revealing the gaps a study of business process modelling language utilisation in south african...

Revealing the Gaps:

BPML utilisationin South Africa

John Hill, Lisa F Seymour,Lunga Silandela

Information SystemsUniversity of Cape Town

http://www.commerce.uct.ac.za/Organisations/CITANDA

Revealing the Gaps: BPML utilisation in South Africa

• BPMLs

• Modelling Tools

• BPML Limitations

• Purpose

• Limitations & Findings

• Conclusion

• Moving Forward

Action

<No op...

Final stateFinal stateFinal state

TransitionTransition




Modelling & BPMLs

• This ability to model business processes formally is a fundamental part of BPM (business process management)

• Many business process modelling languages (BPMLs) and models have been developed such as UML AD, Flow Charting, EPC, Petri Nets, BPMN etc.

• Yet BPML's differ in that they describe or highlight perspectives differently or to a different degree [4].

Action

<No op...






Modelling Tools• A wide range of free/inexpensive tools are available (Aris Express,

Visio, Oryx, etc.) [15] but often lack the support and functionality required for in depth, enterprise wide deployment [16]

Recker [12]

Action

<No op...






Many Tools many BPMLs

• Many tools support multiple BPMLs.

Action

<No op...






Action

<No op...






BPML Limitations

• All BPMLs have a shortcoming in that they describe different aspects of business to different extents

• Choosing a BPML that can describe the elements (business perspectives) that are important to the organisation and purpose is vital.

Action

<No op...






Purpose: “Reveal the Gaps”

Usage gap: The gap between the elements that can be modelled by an organisation’s chosen BPML and the elements that are actually modelled by individuals within that organisation.

Expectation gap: The gap between the elements that an organisation expects its BPML to model and the elements which the BPML can actually model.

Needs gap: The number of elements that can’t be modelledby an organisation’s chosen BPML but are wanted to be modeled

Web Survey

• Modelling purpose

• Analyse & Improve 11

• Communicate 11

• Enactment 2

• 15 Respondents (60% SMEs)

BPML

UML AD

BPMN

RAD

IDEF3

EPC

“Since these types of tools are very expensive, not all employees have access to it and VISIO is most often used as the tool to model business processes.” (Large Corporation Using UML)

Action

<No op...






Limitations

• Small Sample

• Language constraints vs tool constraints

• We did not update the List-Korherr evaluation framework. • Since their framework was published BPMN 2.0 was released

with substantial changes.

• UML AD has not undergone substantial recent revisions since v2 was released in 2005.

Action

<No op...






A Usage Gap exists

• The different BPMLs can model between 14 and 32 relevant constructs (elements).

• Yet, on average the usage percentage of the sample was 49%.

• This suggests that almost half the elements that organisations’BPMLs can model aren’t being utilised.

• Supports literature [16]

Action

<No op...






An Expectation Gap exists• We found a lack of understanding with regard to what elements

BPMLs can actually model.

• The potential implication of this lack of understanding is the implementation of the wrong or unsuitable BPML within an organisation.

• zur Muehlen & Recker [16] suggest that a lack of training in BPML tool utilisation is to blame for this “expectation gap”

Action

<No op...






A Needs Gap exists• Organisations still require the ability to model more elements

than what their BPMLs can model.

• This could be either :

• a general inability of BPMLs to model certain elements,

• the implementation of unsuitable BPMLs

• or a lack of understanding regarding what elements a given BPML can model

• It has been suggested that a post BPML implementation “needs gap” arises from a misunderstanding of the non-functional requirements of a BPML [23].

Action

<No op...






SMEs vs Large organisations

• SMEs utilise BPMLs in the same (or similar) way that larger organisations utilise BPMLs

• No association between company size and:

• Unused elements

• Incorrect expectations

• Needs

Action

<No op...






Conclusion

• Brings into question the general suitability of the use of BPMLs in particular, UML AD being employed in South African organisations to model processes

• South African organisations currently fail to utiliseBusiness Process Modelling Languages effectively.

• A combination of lack of understanding and shortcomings of BPMLs appear to drive this ineffectiveness.

Action

<No op...






Moving Forward• This evaluation framework for examination of BPML

utilisation within organisations has the potential to be scaled up once updated.

• Why do the gaps exist?

• Are the gaps as a result of misrepresentation by vendors of a BPML’s modelling capability?

• Are the gaps as a result of poor/incomplete understanding by the organisations implementing a BPML?

• Organisations need to realise the full potential of effective BPML utilisation

Action

<No op...






Thank you !

Discussion