remodelling of the processes with the goal of business improvement. The redesign suggestions included indications of where information technology might be introduced or strengthened with beneficial effect. The methods of detailed modelling, systematic analysis, and redesign for business improvement are, while thoroughly applied to the case under investigation, sufficiently abstract to be proposed as a general methodology for the design of business process improvements. The key features of the methodology are that it is grounded in process modelling and brings together functional, non-functional and structural process analyses.
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Stein, Sebastian [Verfasser]. "Modelling method extension for service-oriented business process management / Sebastian Stein." Kiel : Universitätsbibliothek Kiel, 2010. http://d-nb.info/1019903198/34.
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Odendaal, Maghiel Jock. "Business process modelling using model checking and the theory of constraints." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4269.
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Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Concurrent and distributed business processes are becoming the norm in many organisations. Current modelling techniques do not address the problems faced by concurrent business processes sufficiently. We showhowmodel checking is applied to business processes to prove behavioural properties to address the aforementioned shortcomings. A method of abstraction is required to construct business process models that can be model checked. In this thesis we show the suitability of the Logical Thinking Process as an abstraction tool. We call the combination of the Logical Thinking Process and model checking the Complexity Alleviation Method (CAM). We apply CAM to two well-known supply chain and manufacturing problems, and insightful results are obtained. This leads us to the conclusion that CAM allows for the quicker modelling of business processes, as well as providing problem-specific and proven solutions in amanner not possible with simulation or other techniques.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gelyklopende en verspreide besigheidsprosesse word ’n alledaagse verskynsel in menigte instansies. Huidige modelleringstegnieke is nie in staat om die probleme geassosieer met gelyklopende besigheidsprosesse aan te spreek nie. Ons wys hoe model model verifikasie (“model checking”) toegepas word op besigheidsprosesse om gedragseienskappe te bewys en sodoende die voorgenoemde tekortkominge aan te spreek. ’nMetode van abstraksie word benodig ombesigheidsprosesmodelle, wat verifieerbaar is, te konstrueer. In hierdie verhandeling word die geskiktheid van die Logiese Denkproses (“the Logical Thinking Process”) as abstraksie gereedskap aangetoon. Ons noem die kombinasie van die Logiese Denkproses en model verifikasie Kompleksiteitsverligtingsmetodologie (CAM). Ons pas CAM op twee welbekende aanbodketting- en vervaardigingsprobleme toe en insiggewende resultate is verkry. Dit lei ons tot die gevolgtrekking dat CAM vinniger konstruering van modelle te weeg bring, sowel as probleem spesifieke en bewysbare oplossings verskaf wat nie moontlik ismet simulasie of ander tegnieke nie.
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Goettelmann, Elio. "Risk-aware Business Process Modelling and Trusted Deployment in the Cloud." Thesis, Université de Lorraine, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015LORR0144/document.
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L’essor du Cloud Computing, permettant de partager les coûts et les ressources au travers de la virtualisation, présage une interconnexion dynamique et flexible entre entreprises et fournisseurs. Cependant, cette mise en commun de ressources, données et savoir-faire implique de nouvelles exigences en termes de sécurité. En effet, le manque de confiance dans les structures du Cloud est souvent vu comme un frein au développement de tels services. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier les concepts d’orchestration de services, de confiance et de gestion des risques dans le contexte du Cloud. La contribution principale est un framework permettant de déployer des processus métiers dans un environnement Cloud, en limitant les risques de sécurité liés à ce contexte. La contribution peut être séparée en trois partie distinctes qui prennent la forme d'une méthode, d'un modèle et d'un framework. La méthode catégorise des techniques pour transformer un processus métier existant en un modèle sensibilisé (ou averti) qui prend en compte les risques de sécurité spécifiques aux environnements Cloud. Le modèle formalise les relations et les responsabilités entre les différents acteurs du Cloud. Ce qui permet d'identifier les différentes informations requises pour évaluer et quantifier les risques de sécurité des environnements Cloud. Le framework est une approche complète de décomposition de processus en fragments qui peuvent être automatiquement déployés sur plusieurs Clouds. Ce framework intègre également un algorithme de sélection qui combine les information de sécurité avec d'autres critère de qualité de service pour générer des configuration optimisées. Finalement, les travaux sont implémentés pour démontrer la validité de l'approche. Le framework est implémenté dans un outil. Le modèle d'évaluation des risques de sécurité Cloud est également appliqué dans un contexte de contrôle d'accès. La dernière partie présente les résultats de l'implémentation de nos travaux sur un cas d'utilisation réelNowadays service ecosystems rely on dynamic software service chains that span over multiple organisations and providers. They provide an agile support for business applications, governments of end-users. This trend is reinforced by the Cloud based economy that allows sharing of costs and resources. However, the lack of trust in such cloud environments, that involve higher security requirements, is often seen as a braking force to the development of such services. The objective of this thesis is to study the concepts of service orchestration and trust in the context of the Cloud. It proposes an approach which supports a trust model in order to allow the orchestration of trusted business process components on the cloud. The contribution is threefold and consists in a method, a model and a framework. The method categorizes techniques to transform an existing business process into a risk-aware process model that takes into account security risks related to cloud environments. The model formalizes the relations and the responsibilities between the different actors of the cloud. This allows to identify the different information required to assess and quantify security risks in cloud environments. The framework is a comprehensive approach that decomposes a business process into fragments that can automatically be deployed on multiple clouds. The framework also integrates a selection algorithm that combines security information with other quality of service criteria to generate an optimized configuration. Finally, the work is implemented in order to validate the approach. The framework is implemented in a tool. The security assessment model is also applied over an access control model. The last part presents the results of the implementation of our work on a real world use case
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He, Hongyu. "Weakness Identification of Excess Inventory Based on Business Process Models : A Case Study with Business Process Modelling and Weakness Identification." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Informationssystem, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-420919.
