Architects are increasingly sought after for their abilities to be creative, knowledgeable, and strategic. Excessive concentration on "product" rather than "process" of architecture is challenging the architect's status as a professional. 20th century Information Technology has brought growing competition, shorter timeframes, and an increasingly knowledgeable client, which present challenges to the profession. Can IT be used effectively to manage all stakeholder relationships and how has it impacted the process of "service delivery"? An inability to effectively serve clients may result in potential loss of repeat business, paucity of new clients by referrals, and lack of projects, which directly impacts finances and an overall loss for the firm?s practice. The object of this thesis has been to study the effect of strategic IT deployment on client-architect relationship, in meeting client expectations and the identification of means by which architects can gain competitive advantage in today?s highly demanding market. IT and CRM are envisioned as enablers of a firm's sustainable competitive advantage.

Business process reengineering (BPR) was analyzed as one of the approaches to considerably improve the performance of the enterprise. The actuality of BPR in times of economic downturn was evaluated. The historic evolution of the concept was examined and findings about the economic nature of BPR emergence were made. The dependence of BPR actuality and simplicity of BPR usage on the level of enterprise business process maturity was shown. A conclusion about optimal point was made via depicting the interrelations graphically. Advantages of BPR usage for enterprises of different sizes were proved and specified. Benefits of BPR were compared with benefits of other related methods like ERP, JIT, TQM and Continuous Improvement. The future possible development of the BPR was analyzed. There offered possible further directions of research in the area of BPR based on current limitations of the concept. Results of the research may be used in companies of maturity level one to three, taking into account size of the company and current state of business process maturity.

“To develop a process-based management system at a textile company” is the title of this thesis.The thesis is a compulsory part of the master programme: Quality and environmental management at Högskolan i Borås, the master programme is worth 60 ECTS credits. It has been carried out as an interdisciplinary project between students of the School of Engineering as well as the Textile School in Borås.Almedahls is a textile company located in Kinna, Sweden. They are in a need of process-based management system for their four different strategic business areas and three companies.The purpose of the thesis is not only to develop a process-based management system for Almedahl-Kinna, which is one of the three companies, but also to create the new management system in order for it to work for all three parts of the company in the future.The theory used in this project focuses on the definition of business process mapping as well as its application in use. The theory also includes process-based management systems, business process management and measurements.The theory and interviews with the employees at Almedahl-Kinna can be considered as the foundation of the result of this thesis. Result of the thesis is a shared process-based management system for Almedahl-Kinna developed in a business process map.The result also consists of sub-processes linked to the core process of the BPM. The sub-process is based on the inputs and outputs found in the core process.A common vision between Almedahls and the study group was essential to achieve an acceptable result in the end, hence the project was driven by an initial BPM provided by Almedahls and in fact it became one of the main aims of this project: how to change the management’s point of view towards thinking in processes?Based on the nature of process-based management systems, the idea to choose this system was correctly selected for Almedahls to gather all four strategy business areas and three companies together.

A promoção do business process managment (BPM) tem o potencial de trazer diversos benefícios para organizações de diferentes tamanhos, setores de atuação, regiões geográficas ou níveis de maturidade em gerenciamento de processos. Um dos fatores críticos de sucesso para a promoção de BPM é o seu alinhamento com o planejamento estratégico da organização. Este trabalho procura explorar o potencial de facilitação da promoção de BPM em uma unidade de pesquisa clínica (UPC) por meio do alinhamento com o planejamento estratégico. A pergunta de pesquisa que se pretende responder é: quais são os benefícios de um diagnóstico e planejamento estratégico prévios à promoção de um programa de BPM em uma unidade de pesquisa clínica (UPC)? Assim, o objetivo é definir as etapas e auxiliar na condução de um planejamento estratégico em uma unidade de pesquisa clínica, identificando posteriormente os benefícios decorrentes desta prática para a promoção de um programa de BPM. O método utilizado no trabalho foi a pesquisa-ação. Concluiu-se que a análise e estruturação inicial do processo de planejamento estratégico foi adequado como preparação para um primeiro ciclo de promoção de BPM na organização focal. Com base nas lições aprendidas durante o desenvolvimento foi proposto um modelo de planejamento estratégico orientado à promoção de BPM. / Business process management (BPM) has the potential to enhance performance for organizations of different sizes, industries, geographical locations or maturity levels of process management. One critical success factor for the promotion of BPM is its alignment with strategic planning. This research aims to explore the potential benefits of aligning the strategic planning process with a BPM program. Thus, the research question is defined as: what are the benefits of executing a diagnosis and strategic planning before a BPM program in a clinical research center (CRC)? The objective of the research is to define and execute steps of a strategic planning process in a clinical research center, identifying the benefits of these activities for a subsequent BPM program. Action-research was the method applied. The main findings were that the initial diagnosis of the organization in focus\' management practices and structuring of the strategic planning process ware adequate to prepare for the first cycle of a BPM program. Based on lessons learned along the research, a model was proposed for the strategic planning process oriented towards the promotion of BPM.

