Workarounds as generative mechanisms for bottom-up process innovation—Insights from a multiple case study

2023 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Bartelheimer, Christian; Wolf, Verena; Beverungen, Daniel

Abstract: Workarounds are goal-driven deviations from the standard operating procedures pe ... Expand

Abstract: Workarounds are goal-driven deviations from the standard operating procedures performed to overcome obstacles constraining day-to-day work. Despite starting as temporary fixes, they can become established across an organisation and trigger the innovation of processes and IT artefacts that can resolve misfits permanently. Although prior research has elicited antecedents and types of workarounds, it is not known how workarounds diffuse in an organisation and, thereby, innovating co-workers' activities, IT artefacts, and organisational structures. The results of our multiple two-year case study provide unique empirical insights into the diffusion of workarounds and how they can act as generative mechanisms for bottom-up process innovation. Collapse

Topics: business process management innovation management business process innovation organization structure business process redesign

Methods: design artifact case study business process modeling qualitative interview qualitative coding

Theories: socio technical theory structuration theory

ICT as a collectively enacted artifact? A collective enactment perspective

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Huang, Chen-Hao; Chou, Tzu-Chuan

Abstract: As the organizational demand for ICT (Information Communication Technologies) un ... Expand

Abstract: As the organizational demand for ICT (Information Communication Technologies) undergoes rapid changes, organizations must integrate other enterprise systems into ICT to continually address their current challenges. However, few studies have considered the dynamic fabric of ICT, especially since its usage is evolving with the development of digital technology and the organization’s needs. Therefore, this study conducts a case study of a prominent Taiwanese petrochemical corporation, exploring its ICT practices to underscore the dynamic nature of ICT. Additionally, the study introduces a collective enactment model to investigate the development of evolving ICT practices within the organization. Prior literature on ICT development focuses on organizational applications and its novel technology feature. With the evolution of technology, traditional ICT alone is no longer sufficient to meet digital transformation requirements. In other words, organizations need to integrate other enterprise sys­ tems in ICT to continually address their current challenges effectively. To investigate the practices under such evolving ICT, this study suggests viewing ICT as a continuously evolving practice to cope with the rapidly changing organizational environment. From a managerial perspective, this study highlights the dynamic feature of ICT, especially the interaction between ICT and organization members. From a theoretical perspective, this study emphasizes the importance of collective action to ICT development so that enactment theory has been extended. Collapse

Topics: systems development social media Google+ information exchange user experience

Methods: case study qualitative interview business process modeling qualitative coding grounded theory

Theories: theory of affordance enactment theory action theory

EXPLORING BUSINESS PROCESS DESIGN ALTERNATIVES THROUGH A BUSINESS MODEL LENS

2023 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Lara Machado, Paola; Ven, Montijn van de; Aysolmaz, Banu; Athanasopoulou, Alexia; Turetken, Oktay

Abstract: Organizations acknowledge that focusing on operational efficiency is insufficie ... Expand

Abstract: Organizations acknowledge that focusing on operational efficiency is insufficient to respond to disruptive forces and advances in digital technologies. Hence, business process management (BPM) needs to become more innovation-driven and capitalize on opportunities related to new products, services, and business models. Despite recent contributions, more research is required to strengthen the BPM capabilities of organizations in this direction. Following the design science research paradigm and situational method engineering, we develop a method to explore process design alternatives to support the implementation of a business model during its innovation. In this research-in-progress paper, we present the initial version of our method. With this research, we aim to contribute to explorative BPM by demonstrating how processes can support organizations in proactively creating value by enabling business model innovation. Our work also contributes to business model research and practice by providing actionable guidelines to implement a business model through the design of processes. Collapse

Topics: business model business process management innovation management business process design business process redesign

Methods: design science literature study qualitative interview design process

An assisted approach to business process redesign

2022 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 9

Authors: Fehrer, Tobias; Fischer, Dominik A.; Leemans, Sander J.J.; Röglinger, Maximilian; Wynn, Moe T.