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With development and impact of ICT, the method of work in many organizations has been becoming more collaborative and communicative, under which a number of organizations start to take corresponding strategies to achieve business goals and create more values. Managing Business Process is an effective and efficient way to improve productivity and performance of business activities from an organizational level. Business Process model, as a representation of Business Process, provides a big picture of Business Process, allowing organizations to acquire understanding on logical relationships among different business activities and to improve Business Process by various approaches. This study discusses the application of Business Process models on weakness identification which is related to the problem of excess inventory in supply chain with a qualitative method. It adopts three Business Process Modelling techniques to build Business Process models for a planning team involved with demand and supply planning, where four experts from the team participate in interview. The models are analyzed according to selected weakness patterns in order to identify the process weaknesses and link them with the causes of excess inventory. The result of this study gives a positive answer, which means the Business Process Models are capable to identify causes for the concrete problem of excess inventory by identifying process weaknesses.
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Wijesekera, Dhammika Harindra, and n/a. "A form based meta-schema for information and knowledge elicitation." Swinburne University of Technology, 2006. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20060904.123024.
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Knowledge is considered important for the survival and growth of an enterprise.
Currently knowledge is stored in various places including the bottom drawers of
employees. The human being is considered to be the most important knowledge
provider. Over the years knowledge based systems (KBS) have been developed to
capture and nurture the knowledge of domain experts. However, such systems were
considered to be separate and different from the traditional information systems
development. Many KBS development projects have failed. The main causes for such
failures have been recognised as the difficulties associated with the process of
knowledge elicitation, in particular the techniques and methods employed. On the other
hand, the main emphasis of information systems development has been in the areas of
data and information capture relating to transaction based systems. For knowledge to be
effectively captured and nurtured it is necessary for knowledge to be part of the
information systems development activity.
This thesis reports on a process of investigation and analysis conducted into the areas of
information, knowledge and the overlapping areas. This research advocates a hybrid
approach, where knowledge and information capture to be considered as one in a
unified environment. A meta-schema design based on Formal Object Role Modelling
(FORM), independent of implementation details, is introduced for this purpose. This is
considered to be a key contribution of this research activity. Both information and
knowledge is expected to be captured through this approach.
Meta data types are provided for the capture of business rules and they form part of the
knowledge base of an organisation. The integration of knowledge with data and
information is also described. XML is recognised by many as the preferred data
interchange language and it is investigated for the purpose of rule interchange. This
approach is expected to enable organisations to interchange business rules and their
meta-data, in addition to data and their schema. During interchange rules can be
interpreted and applied by receiving systems, thus providing a basis for intelligent
behaviour. With the emergence of new technologies such as the Internet the modelling of an
enterprise as a series of business processes has gained prominence. Enterprises are
moving towards integration, establishing well-described business processes within and
across enterprises, to include their customers and suppliers. The purpose is to derive a
common set of objectives and benefit from potential economic efficiencies. The
suggested meta-schema design can be used in the early phases of requirements
elicitation to specify, communicate, comprehend and refine various artefacts. This is
expected to encourage domain experts and knowledge analysts work towards describing
each business process and their interactions. Existing business processes can be
documented and business efficiencies can be achieved through a process of refinement.
The meta-schema design allows for a ?systems view? and sharing of such views, thus
enabling domain experts to focus on their area of specialisation whilst having an
understanding of other business areas and their facts. The design also allows for
synchronisation of mental models of experts and the knowledge analyst. This has been a
major issue with KBS development and one of the main reasons for the failure of such
projects. The intention of this research is to provide a facility to overcome this issue.
The natural language based FORM encourages verbalisation of the domain, hence
increasing the understanding and comprehension of available business facts.
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Snyman, Irene. "A framework for co-located collaborative business process modelling using touch technologies." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021015.
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In recent years the field of Business Process Modelling (BPM) has gained increasing attention from both the business and research communities. One of the primary drivers for BPM is the improved understanding of Business Processes (BPs) and the competitive advantage gained over competitors. In addition, BPM can improve communication in an organisation and facilitate increased support for change management. BPM is a collaborative activity that needs to be carried out in a team environment, and Collaborative Business Process Modelling (CBPM) promotes improved readability, accuracy and quality of process models as well as a reduced workload for modellers. In spite of the increased popularity of CBPM, there is limited research related to the collaborative nature of the modelling tasks performed by modellers and specifically to the synchronisation of shared process models. In addition, tools and techniques to support CBPM do not support this synchronisation effectively or efficiently. This study proposes a conceptual framework for CBPM using touch technologies in a colocated collaborative environment. The main research problem addressed by this study is that modellers experience difficulties conducting BPM activities in a co-located collaborative environment. In order to address the research problem and clarify and elaborate on the problems of CBPM, a two-fold approach was undertaken. Firstly, after an in-depth literature review, a BPM survey was designed and then sent to modellers in South African Information Technology (IT) consulting companies in order to provide a more in-depth understanding of the status and challenges of CBPM in IT consulting organisations. The results revealed that available BPM software do not adequately cater for CBPM and software tools do not enforce versioning and synchronisation. In addition, hardware constraints were reported as well as problems with integrating different parts of the process model that the modellers were working on. The results of the survey also showed that the positive aspects of CBPM are that ideas could be shared and overall there is a better understanding of the BPs being modelled. The second part of the problem elaboration consisted of usability field studies with participants from both education and industry using a traditional popular BPM software tool, Enterprise Architect (EA). Whilst several benefits of CBPM were confirmed, several challenges were encountered, particularly with regard to the integration and synchronisation of models. To overcome the problems of CBPM, a framework was developed that allows for co-located CBPM using tablet PCs. The framework includes a developed prototype of the BPMTouch software which runs on tablet PCs, as well as some theoretical aspects of CBPM. The BPMTouch software supports effective and efficient CBPM and the synchronisation of process models since it allows multiple modellers to work together on one BP model, with each modeller using his/her own tablet. If one modeller makes changes to the model, the changes are immediately reflected on the tablets of the other modellers since the changes to the model are updated in real time. Modellers cannot draw on the same model simultaneously, however, everyone can see what the active modeller (active participant with the green flag) is doing. Other participants can then become the active modeller and make changes to the model once the flag has been released and re-allocated. The results from the field studies, industry surveys and usability evaluations were all incorporated into the BPMTouch software tool design and into the aspects of CBPM in order to assist with the process of co-located CBPM using touch technologies. Usability evaluations were carried out in which industry and student participants used BPMTouch to create an integrated model and simultaneously and synchronously create a process model. The evaluations of the BPMTouch prototype revealed that participants prefer this system over traditional BPM software since the BPMTouch removes the need for post modelling integration. The theoretical contribution of the framework consists of aspects proposing that organisations should take the potential benefits and challenges of CBPM into consideration and address the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) before embarking on a CBPM project. These aspects can help with decisions relating to CBPM. The use of this framework can improve the quality of process models, reduce the workload of modellers and in this way increase the success rate of CBPM projects.