Em ambientes de negócios, a busca incessante pela competitividade tem demandado uma maior capacidade de lidar com as mudanças. Com o objetivo de atender à esta dinâmica, as empresas buscam soluções de integração dos seus processos com uso intensivo de tecnologia da informação, de modo a prover maior flexibilidade e agilidade nas suas operações. O termo Solução de Business Process Management, ou abreviadamente BPMS (Business Process Management System), diz respeito à plataforma tecnológica para a realização das iniciativas de integração e gestão dos processos de negócio neste contexto. Identifica-se como relevante a discussão sobre os requisitos organizacionais necessários para o uso de tais instrumentos e, especialmente, quanto à adequação das soluções de BPM existentes no mercado sob a ótica da estratégia de operações pela diversidade de alternativas existentes. Assim, esta pesquisa amplia os estudos relacionados com Gestão de Operações no que tange aos aspectos de avaliação de soluções de BPM na ótica do gestor de negócios. Foi desenvolvido um modelo de avaliação com o uso da técnica AHP (Analytic Hyerarchy Process), que permitiu identificar e relacionar as características funcionais de uma solução BPM com os objetivos de desempenho na visão do gestor do negócio. Tal modelo consubstancia-se em um questionário e uma matriz de priorização dos objetivos de desempenho, possibilitando a obtenção de uma nota de perfil competitivo para cada solução de BPM avaliada. Para a validação do modelo foram utilizados o método Delphi na definição do questionário e o método do estudo de caso na verificação da sua aplicabilidade. O modelo proposto mostrou-se adequado para o entendimento das soluções apresentadas e as diferenças entre as mesmas em termos de capacidades e vocações dentro da perspectiva do gestor do negócio. Além disso, o resultado do estudo de caso pemitiu a classificação das alternativas e a delimitação do universo a ser considerado à priori, o que contribui para uma seleção na visão do gestor do negócio e diminui a percepção de risco do investimento a ser feito. / In business-oriented environments, the incessant search for competitiveness has demanded a higher ability to deal with changes. In order to follow such dynamics, companies have been searching for solutions of integration of its processes with intensive use of information technology, in a way of providing better flexibility and speed to its operations. The term Business Process Management Solution, or Business Process Management System (BPMS) provides a technological platform for realizing such initiatives. It seems relevant a discussion about organizational requirements needed to apply such tools and, specially, on BPM solutions adequacy under operations strategy point-of-view. A model for evaluation based on the use of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) was developed to identify the functional characteristics of a BPM solution and link to the performance objectives from the business manager point-of-view. Such model is composed of a questionnaire and a matrix of prioritization of the targeted performance objectives, making possible the attainment of one competitive profile grade for each evaluated solution. The model has been validated with the Delphi method for the questionnaire definition and the method of case study for its applicability. Its application proved to be adequate to better understand the presented solutions and the differences among them in terms of capacity and strengths from the manager view, and, it allows a logical selection delimiting the universe to be evaluated what might diminish the perception of risk of the investment to be made.

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.

Die Gestaltung betrieblicher Prozesse stellt heute einen wichtigen Wettbewerbsfaktor dar. Um am Markt erfolgreich agieren zu können, ist es notwendig, die eigenen Prozesse konsequent an den Bedürfnissen der Kunden auszurichten. Methoden der Prozessverbesserung beschreiben, welche Schritte hierfür durchzuführen sind. Modelle stellen dabei ein wesentliches Werkzeug für die Visualisierung der betrieblichen Abläufe dar. Gleichwohl wird in bestehenden Methoden der Prozessverbesserung nur unzureichend auf die systematische Nutzung und Wiederverwendung von Modellen eingegangen. Dadurch klafft eine Lücke zwischen erwartetem und tatsächlichem Nutzen des Modelleinsatzes im Rahmen der Prozessverbesserung. So wird insbesondere die methodische Nutzung und Auswertung von Modellen bisher entweder gar nicht oder lediglich isoliert von der Prozessverbesserung betrachtet. Damit existiert zwar eine Vielzahl an methodischen Puzzleteilen, eine durchgängige Unterstützung der Modellerstellung und -nutzung im Rahmen der Prozessverbesserung kann jedoch nicht erkannt werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt sich diesem methodischen Defizit und beschreibt Schritt für Schritt, wie die Verwendung von Modellen im Rahmen der Prozessverbesserung systematisiert werden kann. Damit soll die Nutzung von Modellen im betrieblichen Alltag forciert und der Aufwand für die Modellierung langfristig reduziert werden.

