Towards a Fitting Representation Method for Redesign Evaluation and Cost-Based Optimization

Abstract

The prospect of continuously modifying and improving the various business operations played a central role in the evolution of the concept of business processes (BPs). As a consequence, Business Process Redesign (BPR) emerged as a vital practice in the Business Process Management (BPM) discipline and is embodied in most BPM lifecycle models. So far, only a few BPR initiatives investigate how the improvement process can be methodically supported and what is also overlooked is the a priori evaluation of BPR impact. In this paper the authors present the representation phase of the Business Process Redesign Capacity Assessment (BP-RCA) framework and how this phase is formulated for a cost-based optimization technique. In this context, the authors elaborate on a fitting representation method that combines the established Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN2.0) standard and an adapted graph-based structure, initially designed for agent concepts. The method incorporates: (a) the necessary elements for capturing the execution logic, (b) the information for measuring performance and (c) the model constraints that affect redesign. Through applying the representation method to BP models from literature, the authors intend to showcase its usability and the fact that it is amenable to cost-based optimization techniques. By applying the representation, a practitioner is assisted towards a more straightforward calculation of complexity metrics that indicate the applicability of BPR. In this sense, the application of the proposed method is a fundamental feature of the BP-RCA and is essential for redesign decision making at an earlier-than-runtime stage.