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CARDOSO, E. C. S. "ON THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN GOAL MODELS AND ENTERPRISE MODELS WITH AN ONTOLOGICAL ACCOUNT." Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 2009. http://repositorio.ufes.br/handle/10/4213.
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Previous issue date: 2009-12-16Business process modelling basically comprises an activity whose main goal is to provide a formalization of business processes in an organization or a set of cooperating organizations (Recker, et al., 2006) (van der Aalst, et al., 2003). By modelling an organizations business processes, it is possible to capture how the organization coordinates the work and resources with the aim of achieving its goals and strategies (Sharp, et al., 2001). Since business processes and goals are intrinsically interdependent, establishing an alignment between the process and the goal domains arises as a natural approach. This thesis reports on a real-life exploratory case study in which we investigated the relationship between the elements of the enterprise (modeled in the ARIS framework) and the goals (modeled in the Tropos framework and modeling language) which are attained by these elements. The case study has been conducted in the Rheumatology Department of a University Hospital in Brazil. In the course of the case study, we have identified the need of splitting this effort into three phases: the elicitation phase (in which goal models and business process models are captured from the organizational domain), the harmonization phase (in which the goal domain is structured for alignment according to the business processes structures that will support it) and the alignment phase (in which the relationships between the goal domain and the elements of the organizational domain are established). In order to investigate the relation between goals and enterprise elements, we propose an ontological account for both architectural domains. We recognize the importance in considering the business process as the means for implementing an enterprises strategy, but we do not exclude the remaining enterprise elements. Furthermore, we are concerned with both the identification of the relationships and with a classification for their nature.
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Aldred, Lachlan James. "Fundamentals of process integration." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2011. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/48016/1/Lachlan_Aldred_Thesis.pdf.
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Technologies and languages for integrated processes are a relatively recent innovation. Over that period many divergent waves of innovation have transformed process integration. Like sockets and distributed objects, early workflow systems ordered programming interfaces that connected the process modelling layer to any middleware. BPM systems emerged later, connecting the modelling world to middleware through components. While BPM systems increased ease of use (modelling convenience), long-standing and complex interactions involving many process instances remained di±cult to model. Enterprise Service Buses (ESBs), followed, connecting process models to heterogeneous forms of middleware. ESBs, however, generally forced modellers to choose a particular underlying middleware and to stick to it, despite their ability to connect with many forms of middleware. Furthermore ESBs encourage process integrations to be modelled on their own, logically separate from the process model. This can lead to the inability to reason about long standing conversations at the process layer. Technologies and languages for process integration generally lack formality. This has led to arbitrariness in the underlying language building blocks. Conceptual holes exist in a range of technologies and languages for process integration and this can lead to customer dissatisfaction and failure to bring integration projects to reach their potential. Standards for process integration share similar fundamental flaws to languages and technologies. Standards are also in direct competition with other standards causing a lack of clarity. Thus the area of greatest risk in a BPM project remains process integration, despite major advancements in the technology base. This research examines some fundamental aspects of communication middleware and how these fundamental building blocks of integration can be brought to the process modelling layer in a technology agnostic manner. This way process modelling can be conceptually complete without becoming stuck in a particular middleware technology. Coloured Petri nets are used to define a formal semantics for the fundamental aspects of communication middleware. They provide the means to define and model the dynamic aspects of various integration middleware. Process integration patterns are used as a tool to codify common problems to be solved. Object Role Modelling is a formal modelling technique that was used to define the syntax of a proposed process integration language. This thesis provides several contributions to the field of process integration. It proposes a framework defining the key notions of integration middleware. This framework provides a conceptual foundation upon which a process integration language could be built. The thesis defines an architecture that allows various forms of middleware to be aggregated and reasoned about at the process layer. This thesis provides a comprehensive set of process integration patterns. These constitute a benchmark for the kinds of problems a process integration language must support. The thesis proposes a process integration modelling language and a partial implementation that is able to enact the language. A process integration pilot project in a German hospital is brie°y described at the end of the thesis. The pilot is based on ideas in this thesis.
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Argyropoulos, Nikolaos. "Designing secure business processes from organisational goal models." Thesis, University of Brighton, 2018. https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/6aca6ecc-0073-48dd-a781-6cb66de28272.