Abstract: For many organizations, the continuous optimization of their business processes ... Expand

Abstract: For many organizations, the continuous optimization of their business processes has become a critical success factor. Several related methods exist that enable the step-by-step redesign of business processes. However, these methods are mainly performed manually and require both creativity and business process expertise, which is often hard to combine in practice. To enhance the quality and effectiveness of business process redesign, this paper presents a conceptualization of assisted business process redesign (ABPR). The ABPR concept guides users in improving business processes based on redesign patterns. Depending on the data at hand, the ABPR concept classifies four types of recommendations that differ in their level of automation. Further, this paper proposes a reference architecture that provides operational support for implementing ABPR tools. The ra has been instan­ tiated as a prototype and evaluated regarding its applicability and usefulness in artificial and naturalistic settings by performing an extensive real-world case study at KUKA and interviewing experts from research and practice. Collapse

Topics: business process redesign business process improvement ease of use data integration innovation management

Methods: design artifact qualitative interview simulation case study modeling language

Towards a Business Process Complexity Analysis Framework Based on Textual Data and Event Logs

2022 | International Conference on Business Informatics | Citations: 0

Authors: Revina, Aleksandra; Aksu, Ünal

Abstract: Being an established discipline, Business Process Management (BPM) confronts var ... Expand

Abstract: Being an established discipline, Business Process Management (BPM) confronts various challenges related to digitization and rapid penetration of technologies into business processes (BPs). As a result, both generated and used data, such as textual data and event logs, grow exponentially, complicating the decision-making. Event logs are typically used to analyze BPs from several perspectives, including complexity. Recent approaches to BP complexity analyses focus on BP models and event logs, limiting the consideration of textual data. Hence, we propose a BP complexity analysis framework combining textual data and event logs. The framework has been conceptualized based on the IT Service Management (ITSM) case study of an international telecom provider and further developed in the IT department of an academic institution. The latter has also been used to investigate the value of the framework. Our preliminary findings show that the framework can enable comprehensive process redesign and improvements. Collapse

Topics: pandemic decision making electronic mail Python privacy

Methods: event log case study literature study correlation analysis natural language processing

Reversing a relationship spiral: From vicious to virtuous cycles in IT outsourcing

2021 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 11

Authors: Akkermans, Henk; Oppen, Willem van; Vos, Bart; Ou, Carol X. J.

Abstract: IT outsourcing (ITO) remains a popular business practice, but many buyers and su ... Expand

Abstract: IT outsourcing (ITO) remains a popular business practice, but many buyers and suppliers of IT services are caught in a vicious relationship spiral of low trust, bad collaboration and mediocre performance. This paper describes a novel process understanding of how vicious cycles work and suggests a new method for how they can be reversed into virtuous cycles. Based on the action research and complementary system dynamics simulation, this paper demonstrates how an ineffective ITO relationship between a European Harbour Authority and its main IT supplier ITCo was formed and, later, transformed. The method, involving collaborative redesign of service workflows, applied in this action research triggered the reversal of an otherwise downward relationship spiral. Both the empirical facts from the action research data and the system dynamics simulation data are provided as evidence. We conclude the paper with conceptual and methodological contributions as well as scope for future research. Collapse

Topics: interorganizational relationship outsourcing organizational productivity service quality customer satisfaction

Methods: simulation action research system dynamics qualitative interview case study

The effect of process tailoring on software project performance: The role of team absorptive capacity and its knowledge-based enablers

2021 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Lee, Jung-Chieh; Chou, I.-Chia; Chen, Chung-Yang

Abstract: Software process tailoring (SPT) is a team-based and learning-intensive activity ... Expand

Abstract: Software process tailoring (SPT) is a team-based and learning-intensive activity that addresses the particular dynamic characteristics of a development project. Because SPT critically influences how projects are conducted, its performance should be investigated. However, the extant literature lacks empirical evidence on how the underlying effects of SPT performance and its team-supportive factors operate and influence software project performance. From the knowledge perspective, this study adopts dynamic capabilities theory and considers the learning ability and absorptive capacity of software project teams to develop a theoretical model to address this gap. The results of an empirical examination of the model with 135 software project teams advance our understanding of how team-level learning antecedents—experience, communication quality and trust—dynamically facilitate teams' absorptive capacity (AC) when they conduct SPT, which in turn reinforces project performance. The mediating effects of the proposed model are unveiled and discussed, and theoretical implications as well as practical guidance for how AC and these factors promote SPT and project performance are suggested. Collapse