Nearly 70% of process improvement projects are failing to provide the expected benefits (Grant 2002). The cost of process improvement projects can be quite substantial and the number of these projects occurring within organisations continues to increase. John Thorp (1998) describes an environment in which managers are struggling to demonstrate the connection between costs and expected business benefits. This eighteen month master's research project has identified a gap in both the academic literature and the business practices of most organisations. This thesis aims to make explicit the selection of processes to improve and to provide the link between process objectives and organisational goals (Davenport 1993; Hammer and Champy 1993). Published literature, coupled with the experience of the research team, has resulted in the development of a targeting methodology for defining and ranking critical processes, and then selecting which of those critical processes to improve first. Although the research team believes that the methodology is applicable to many industries, the research was undertaken in the application hosting centre (AHC) and application service provision (ASP) industry. A focus group and follow on Delphi study was used to ensure that the processes and functional area focused upon was of importance to the participants of the research. This research project was funded by the Australian Research Council's Linkage projects and undertaken with support by REALTECH. The participants included the top three information systems outsourcing companies in Australia and another in the top ten of this industry. The study commenced with identifying critical processes in the ASP environment. This involved both a focus group session and a Delphi study. The Delphi study was followed by four action learning cycles using case studies (action, observe, reflect and revise). These action learning cycles using case studies have revealed that the methodology (which includes the steps to implement the methodology) meets the needs of organisations to identify and select 'critical' processes for improvement. It provides business and researchers with a logical and explicit method to reduce the 'squeaky wheel' and 'latest fad' approaches to process improvement projects. These prior approaches improve processes not necessarily critical for achieving organisational goals consuming limited resources for little gain. The targeting method makes the alignment of process objectives with goals by explicitly linking processes to organisational goals possible. The limitations of this research project are that it does not intend to verify the achievement of business benefit, document the change to an organisation due to its use of the targeting methodology or determine the long term benefits to an organisation using the targeting methodology. These questions might be answered in a longer and larger study as this project is limited to an eighteen month time frame. As for generalisability, the study has focused on the AHC and ASP industries, and the participants, while operating within this industry, are quite different. For the different phases of this project the participants come from in-house providers, multinational outsourcing providers, commercialised government providers, specialist niche product providers, and enterprise system suppliers.

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.

Ces dernières années, les progrès en sciences de la gestion et de l’information ont transformé la Gestion de Processus d’Affaires (Business Process Management, BPM) en un sujet important, tant du côté de l’industrie que de celui de la recherche. Le BPM utilise des processus métiers pour améliorer la performance opérationnelle des organisations. Les processus métiers établissent un lien entre les personnes, les systèmes, et les différentes organisations, dans le but de créer de la valeur pour les parties prenantes. La cible de notre travail est la famille des systèmes BPM. Un système BPM est un système logiciel générique guidé par des modèles explicites de processus métier avec pour objectif d’exécuter et de gérer des processus opérationnels. Malgré le vaste éventail de sujets traités par ce domaine de recherche, il reste encore quelques questions qui méritent une étude plus approfondie. Un problème particulier concerne la médiation entre les systèmes BPM et les humains. L’interaction homme-machine dans ces systèmes repose sur des interfaces standard basées sur des listes de taches et des formulaires, ce qui est très contraignant pour les utilisateurs.Ceux-ci ont non seulement des difficultés à exécuter leurs processus métier, mais aussi a trouver le processus métier le mieux adapté à leurs besoins. Il serait beaucoup plus efficace d’utiliser des dialogues en langage naturel. Malheureusement les langages de modélisation de processus ne permettent pas de capturer ni de modéliser un domaine de discours. Le travail présent propose une approche originale de gestion du dialogue basée sur des systèmes multi-agents pour l’exécution des processus métier. La motivation globale pour ce travail fut de concevoir un modèle de dialogue extensible à différents domaines. Ce modèle s’appuie sur les ontologies de domaine, nécessitant un minimum d’effort d’adaptation pour améliorer l’interaction. Les résultats montrent tout le potentiel de notre approche multi-agent pour réaliser une médiation automatiquement, sans qu’il soit nécessaire de reconstruire les modèles de processus métier. / Over the last few years, the advances in management science and information technology have transformed the business process management (BPM) discipline into an important topic for both industry and academy. BPM uses business processes as the means for improving the operational performance of organizations, and setting processes are at the heart of BPM allows linking together people, systems, and different organizations to deliver value to stakeholders. The target of our work is the family of BPM systems. A BPM system is a generic software system that is driven by explicit process designs to enact and manage operational business processes. Despite the wide range of topics addressed by the academy on business processes, there are still aspects not addressed by prior research. A particular problem in this regard is the mediation between BPM systems and humans. Human interaction in those systems follows a standard user interface based predominantly on work item lists and forms. Thus, there is little room for creativity for users. They have not only difficulties in enacting their processes but also for searching the most suitable one for their needs. It would be more efficient to let humans interact in natural language. However, process modeling languages are an insufficient means of capturing and representing the domain of discourse. The present thesis develops an original approach to agent dialog management for the problem of business process enactment. The overarching motivation for this work was to design a dialog model scalable to different domains. The model relies on domain and business process ontologies, and necessitates a minimum effort of adaptation on ontologies to improve the interaction. Results indicate the potential of our agent-based approach to generate natural language.