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Business processes are essential instruments used for the coordination of organisational activities in order to produce value in the form of products and services. Information security is an important non-functional characteristic of business processes due to the involvement of sensitive data exchanged between their participants. Therefore, potential security shortfalls can severely impact organisational reputation, customer trust and cause compliance issues. Nevertheless, despite its importance, security is often considered as a technical concern and treated as an afterthought during the design of information systems and the business processes which they support. The consideration of security during the early design stages of information systems is highly beneficial. Goal-oriented security requirements engineering approaches can contribute to the early elicitation of system requirements at a high level of abstraction and capture the organisational context and rationale behind design choices. Aligning such requirements with process activities at the operational level augments the traceability between system models of different abstraction levels and leads to more robust and context-aware operationalisations of security. Therefore, there needs to be a well-defined and verifiable interconnection between a system’s security requirements and its business process models. This work introduces a framework for the design of secure business process models. It uses security-oriented goal models as its starting point to capture a socio-technical view of the system to-be and its security requirements during its early design stages. Concept mappings and model transformation rules are also introduced as a structured way of extracting business process skeletons from such goal models, in order to facilitate the alignment between the two different levels of abstraction. The extracted business process skeletons, are refined to complete business process models through the use of a set of security patterns, which standardise proven solutions to recurring security problems. Finally, the framework also offers security verification capabilities of the produced process models through the introduction of security-related attributes and model checking algorithms. Evaluation of this work is performed: (i) through individual evaluation of its components via their application in real-life systems, (ii) a workshop-based modelling exercise where participants used and evaluated parts of the framework and (iii) a case study from the public administration domain where the overall framework was applied in cooperation with stakeholders of the studied system. The evaluation indicated that the developed framework provides a structured approach which supports stakeholders in designing and evaluating secure business process models.
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de, la Vara González José Luis. "Business process-based requirements specification and object-oriented conceptual modelling of information systems." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Politècnica de València, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/11445.
Full textAbstract:
Two of the main needs when developing an information system for an
organization are that system analysts know and understand the
application domain and that the system properly supports the business
processes of the organization. Consequently, elicitation of system
requirements from business process models has been acknowledged as a
suitable activity to deal with that needs. In addition, system requirements
must be linked to subsequent development stages.
However, system analysts can face many challenges when
performing these activities. They may have problems communicating
with customer stakeholders and may need to analyse and operationalize
the purpose of the information system. Furthermore, system analysts
must bridge the gap between business and system domains for
specification of system requirements, specify different types of system
requirements and guarantee that their specification is precise, consistent
and homogeneous.
In relation to object-oriented conceptual modelling-based
information system development, system analysts must also avoid
potential problems that may arise when a conceptual schema is created
from system requirements as part of their link with subsequent
development stages. For example, a conceptual schema can be
incomplete and/or inconsistent if it is not properly managed.
As a solution, this thesis presents a methodological approach for
business process-based requirements specification and object-oriented
conceptual modelling of information systems. The approach consists of
four stages: organizational modelling, purpose analysis, specification of
system requirements and derivation of object-oriented diagrams.
By following the design research methodology for performing
research in information systems, the methodological approach has been
designed on the basis of many existing ideas and principles in academia
and industry and provides new principles, mechanisms and guidance to
address the challenges presented above.De La Vara González, JL. (2011). Business process-based requirements specification and object-oriented conceptual modelling of information systems [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/11445
Palancia
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Agyapong-Kodua, Kwabena. "Multi-product cost and value stream modelling in support of business process analysis." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2009. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/5585.
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Gweshe, Tatenda Mark. "Business process modelling and simulation with application to a start-up actuarial firm." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19968.
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In our research, we set out to model, understand and evaluate the business process at a start-up actuarial firm which employs Report Writers (RWers) who specialise in quantifying actuarial matters. We simulated various "what-if" and extreme scenarios relating to (1) the impact of qualitative variables (stress, morale and health) on RWer productivity, (2) hiring policies for RWers who have various skills sets, (3) the allocation of RWers to various roles within the process, (4) the impact that a high turnover of experienced RWers has on productivity, (5) the impact of introducing a flexible working arrangement (flexitime). This was done through business process modelling and simulations. The business process we modelled was governed by numerous potentially complex inter-relationships between variables and inter-relationships, which we believed could lead to potentially significant feedback loops. The models we built were then simulated over a period of 3 to 7 years to gain insights into the behavioural trends of the firm's business process over time when subject to "what-if" scenarios and policy implementations. The model simulations allowed us to get an understanding of the behaviour of processes over time, and the key variables and relationships involved in bringing about such behaviour as certain variables were subjected to changes in levels, as set out in our objectives. We made use of relevant literature, expert opinion, past data, questionnaires and cognitive mapping techniques to build simulation models. Guided by methodologies used in literature on modelling qualitative variables, bearing in mind the dangers in modelling for them, we modelled for the complex inter-relationships between qualitative and quantitative variables.
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Mallalieu, Gillian Margaret. "A critical approach to business process modelling in small to medium sized enterprizes." Thesis, Durham University, 2003. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1078/.
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The research issue for this thesis was founded within the RAMESES project, but is specifically concerned with the necessity for SMEs to undertake the activity of business process modelling. The need to understand the `as is' position of an organisation is fundamental to the development, change or implementation of any information or communication technologies (ICT). The primary research question was `are SMEs able to model business processes in such a way that will enable the effective analysis of the organisation in order to enable information systems development change or implementation'. The objective of the research was to develop a method by which this business process modelling activity could be supported in a fashion which was accessible and effective within the target environment. This thesis expounds the benefits of using a critical approach utilizing a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods within the bounds of a multi-disciplinary research team to enable effective exploration and investigation. The concept of the research life-cycle has developed the notion of appropriateness in method and approach: this is discussed against the values of the critical and realist paradigms. The issues reported in this thesis have been identified as a result of detailed case study analysis of six small organisations in the North-east of England. The conclusions are presented in three sections firstly the conclusions relating to the SME and the appropriateness of the BAM technique developed within the RAMESES project. Secondly conclusions are given in regard to the research methodology and reflections given as to the efficacy of the process. Thirdly reflections and conclusions are presented that relate to the work in relation to its overall critical aims and finally makes suggestions as to how future work could be improved.
