The Effect of Risk Representation Using Colors and Symbols in Business Process Models on Operational Risk Management Performance

2021 | Journal of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 3

Authors: Kummer, Tyge-F.; Mendling, Jan

Abstract: The operational management of risk and internal controls (RIC) makes increasing ... Expand

Abstract: The operational management of risk and internal controls (RIC) makes increasing use of visual representations to support tasks such as risk assessment and control activity definition. The strengths and weaknesses of different representations are typically assessed by cognitive theories that assume an analytical and an intuitive mode of information processing. Previous research has focused mainly on the analytical risk assessment while intuitive information processing has largely been neglected. We develop a theoretical argument based on dual-process theory, which explains why RIC representational alternatives influence different levels of information processing. We test our hypotheses with the help of an online experiment using accountants and operation managers recruited via MTurk (N = 166). Our results suggest that highlighting risk and controls in business process modeling and notation (BPMN) by using color improves risk understanding, control understanding, and the identification of control improvements, which help reduce the risk in a given process. Furthermore, we do not find evidence that the inclusion of color leads to perception biases. This has implications for information systems research, which has primarily addressed the analytical processing of conceptual models. Our findings extend cognitive research on such models by adding an intuitive processing path that can improve the user's risk management performance. For practitioners, our findings are particularly relevant because colors can be easily added as a secondary notation element without disguising the factual risk situation in processes. 684Note: Again, participants completed three true-false questions. These focused on the general process and were not related to specific risk and internal control aspects. This gave the participants time to familiarize themselves with the process. The timer began once the participant had answered the three questions.The process model depicts an insurance claim process. Please read the process model carefully and answer the following questions:Each claim is registered. (Yes/No) P.2 At the end of the process, the claim is archived. (Yes/No) P.3 A claim can be rejected at multiple stages in the process. (Yes/No) Part 2.2In the following, you will be given questions related to the depicted business process. Please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge within the given time limit (5 minutes). CPI: Cost Per Incident, TED: Total Expected DamageNote: The following five questions were used to determine risk understanding.R.1 How many risks are described in the process? ____________ R.2 The risk of fraud in relation to overcharging within the process is ____%.R.3 The risk of missing documents can cause a total damage of $______.R.4 What is the highest total expected damage in the process? $___________ R.5 What is the cost per incident incurred when an assessment error is made? $____________ Note:The following five questions were used to determine control understanding.C.1 How many controls are described in the process? ____________ C.2 The controls for missing documents cost $___ per claim.C.3 The risk of assessment errors can be reduced by ________% through a second assessment.C.4 The internal controls reduce the anticipated cost of assessment errors by $________.C.5 What is the remaining total expected damage when the control to double-check the obtained documentation is in place? $________. Note:The following question was used to determine control improvement. The timer was reset and counted down 180 seconds (3 min). Journal of the Association for Information Systems 689Note: Again, participants completed three true-false questions. These focused on the general process and were not related to specific risk and internal control aspects. This gave the participants time to familiarize themselves with the process. The timer began once the participant had answered the three questions.The process model depicts a goods receipt process. Please read the process model carefully and answer the following questions:The process can only end by placing goods in stock. (Yes/No) P.2 Goods are received by trucks. (Yes/No) P.3 The booking clerk is contacted when the delivery does not match a purchase order. (Yes/No) Part 2.3In the following, you will be given questions related to the depicted business process. Please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge within the given time limit (5 minutes). CPI: Cost Per Incident, TED: Total Expected DamageNote: The following five questions were used to determine risk understanding R.1 How many risks are described in the process? ____________ R.2 The risk that the booking clerk makes a wrong acceptance decision is ____%.R.3 The risk to accept goods with poor quality causes damage of $______ per incident.R.4 What is the highest total expected damage in the process? $___________ R.5 Errors in the vendor selection cause a total damage of $___________. Note:The following five questions were used to determine control understanding C.1 How many controls are described in the process?_____________ C.2 The controls to validate the vendor selection cost $___ per order.C.3 The risk to accept goods with poor quality can be reduced by ____% by inspections.C.4 The internal controls reduce the anticipated cost for making a wrong decision upon acceptance by $________.C.5 The remaining risk that a cheaper vendor exists despite the validation of the vendor selection causes the total damage of $__________. Note:The following question was used to determine control improvement. The timer was reset and counted down 180 seconds (3 min). Collapse

