Business process nature assessment matrix – a novel approach to the assessment of business process nature

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to give an in-depth understanding of the nature of business processes (BPs) from the perspective of their dynamism and knowledge intensity that will allow for their correct classification and provide practical and useful implications for their more relevant and effective management. A simple and low labor-intensive BP nature assessment approach is proposed that will allow for objective assessment and internal benchmarking of all BPs in a specific context of execution based on their nature.Design/methodology/approachThe research is divided into two parts. The first comprises a systematic literature review (SLR) based on the resources of the ProQuest, Springer Nature and ScienceDirect full-text databases and the second includes illustrative case studies.FindingsBuilding on the SLR, the authors identified and reviewed 3,385 articles and defined a set of criteria by which the nature of BPs can be assessed. Further, the authors proposed a BP nature assessment matrix together with complementary questionnaires for the evaluation of process dynamism and knowledge intensity. To demonstrate the logic of this approach, two illustrative case studies were presented.Originality/valueThe article contributes to the theoretical reflection on the nature of BPs in the knowledge economy. From the practical point of view, a novel approach to the assessment of the nature of BPs is offered. The approach is open and as experience is accumulated it will develop according to the data and recommendations collected.