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Edirisuriya, Ananda. "Design support for e-commerce information systems using goal, business and process modelling." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm : Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (together with KTH), Stockholm University, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-30101.
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Al-Shihi, Badria. "Conceptual design of deoiling processes : business process reengineering (BPR) and computer support tools." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2001. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/24447.
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Deoiling of petroleum wastewater is a major concern in petroleum process engineering. The conventional design procedure for deoiling systems consists of nine consecutive stages involving different people or groups. This thesis considers reengineering the conventional procedure, with the aim of increasing the efficiency of the process and productivity of people involved. The thesis then investigates the development of the appropriate computer support tools for the new procedure. The reengineering of the procedure is based on concepts proposed by Hammer (1990). The resulting procedure consists of four stages, where parallelism of the different tasks in the conventional procedure is explicitly considered. A model of the new procedure is described in UML (Unified Modelling Language). The advantage of using UML instead of using just natural language description is that UML uses graphical representation that is easy to use and less prone to ambiguity. Based on the new procedure, a decision support system called CODES (Conceptual DEsign of deoiling Systems) was designed and implemented. CODES supports the stages of wastewater assessment, equipment options at different locations, treatment disposal options and recommendations for final process configuration. Two Case Studies using operating field data are reported. The Case Studies using CODES proved to be straightforward to use and produced appropriate comments on the performance of the existing designs and proposed alternatives to satisfy the design requirements. CODES results agreed with knowledge from previous plant trials. The contribution of this thesis to the deoiling design process is twofold. Firstly, a critical review of the conventional procedure has resulted in a new one, which has potential benefits of improving a company's efficiency by reducing the number of people and activities involved, and shortening the design time. Secondly, the feasibility of applying the new procedure and CODES is successfully demonstrated through the case studies. Limitations and areas of extensions are also identified.
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Budovský, Štefan. "Procesná analýza výrobnej spoločnosti." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2014. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-261833.
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The topic of this thesis is the process analysis of the production company. The main goal is to describe, model and asses the recent status of processes. The additional goal is the measurements and recommendations proposal based on the evaluations. The process management is described in the introduction of the theory with subsequent explanation of methods and methodology of process modeling. The basic standards for process models creation is described in the next part of the thesis. The analyzed company will be introduced in the practical part of the paper and the method derived from the theoretical part will be applied. After modeling the recent status the necessary measures and changes will be introduced to eradicate the identified problems.
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Su, Mehmet Onur. "Business Process Moedlling Based Computer-aided Software Functional Requirements Generation." Master's thesis, METU, 2004. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/3/12604698/index.pdf.
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Problems of requirements which are identified in the earlier phase of a software development project can deeply affect the success of the project. Thus studies which aim to decrease these problems are crucial. Automation is foreseen
to be one of the possible solutions for decreasing or removing some of the problems originating from requirements.
This study focuses on the development and implementation of an automated tool that will generate requirements in natural language from business process models. In this study, The benefits of the tool are discussed, and the tool is compared with other software requirement s related tools with respect to their functionality. The developed tool has been tested within a large military project and the results of using the tool are presented.
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Mezera, Jiří. "Standardy modelování podnikových procesů." Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2010. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-72491.
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Today, business process modelling is important part of analysis and design of the information systems. There is number of standards, which is concerned with process modelling, whereas each of them represents a little different approach. The project Opensoul created general metamodel, which defines basic elements and their mutual associations, which all standards should meet. In other words, it defines basic rules for process modelling. The goal of this thesis is to compare chosen standards of process modelling with Business process metamodel of Opensoul initiative. The results of this comparison would have provide basis to answer the question, which standard supports in the best way the rules of process modelling defined by metamodel through the system of elements and their associations. This goal requires specifying the method, on which basis the comparison will be made. This method comprises the extension of metamodel with new elements and their relations to other elements, and the extension of some elements with some workflow patterns defined by Workflow Patterns initiative. That is the main benefit of this thesis.
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Panuwatwanich, Kriengsak. "Modelling the Innovation Diffusion Process in Australian Architectural and Engineering Design Organisations." Thesis, Griffith University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367744.
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Past decades have witnessed the rapid advancement of new technologies, the development of new business models, and the evolution of cohesive organisational cultures. These factors have transformed the business environment in such a way that firms must collaborate and compete globally and seamlessly. Being able to promptly adapt to a changing environment by engaging in innovation is thus vital for all levels of business enterprises to stay competitive and even to survive in their particular industry. Such a statement also applies to the construction industry, where innovation is not only a source of a firm’s competitive advantage, but also an essential strategic component for accommodating rapid changes embodied in complex products and processes. Realising the significance of innovation, a large number of organisations have expended a lot of resources in an effort to acquire various forms of innovation with the aim to improve their competitiveness. Some of these organisations have been successful, whilst many have not. This inconsistent result has led many built environment scholars to conduct numerous research studies in an attempt to answer the question as to how, why and what causes such a success or failure.
Innovation, in its many forms, generally evolves by means of adoption and/or generation, and its successful development and/or implementation are reliant upon an effective diffusion process. Theoretically, diffusion is a process by which innovation is disseminated through communication channels among members of a social system over time. The diffusion of innovation within an organisation has thus been viewed as hinging upon a complex sociopsychological process among the organisation’s members. Such a process can manifest itself in the form of the ‘climate’ in an organisation, which is a critical determinant of people’s motivation and behaviour. In particular, ‘climate for innovation’ has been emphasised by management researchers as having an important role in stimulating innovation.