Topics: project productivity absorptive capacity systems development agile software development electronic mail

Methods: survey partial least squares regression statistical power analysis design methodology path analysis

Theories: dynamic capabilities theory

Opportunities and Challenges for Process Mining in Organizations: Results of a Delphi Study

2021 | Business & Information Systems Engineering | Citations: 15

Authors: Martin, Niels; Fischer, Dominik A.; Kerpedzhiev, Georgi D.; Goel, Kanika; Leemans, Sander J. J.; Röglinger, Maximilian; van der Aalst, Wil M. P.; Dumas, Marlon; La Rosa, Marcello; Wynn, Moe T.

Abstract: Process mining is an active research domain and has been applied to understand a ... Expand

Abstract: Process mining is an active research domain and has been applied to understand and improve business processes. While significant research has been conducted on the development and improvement of algorithms, evidence on the application of process mining in organizations has been far more limited. In particular, there is limited understanding of the opportunities and challenges of using process mining in organizations. Such an understanding has the potential to guide research by highlighting barriers for process mining adoption and, thus, can contribute to successful process mining initiatives in practice. In this respect, the paper provides a holistic view of opportunities and challenges for process mining in organizations identified in a Delphi study with 40 international experts from academia and industry. Besides proposing a set of 30 opportunities and 32 challenges, the paper conveys insights into the comparative relevance of individual items, as well as differences in the perceived relevance between academics and practitioners. Therefore, the study contributes to the future development of process mining, both as a research field and regarding its application in organizations. Collapse

Topics: brainstorming value creation business process redesign project management resistance to change

Methods: delphi study Fisher's exact test survey expert panel descriptive statistic

Architectural alignment of process innovation and digital infrastructure in a high-tech hospital

2020 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Bygstad, Bendik; Øvrelid, Egil

Abstract: Two central approaches to IT-enabled organisational change are process innovatio ... Expand

Abstract: Two central approaches to IT-enabled organisational change are process innovation and digital infrastructure research. In this study, we investigate the alignment between them, both from a theoretical and a practical perspective. They have quite different basic assumptions on evolution; process innovation is a top-down approach, while digital infrastructures evolve bottom-up and are partly outside direct managerial control. Our research question is, how can a process innovation initiative successfully align with an underlying digital infrastructure? Our empirical evidence is an in-depth case study at a new high-tech hospital in Norway. Building on a proposed framework of alignment between process innovation and digital infrastructure, we identify, analyse three architectural alignment mechanisms. We found that (i) the careful deployment of lightweight IT in onsite configuration, loosely coupled from the infrastructure activities, allows for fast process innovation while leveraging the slow and nonlinear evolution of infrastructure (ii) the interaction between lightweight IT and large clinical systems by a set of boundary resources resolves the tension between innovation and infrastructure. For practitioners, we show that lightweight IT can serve as a mediating technology in the configuration. Collapse

Topics: information technology infrastructure innovation management business process innovation Chief Information Officer organizational change

Methods: case study qualitative interview causality analysis qualitative content analysis theory development

The Convergence of Distributed Ledger Technology and Artificial Intelligence: An end-to-end Reference Lending Process for Financial Services

2020 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Dietzmann, Christian; Heines, Roger; Alt, Rainer

Abstract: Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) represent ... Expand

