The aim of this study was to assess the impact that Business Process Excellence
has on the innovation process to create new products and services in the software
development environment. The best practices were identified in the current use of
BPE in software development organisations. Subsequently, a proposal was put
forward to enhance the use of BPE in the software development process to create
innovative products and services. Once these products are implemented the
organisation can use these products as a sustainable competitive advantage. The
use of Business Process Excellence in software development creates an innovative
environment for employees in order to develop innovative products that can create
shareholder wealth, and increase market share. Companies want to create products
that are unique to the market, and be able to offer their customers products that only
they can offer in order to secure future business.
Innovation is a key factor to enhance processes within the software development
company. Enhancing the processes can generate new ideas that contribute to the
sustainable competitive advantage of the company. The literature does not create a
definite link between the use of Business Process Excellence and innovation, and
the study aimed at evaluating the possibility to merge the concepts.
Business Process Excellence optimises a currently implemented process, by
exploring all ideas to increase the effectiveness of the system. It is a structured way
to ensure that all possibilities are explored before a decision is made on how the
process is structured to implement new products or services.
The software development industry is a very competitive industry, and most
companies do not share their competitive strategy, or make it available to the public,
to ensure that they would be offering their customer something unique. These
companies would only make their strategy known to the market once the new
product or service is launched, and the trend is set for other companies to follow. It
also creates the opportunity for companies to become the market leader within the
industry, to ensure growth, and increase profits.
Some key aspects were identified that companies could focus on to encourage an
innovative environment. Most employees are willing to accept responsibility for the
v
innovative ideas, since this will benefit the company. Managers should take
responsibility for their actions within the software development department, and
reward employees that assist in reaching the goals set in company strategy.
The software development process should always include a step for quality and
reliability. This step is needed, since even the most innovative product needs to be
stable and reliable, otherwise the product will not be used by customers if they are
frustrated. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/7599 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Hattingh, Rayno Jacob. |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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