Topics: risk management accounting business process management decision making electronic commerce

Methods: business process modeling experiment modeling language business process model and notation hierarchical linear modeling

Theories: dual-system theory cognitive theory

USER EVALUATION OF SYMBOLS FOR CORE BUSINESS PROCESS MODELING CONCEPTS

2017 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Kathrin, Figl

Abstract: Process modeling notations are visual languages that use symbols to represent th ... Expand

Abstract: Process modeling notations are visual languages that use symbols to represent their main concepts. This study investigates the quality of such symbols from users’ perspective. The design of a symbol influences whether it is easy to spot in a model and is correctly associated with the concept it represents. In an empirical study with 188 participants, the normative ratings of process model symbols (for the basic concepts of start, end, task, AND, XOR) were gathered on the dimensions of perceptual popout, semantic transparency, perceptual discriminability, and aesthetics. Overall, the results are consistent with our predictions based on the theoretical analyses of the designs of the symbols. Prior familiarity with process modeling notations led to more clear-cut evaluations of routing symbols (AND, XOR) and a reduced tendency to prefer middle rating options, but it did not affect the evaluations of the other symbols. Standardization organizations and academic developers of notations can use insights from the study to enhance the usability of process modeling notations. Collapse

Topics: electronic mail

Methods: business process modeling modeling language business process model and notation design science unified modeling language

Theories: semiotic theory

Process innovation as creative problem solving: An experimental study of textual descriptions and diagrams

2016 | Information & Management | Citations: 20

Authors: Figl, Kathrin; Recker, Jan

Abstract: The use of process models to support business analysts’ idea-generation tasks ha ... Expand

Abstract: The use of process models to support business analysts’ idea-generation tasks has been a long-standing topic of interest in process improvement. We examine how two types of representations of organizational processes – textual and diagrammatic – assist analysts in developing innovative solutions to process-redesign tasks. The results of our study clarify the types of process-redesign ideas generated by analysts who work with text versus those who work with models. We find that the volume and originality of process-redesign ideas do not differ significantly but that appropriateness of ideas varies. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice in process improvement. Collapse

Topics: business process redesign business process management problem solving innovation management business process innovation

Methods: business process modeling experiment longitudinal research experimental group descriptive statistic

Theories: creativity theory representation theory

The Role of Application Domain Knowledge in Using OWL DL Diagrams: A Study of Inference and Problem-Solving Tasks

2016 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Leukel, Joerg; Sugumaran, Vijayan; Hubl, Marvin

Abstract: Diagrammatic conceptual schemas are an important part of information systems ana ... Expand

Abstract: Diagrammatic conceptual schemas are an important part of information systems analysis and design. For effectively communicating domain semantics, modeling grammars have been proposed to create highly expressive conceptual schemas. One such grammar is the Web Ontology Language (OWL), which relies upon description logics (DL) as a knowledge representation mechanism. While an OWL DL diagram can be useful for representing domain semantics in great detail, the formal semantics of OWL DL places a burden on diagram users. This research investigates how user’s prior knowledge of the application domain impacts solving inference tasks as well as schemabased problem-solving tasks using OWL DL diagrams. Our empirical validation shows that application domain knowledge has no effect on inference performance but enhances schema-based problem-solving performance. We contribute to the conceptual modeling literature by studying task performance for a highly expressive modeling grammar and introducing inference tasks as a new task type. Collapse

Topics: problem solving task productivity project management knowledge representation website

Methods: experiment statistical hypothesis test conceptual modelling statistical power analysis longitudinal research

Theories: cognitive fit theory

A study on the effects of routing symbol design on process model comprehension

2013 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 24

Authors: Figl, Kathrin; Recker, Jan; Mendling, Jan

Abstract: Process modeling grammars are used to create models of business processes. In th ... Expand