To a large extent, past research studies have provided valuable knowledge regarding the factors that affect the adoption and/or generation of innovation within construction organisations. However, there is still a demand for more empirical studies that focus on the actual implementation and diffusion of such innovation, particularly, from a social perspective. Moreover, despite the fact that design is an important phase of a construction project life-cycle where innovation invariably takes place, the study of innovation within this particular context has not been carried out extensively.
In response to such research demands, this study was conducted with the purpose to provide greater understanding on the interrelationships among key socio-psychological constructs that constitute a climate for innovation, and their associated outcomes, within the design organisation environment. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to empirically develop a model that depicts the relationships between the various climate constructs, as well as their influence on the outcomes of innovation diffusion and subsequent business performance within Architectural and Engineering Design (AED) firms.
To achieve the above-mentioned research aim, a conceptual model encapsulating three climate constructs, namely, leadership for innovation (LFI), team climate for innovation (TCI), and organisational culture for innovation (OCI), along with two outcome-orientated constructs addressing innovation diffusion outcomes (IDO) and business performance (BPM), was developed. These model constructs were logically linked by hypothetical relationships represented by seven hypotheses. To verify the developed conceptual model, this study employed a sequential mixed method research design, incorporating quantitative and qualitative analysis approaches.
The first phase of the study employed a quantitative research method to assess and refine the developed conceptual model, based on the data collected from a questionnaire survey targeting design professionals employed in Australian AED firms. This phase utilised a series of multivariate statistical techniques, specifically, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). EFA and CFA were initially carried out to uncover robust model structures. SEM was then performed to assess and refine the conceptual model by evaluating the hypothesised relationships between the constructs. The results unearthed five statistically significant causal linkages: LFI ? TCI; LFI ? OCI; TCI ? OCI; OCI ? IDO; and IDO ? BPM, which formed an essential part of the final empirical model.
Based on the above results, a qualitative research method was employed as a second phase of the analysis to further support the validity of the empirical model. In doing so, explanatory case studies were conducted with five Australian AED firms, primarily through semistructured, face-to-face interviews with a number of design professionals. The primary purpose of this phase was to determine whether the empirical model can be explained (i.e. validated) by the qualitative data collected from actual firms under real-work settings. This was achieved through the ‘pattern matching’ technique, whereby the patterns of relationships between the constructs depicted in the empirical model were compared with those identified from the case studies. Overall, the pattern matching results demonstrated a good match between the patterns of relationships uncovered from the case studies and the relationships postulated in the empirical model. Therefore, the findings provided support for the validity of the model in terms of its ability to represent the actual phenomena within AED firms.
Through the above validated model, this study provided fundamental contributions to the imperative research field of innovation diffusion from a social perspective, particularly within the AED context. Firstly, the study identified three critical socio-psychological constructs constituting the climate for innovation, namely, leadership for innovation, team climate for innovation, and organisational culture for innovation. Among these constructs, leadership for innovation was empirically found to be the most influential construct, impacting on the creation of both organisational culture and team climate for innovation. Secondly, the study provided empirical evidence that organisational culture for innovation directly influenced innovation diffusion outcomes, and also mediated the relationships between this construct with both leadership and team climate for innovation. Lastly, the study also provided empirical evidence that innovation diffusion outcomes positively contributed to business performance.
From these empirical findings, the study has been able to offer a number of practical implications, which are beneficial to AED firms seeking to enhance their competitiveness through innovation. Firstly, to ensure that innovation will contribute to improved business performance, firms should try to achieve effective innovation diffusion by positioning itself to successfully harness and turn creative ideas into innovative design solutions, and promote the effective utilisation of design technologies/practices. Secondly, to create and sustain the effective diffusion of innovation, firms should ensure that the culture for innovation prevails. Within such a culture, creative ideas are more likely to be better transformed into innovative solutions. Likewise, the adopted technologies/practices are likely to be utilised more effectively to facilitate design activities. Lastly, to create and maintain the culture for innovation, firms should place an emphasis on developing leaders whose behaviours favour innovation. Directly, these leaders can shape an innovation culture by championing policies and practices that accelerate the diffusion of innovation. Indirectly, they can influence the improved climate for innovation among teams which will, in turn, become an important building block for a firms’ culture for innovation.
In summary, this research study significantly expanded and improved upon the existing sociopsychological aspect of innovation management within the AED context. A most useful practical guide was developed, through a robust model that explains the mechanisms of the key climate-for-innovation constructs in enhancing innovation diffusion and improving business performance within AED firms.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith School of Engineering
Faculty of Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Sun, Jiaqi. "A modelling process of short-term interest rate risk management for the South African commercial banking sector." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6747.