Abstract: Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) represent two potential disruptive technologies at the top of their hype cycle. Subsequently, questions arise what impact these technologies can have on future business models, especially for service-driven industries like the financial sector. While various assumptions in practice indicate a complementary usage of both DLT and AI to generate new value creation potentials, current literature and research remains scarce. To understand possible synergies for financial services, a segregated perspective on DLT or AI alone is not enough. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to gain first insights how specific elements of these technologies can be mutually implemented and combined for a potential technological convergence on basis of an end-to-end lending reference process. Building upon the existing body of knowledge and based on Design Science Research, an instantiation of the re-designed process has been created in three iterative cycles. The process prototype demonstrates that DLT and AI are complementary technologies and mostly do not compete against each other with a focus on subsequent synergies. Finally, a comparative overview of the impact on the respective sub-processes has been elaborated to conduct principles for the design and development of future distributed-ledger-based AI applications.Twenty-Eighth European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS2020) -A Virtual AIS Conference.Convergence of DLT and AI .2 While the idea of Artificial Intelligence (AI) already took shape at the Dartmouth Conference in 1955, Blockchain (BC) and its core concept of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) gained first attention more than half a century later in 2009 in form of the Bitcoin protocol (McCarthy et al., 1955;Nakamoto, 2008). Despite this disparity, both AI and DLT provide innovative capabilities for companies in various sectors (Zachariadis et al., 2019;Plastino and Purdy, 2018). In the service-oriented banking industry, various benchmark studies showed a growing adoption rate for these two disruptive technologies (Hileman and Rauchs, 2017;Chui et al, 2018). Where research within the BC domain shifted away from cryptocurrency-related topics, a growing interest for BC as an integrative infrastructure for new application areas can be highlighted (Rossi et al., 2019). Accordingly, scholars assume that highly integrative opportunities are achieved through the convergence of BC, the Internet of Things (IoT), and AI. On that basis, the technologies are catalysing the pace of innovation and enable new solutions in which intelligent processes govern process-related transactions (Hughes et al., 2019;Lampropoulos et al., 2019). Unlike IoT, AI constitutes a more paramount role in reshaping financial services. Machine Learning (ML) applications, e.g., are more than just a productivity enhancer and allow financial institutions to redefine the creation and provision of innovative products (Bahrammirzaee, 2010). Practitioners also believe that the joint usage of BC and AI will have significant business impacts (Panarello et al., 2018). Where DLT-based systems are evolving into an enabling technology for the tracking of ownership of documents, goods or assets, commoditized AI-based services experience high demand and bear tremendous economic potential (Culkin and Das, 2017;Furman and Seamans, 2019). However, there are no systematic and scientifically sound approaches to foster the common understanding for business leaders where DLT and AI might be used together to support current business processes and how their capabilities may support each other (Salah et al., 2019). Corea (2019) identified that AI is traditionally driven by centralized infrastructures in contrast to DLT's distributed characteristics. Dinh and Thai (2018) also foresee a promising future of smart, decentralized, and secure systems. Prominent cases range, for instance, from innovative data marketplaces to automated platforms for coordination and decision making (Lopes and Alexandre, 2018). Corresponding academic research remains scarce and the existing knowledge base is strongly limited to grey literature providing limited prescriptive knowledge (Corea, 2019). To address this research gap and gain insights on the potential of both DLT and AI, a process view on a real-world use case within the financial sector is chosen. Driven by substantial inefficiencies in operations, it is assumed that the lending process contains potentials for technology-enabled processes. The creditworthiness analysis e.g. often depends on a manual and time-intensive review process based on various data sources, where technical systems may enable new efficiencies and minimize errors (Zhao et al., 2016). The focus is on three AI-application types due to the versatile applicability of AI from customer front-to settlement back-end within the proposed case (Wang, 2008). By addressing how the convergence of DLT and AI impacts the end-to-end lending process, the paper aims to answer the following questions:• RQ1: What is the operational impact of both DLT and AI on to the lending process? • RQ2: Which preliminary principles apply for a process re-design with DLT and AI? The questions are addressed through an outcome-driven development of new knowledge conducted through an exploratory study on basis of Design Science Research (DSR) (Hevner et al., 2004). In reference to the DSR methodology by Peffers et al. (2007), a conceptual framework is developed to derive process attributes that imply relevant requirements for the usage of DLT and AI. Instantiated on basis of the proposed reference process, potential applicability is demonstrated and discussed. Before a presentation of the solution design takes place, the results are validated through five semi-structured expert interviews with IT experts from the financial industry which are part of a research consortium. The remainder of the paper is as follows: The next section deals with the research background by highlighting the important aspects of the DLT-AI convergence and its relevance for the financial service domain and the selected reference process. Section 3 elaborates the research design and lays a Collapse

Topics: artificial intelligence business process redesign business model

Methods: personal interview design artifact business process modeling chatbot qualitative interview