Abstract: Process modeling grammars are used to create models of business processes. In this paper, we discuss how different routing symbol designs affect an individual's ability to comprehend process models. We conduct an experiment with 154 students to ascertain which visual design principles influence process model comprehension. Our findings suggest that design principles related to perceptual discriminability and pop out improve comprehension accuracy. Furthermore, semantic transparency and aesthetic design of symbols lower the perceived difficulty of comprehension. Our results inform important principles about notational design of process modeling grammars and the effective use of process modeling in practice. Collapse

Topics: systems development problem solving task productivity electronic mail

Methods: business process modeling survey design science experiment regression analysis method

Theories: cognitive load theory motivation theory

Empirical investigation of the usefulness of Gateway constructs in process models

2013 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 33

Authors: Recker, Jan

Abstract: Process modeling grammars are used to create scripts of a business domain that a ... Expand

Abstract: Process modeling grammars are used to create scripts of a business domain that a process-aware information system is intended to support. A key grammatical construct of such grammars is known as a Gateway. A Gateway construct is used to describe scenarios in which the workflow of a process diverges or converges according to relevant conditions. Gateway constructs have been subjected to much academic discussion about their meaning, role and usefulness, and have been linked to both process-modeling errors and process-model understandability. This paper examines perceptual discriminability effects of Gateway constructs on an individual's abilities to interpret process models. We compare two ways of expressing two convergence and divergence patterns – Parallel Split and Simple Merge – implemented in a process modeling grammar. On the basis of an experiment with 98 students, we provide empirical evidence that Gateway constructs aid the interpretation of process models due to a perceptual discriminability effect, especially when models are complex. We discuss the emerging implications for research and practice, in terms of revisions to grammar specifications, guideline development and design choices in process modeling. Collapse

Topics: task productivity project management systems analysis business process management

Methods: business process modeling experiment business process model and notation modeling language Student's t-test

Syntax highlighting in business process models

2011 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 46

Authors: Reijers, H. A.; Freytag, Thomas; Mendling, Jan; Eckleder, Andreas

Abstract: Sense-making of process models is an important task in various phases of busines ... Expand

Abstract: Sense-making of process models is an important task in various phases of business process management initiatives. Despite this, there is currently hardly any support in business process modeling tools to adequately support model comprehension. In this paper we adapt the concept of syntax highlighting to workflow nets, a modeling technique that is frequently used for business process modeling. Our contribution is three-fold. First, we establish a theoretical argument to what extent highlighting could improve comprehension. Second, we formalize a concept for syntax highlighting in workflow nets and present a prototypical implementation with the WoPeD modeling tool. Third, we report on the results of an experiment that tests the hypothetical benefits of highlighting for comprehension. Our work can easily be transferred to other process modeling tools and other process modeling techniques. Collapse

Topics: JavaScript PHP systems development sensemaking business process management

Methods: experiment business process modeling computational algorithm modeling language Petri net

Empirical comparison of methods for information systems development according to SOA

2008 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Offermann, Philipp

Abstract: While service-oriented architecture (SOA) as an architectural principle for info ... Expand

Abstract: While service-oriented architecture (SOA) as an architectural principle for information systems is gaining momentum in research and industry, the field of methods for designing information systems according to SOA is still poorly developed. However, the implementation of SOA design principles, e.g. service reusability, business alignment and autonomy, demands a methodical approach. In order to overcome the shortcomings of current methods, we have developed the SOA method (SOAM). The method is based on existing methods for SOA. Activities are specified along with roles, techniques, modelling notations and a meta-model. A tool supports all necessary modelling notations as well as the generation of XSD, WSDL and WS-BPEL from the models. The newly developed method has been compared to other methods using a laboratory experiment with students. Different methods have been used on different company scenarios; the results have been recorded using a questionnaire. Results show that according to the evaluated criteria, SOAM together with IBM’s method gets the best scores. With respect to the alignment of the software architecture with business processes, one of the primary goals of SOA, SOAM received a better rating than IBM’s method. Collapse

Topics: usability usage intention business process management enterprise architecture systems design

Methods: survey laboratory experiment Student's t-test factor analysis data transformation