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Thesis (MComm (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on banking book interest rate risk management, more specifically shortterm interest rate risk management problems. This type of risk is induced by the inflation targeting policy of the South African Reserve Bank. As a result, inflation leads to an uncertain interest rate cycle and a period of uncertain interest rate levels as it relates to lending and borrowing products in the South African commercial banking sector. The lending rates of most South African commercial banks are tied to the prime overdraft rate. The borrowing rates are linked to the money market rates such as the Johannesburg Interbank Agreed Rate (JIBAR) which is indirectly affected by the prime overdraft rate. Hence, lending and borrowing rates are related to the repo-rate. Furthermore, a fixed relationship exists between the prime overdraft rate and the repo-rate. The monetary policy committee meets every two months during the year to make inflation and repo-rate adjustments, as stipulated in the inflation targeting policy. A subject portfolio containing fixed-rate loans, advances and floating-rate deposits is exposed to the change of the repo-rate. This short-term banking book interest rate risk is defined based on the fact that the repo-rate adjustment occurs every two months, the banking book risk management is short term focused, and hedging instruments against interest rate risk are short term dated contracts. Such a short term risk may have a negative impact on the bank’s profitability. The study starts with a review of the bank risk management processes, and then discusses the enterprise risk management framework that guides the formation of the risk management processes and systems. In order to benchmark against international risk management practices, a comparative analysis is carried out to evaluate the risk management tendencies of bank risk management in South Africa and globally. The empirical findings reveal that most banks (i.e. eighty per cent of all local banks) manage the short-term interest rate risk by following the same process as the interest rate risk in general. The key elements (risk identification, measurement, mitigation and monitoring and reporting) of the banking book interest rate risk management are not linked together as a systematic process. This is not in line with the Basel II Accord to manage market risks through a process approach. The study also proposes a generic short-term interest rate risk management framework and in doing so, addresses some of the weaknesses of current risk management practices. Based on this framework, the South African banks may develop their own processes to manage such short-term banking book interest rate risk exposure. Some of the problems of bank risk management that come to light from the empirical findings, are summarised in the last chapter and may be considered for future research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op die probleme van die bankboek rentekoersrisikobestuur, meer spesifiek die korttermyn rentekoers risikobbestuursprobleme. Hierdie tipe risiko word deur die inflasieteikenraamwerk beleid van die Suid-Afrikaanse Reserwebank veroorsaak. Dit veroorsaak ‘n tydperk van onsekere rentekoersvlakke veral sover dit uitleen- en leenprodukte in die Suid-Afrikaanse kommersiële banksektor aangaan. Die uitleenkoerse van die meeste Suid-Afrikaanse kommersiële banke is aan die prima bankoortrekkingskoers gekoppel. Die leningstariewe is aan die geldmarkkoerse soos die Johannesburgse Interbank Ooreengekome Koers (JIBOK) gekoppel wat indirek geraak word deur die prima bankoortrekkingskoers. Uitleen- en leenkoerse is redelik afhanklik van die repo-koers waar laasgenoemde ‘n redelike vaste verwantskap met die prima bankoortrekkingskoers het. Die monetêre beleidkomitee vergader elke twee maande van die jaar om inflasie en repokoers aanpassings te maak, ooreenkomstig die inflasieteiken beleid. 'n Bepaalde portefeulje met vasterente lenings, voorskotte en vlottende koers deposito’s is blootgestel aan die verandering in die repokoers. Hierdie korttermyn rentekoersrisiko van die bankboek word gedefinieer op grond van die feit dat die repo-koers aanpassing elke twee maande gebeur. Die bankboek risikobestuur het ‘n korttermyn fokus, en verskansingsinstrumente teen rentekoersrisiko is korttermyn kontrakte. So 'n korttermyn risiko kan 'n negatiewe impak op die bank se winsgewendheid hê. In hierdie studie word bankrisikobestuur prosesse beskou. Die risikobestuursraamwerk wat die basis vorm van die risikobestuursprosesse en stelsels word aangespreek. Om 'n idee te vorm van die huidige internasionale risikobestuurspraktyke of tendense by banke, word die state van internasionale en oorsese banke kortliks beskou. Die empiriese bevindinge uit die opname dui daarop dat die meeste banke (d.w.s tagtig persent van alle plaaslike banke) die korttermyn rentekoersrisiko nie afsonderlik van rentekoersrisikobestuur in die algemeen bestuur nie. Die sleutelelemente van die risikobestuursproses (risiko identifisering, mitigasie, implementering, monitering en verslagdoening) kom wel voor maar die bankboek rentekoersrisikobestuur is nie gekoppel as 'n sistemastiese proses nie. Dit blyk dat hierdie situasie na alle waarskynlikheid nie in lyn is met die Basel II akkoord om markrisiko's deur 'n prosesbenadering, te bestuur nie. Die studie stel ook ‘n generiese raamwerk voor vir die bestuur van korttermyn rentekoersrisiko wat dan ook van die swakhede van die huidige risikobestuurspraktyke aanspreek. Op grond van hierdie raamwerk, kan die Suid-Afrikaanse banke dit oorweeg om hul eie prosesse te ontwikkel vir die bestuur van bankboek rentekoersrisiko blootstelling. Sommige navorsingsprobleme van bank risikobestuur wat uit die empiriese bevindinge aan die lig gekom het, word in die laaste hoofstuk opgesom en kan vir verdere navorsing in die toekoms oorweeg word.
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Åhlander, Gustav, and Andersson William. "En bild säger mer än tusen ord : En fallstudie om hur verksamhetsmodellering kan användas som stöd vid kravarbete i en outsourcad miljö." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för informatik (IK), 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-54563.
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This bachelor thesis deals with the subject of business process modelling in an outsourced environment. The communication process between two parties that are on either side of the globe can be problematic and affect the quality of the system requirements. The background of this study is that there is a lack of communication between these parties, which will eventuate in poor results. The purpose of this study is to find out whether it is possible to make use of business process modelling in an outsourced environment in order to increase the quality of system requirements by bringing the two parties closer together with help of a common language. A qualitative approach was used to interview relevant informants at Länsförsäkringar AB and its business units Länsförsäkringar Liv and Länsförsäkringar Bank. We have identified that it is not necessarily the system requirements that have a poor quality but how these system conveyed to the external supplier. Based on our data collection, we realized the great benefits of business process modelling as a means of communication in the system development, which can be a huge advantage in an outsourced environment. According to our study, it is certain that a business process modelling with mapped processes and flow charts can support communication as a common language because of the creation of processes and images instead of text.
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Recker, Jan Christof. "Understanding process modelling grammar continuance : a study of the consequences of representational capabilities." Queensland University of Technology, 2008. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16656/.
