The Main Concepts Behind the Dematerialization of Business Processes

Abstract

This chapter aims to introduce the main concepts behind the dematerialization of business processes, which is relatively new in the academic literature, although there are already empirical evidences of the benefits arising from its implementation, especially in the public sector. The dematerialization of business processes results from the intersection of three other knowledge domains—electronic document management, workflow management, and reengineering of business processes—whose interconnections will be explored in the chapter. It also emphasizes the role of information and communication technologies as an important tool for any organization that intends to improve its performance through the better management of its information workflows. It presents a comparative analysis performed for some tools available in the market (propriety and open-source solutions) in order to help organizations to understand the benefits and commitments arising from the modernization of processes. Finally, the chapter identifies some opportunities for the conduction of future research.