Do organisations have a mission for mapping processes?

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: to identify and explore the reasons why organisations decide to use process mapping software (PMS) facilities in support of business process management (BPM); and to determine the objectives set by senior management for its introduction, and understand extent to which organisations achieve expected benefits. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses an exploratory research design and investigates the elements of organisations’ objectives, implementation and evaluation of using PMS. The research data were collected through semi-structured interviews with business managers responsible for the implementation of PMS. The respondent organisations were selected from a range of industries who were using the same software. Findings The results of the research show that organisations do set objectives for using PMS, relevant to a wide range of business, operational and strategic objectives, dependant on the needs of the organisation. Additionally, the results show that some gain further advantages post-implementation, based on their PMS experience. Regarding explicit evaluation of their investment, organisations attempt this to a very limited extent; whilst recognising a broad a range of “softer” benefits. Research limitations/implications This exploratory research has been conducted on a small range of organisations, all using the same software, therefore the results cannot be clearly generalizable. The research suggests organisations are making effective decisions regarding adopting PMS, further research on the evaluating its benefits could support better decision-making in the future. Practical implications The practical implications of this research are for decision-makers in organisations recognising and understanding the strategic/operational benefits that could be achieved by implementing a software system for BPM. Originality/value Whilst the use of process mapping of organisation’s operations is widespread the benefits achieved by organisations are only partially understood. Knowledge of the strategic impact of BPM is limited, as reported by numerous researchers. This research attempts to explore the context of organisations using such software, and point towards further approaches to its investigation.