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The graphical modelling of processes is of growing popularity and high relevance to organisations that seek to document, analyse and improve their business operations. This research investigates the phenomenon of continued user acceptance of the grammars that are used to build process models. It develops and tests a theory that can be used to explain and predict why users would opt to continue working with certain grammars in their process modelling efforts. This study builds on established theories, including the Technology Acceptance Model, Expectation-Confirmation Theory, Task-Technology Fit Theory and Representation Theory. These theories suggest that end users typically strive for tools that are useful and easy to use, which confirm their expectations through firsthand utility, and which match task requirements and individual abilities. Representation theory suggests that modelling grammars should be complete and clear in their capabilities to represent real-world domains. The research model has been designed by combining conceptual studies of acceptance and continuance theories with a representational analysis of the BPMN grammar, which is a recently ratified industry standard for process modelling and thereby of high practical relevance to process modelling practice. It further incorporates findings from nineteen semi-structured interviews with process modellers in Australia. The research model has been tested and validated by means of a web-based survey with 590 process modellers world-wide. This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge in a number of ways: First, it presents an empirically validated model of the factors determining a user's intention to continue using a process modelling grammar. Second, it measures the impact that grammar characteristics as well as user and task characteristics have on user evaluations of a process modelling grammar. Third, it presents empirical evidence on the consequences that perceived representational deficiencies entail on user perceptions of a process modelling grammar.
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Recker, Jan Christof. "Understanding process modelling grammar continuance : a study of the consequences of representational capabilities." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2008. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16656/1/Jan_Recker_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The graphical modelling of processes is of growing popularity and high relevance to organisations that seek to document, analyse and improve their business operations. This research investigates the phenomenon of continued user acceptance of the grammars that are used to build process models. It develops and tests a theory that can be used to explain and predict why users would opt to continue working with certain grammars in their process modelling efforts. This study builds on established theories, including the Technology Acceptance Model, Expectation-Confirmation Theory, Task-Technology Fit Theory and Representation Theory. These theories suggest that end users typically strive for tools that are useful and easy to use, which confirm their expectations through firsthand utility, and which match task requirements and individual abilities. Representation theory suggests that modelling grammars should be complete and clear in their capabilities to represent real-world domains. The research model has been designed by combining conceptual studies of acceptance and continuance theories with a representational analysis of the BPMN grammar, which is a recently ratified industry standard for process modelling and thereby of high practical relevance to process modelling practice. It further incorporates findings from nineteen semi-structured interviews with process modellers in Australia. The research model has been tested and validated by means of a web-based survey with 590 process modellers world-wide. This thesis contributes to the body of knowledge in a number of ways: First, it presents an empirically validated model of the factors determining a user's intention to continue using a process modelling grammar. Second, it measures the impact that grammar characteristics as well as user and task characteristics have on user evaluations of a process modelling grammar. Third, it presents empirical evidence on the consequences that perceived representational deficiencies entail on user perceptions of a process modelling grammar.
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Perjons, Erik. "Model-Driven Process Design : Aligning Value Networks, Enterprise Goals, Services and IT Systems." Doctoral thesis, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för data- och systemvetenskap, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-56640.
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The purpose of business-IT alignment is to optimise the relation between business and IT in order to maximise the business value of IT. Successful business-IT alignment can be enabled by business processes and e-processes functioning as adaptive mediators between business and IT systems. Business processes are the ways actors work in enterprises and collaborate in value networks, while e-processes support a flexible flow of information between IT systems and business processes. The overall goal of this thesis is to propose methods for business process and e-process design and evaluation for achieving alignment between enterprise goals and IT systems. The methods are based on model-driven approaches, using enterprise and software models. More precisely, the proposed methods can be used for designing models of business processes supporting the fulfilment of enterprise goals in the setting of a value network; for designing models of generic and reusable business processes that support the fulfilment of enterprise goals; for designing models of e-processes that support a flexible alignment of IT systems with business processes; and for evaluating the extent to which business processes are aligned with enterprise goals and IT systems. The result of the thesis can be used to support business and system designers with practical knowledge on how to align business and IT systems in order to create efficient, high-quality, flexible and innovative organisations. The research presented in this thesis has been carried out following the design science paradigm. This paradigm is characterised by the creation of new and innovative artefacts for solving general problems, and the evaluation of their benefits and drawbacks.
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Russell, Nicholas Charles. "Foundations of process-aware information systems." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2007. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16592/1/Nicholas_Charles_Russell_Thesis.pdf.
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Over the past decade, the ubiquity of business processes and their need for ongoing management in the same manner as other corporate assets has been recognized through the establishment of a dedicated research area: Business Process Management (or BPM). There are a wide range of potential software technologies on which a BPM o®ering can be founded. Although there is signi¯cant variation between these alternatives, they all share one common factor { their execution occurs on the basis of a business process model { and consequently, this ¯eld of technologies can be termed Process-Aware Information Systems (or PAIS). This thesis develops a conceptual foundation for PAIS based on the results of a detailed examination of contemporary o®erings including work°ow and case han- dling systems, business process modelling languages and web service composition languages. This foundation is based on 126 patterns that identify recurrent core constructs in the control-°ow, data and resource perspectives of PAIS. These patterns have been used to evaluate some of the leading systems and business process modelling languages. It also proposes a generic graphical language for de¯ning exception handling strategies that span these perspectives. On the basis of these insights, a comprehensive reference language { newYAWL { is developed for business process modelling and enactment. This language is formally de¯ned and an abstract syntax and operational semantics are provided for it. An assessment of its capabilities is provided through a comprehensive patterns-based analysis which allows direct comparison of its functionality with other PAIS. newYAWL serves as a reference language and many of the ideas embodied within it are also applicable to existing languages and systems. The ultimate goal of both the patterns and newYAWL is to improve the support and applicability of PAIS.