A framework for the improvement of knowledge-intensive business processes

2006-2007 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalAccepted ManuscriptPublishe

A Framework for knowledge-based diagnosis and improvement planning of business processes.

The aim of this project is the design and evaluation of a framework for knowledge based diagnosis and improvement planning of business processes. The outcome is a soundly based framework that can provide additional leverage within organisations. The study starts from identification of a research gap concerning the methods and concepts available for incorporating knowledge processes and newer knowledge management perspectives into business process improvement initiatives. The methodology adopted for the evaluation of the framework is an action research approach using a case study method, within an extended form of design-based research for a single case, with added validation phases for increased prospective transferability of results. This leads to a staged approach where, firstly, a tentative initial framework is produced from extant literature; secondly, that initial form is exposed to a critique producing an intermediate version; thirdly, the intermediate framework is implemented in the case study company and further developed, based on the feedback, to give a concluding version. Finally, the concluding framework is validated by a panel of experts. Additionally, by reflecting on experience from the case with other data collected in the study, recommended guidelines for implementation are assembled. The principle contribution to theory is the bridging of the research gap identified by introducing a new framework that advances the understanding of the link between knowledge management and business process improvement. The study also contributes an extended design-based research methodology by incorporating the single case and validation phases. The contribution to practice is an implementable and effective framework which will help guide knowledge management support in knowledge-intensive organisations. Potential further research directions are suggested

Еволюційний підхід до управління життєвим циклом знання-ємних бізнес-процесів

The article proposes an approach to lifecycle management of knowledge-intensive business processes, combining cascade and evolutionary strategy for building business processes with the level of maturity of these processes. This approach is based on the principles of evolutionary life cycle management of knowledge-intensive business processes. The principle of evolutionary life cycle management of knowledge-intensive business processes is a combination of focused improvement of the process by supplementing his knowledge in the performance context-oriented rules and restrictions startup sequence actions resulting from externalization personal knowledge and experience that have been used performers at process management and reengineering of the process in case of failure to reach at advanced process defined performance indicators. This makes it possible to form a methodological framework for automating continuous improvement of knowledge-intensive business processes by including externalized model of knowledge performers and redesign of processes in a fundamental change priori defined requirements.В статье предложен подход к управлению жизненным циклом знание-емких бизнес-процессов, сочетающий каскадную и эволюционную стратегии с учетом уровня зрелости таких процессов. Данный подход базируется на разработанном принципе эволюционного управления жизненным циклом знания-емких бизнес-процессов. Принцип эволюционного управления жизненным циклом знания-емких бизнес-процессов заключается в сочетании целенаправленного совершенствования такого процесса путем дополнения его уровня знаний при выполнении контекстно-ориентированными правилами и ограничениями запуска последовательностей действий, которые были получены в результате экстернализации персональных знаний и опыта, использованных исполнителями при управлении процессом, а также реинжиниринга в случае не достижения заданных показателей эффективности. Это дает возможность сформировать методологические основы для автоматизации непрерывного улучшения знания-емких бизнес-процессов путем включения в модели екстернализованих знаний исполнителей, а также перепроектирования этих процессов в условиях кардинального изменения априорно определенных требований.У статті запропоновано підхід до управління життєвим циклом знання-ємних бізнес-процесів, що поєднує каскадну та еволюційну стратегії з урахуванням рівня зрілості таких процесів. Даний підхід базується на розробленому принципі еволюційного управління життєвим циклом знання-ємних бізнес-процесів. Принцип еволюційного управління життєвим циклом знання-ємних бізнес-процесів полягає в поєднанні цілеспрямованого удосконалення такого процесу шляхом доповнення його рівня знань під час виконання контекстно-орієнтованими правилами та обмеженнями запуску послідовностей дій, які отримані в результаті екстерналізації персональних знань та досвіду, що були використані виконавцями при управлінні ЗБП, а також реінжинірингу ЗБП у випадку недосягнення при удосконалені процесу заданих показників ефективності. Це дає можливість сформувати методологічні основи для автоматизації безперервного поліпшення знання-ємних бізнес-процесів шляхом включення до моделі екстерналізованих знань виконавців , а також перепроектування цих процесів в умовах кардинальної зміни апріорно визначених вимог

Análise do impacto das políticas de criação e transferência de conhecimento em processos intensivos em conhecimento: um modelo de dinâmica de sistemas

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia e Gestão do ConhecimentoVários autores que a criação e a transferência de conhecimento são fundamentais para uma efetiva Gestão do Conhecimento. Nesse sentido, as políticas destinadas a favorecer a criação e transferência de conhecimento afetam os processos da organização. A presente dissertação tem como objetivo estudar os efeitos de ditas políticas, especificamente das Políticas de Processamento de Informação (PPI), Políticas de Documentação e Registro das Atividades (PDR) e Políticas de Capacitação (PC), em um tipo particular de processo: os processos intensivos em conhecimento. Estes processos são essenciais para a Gestão do Conhecimento pois eles dependem fortemente do conhecimento embutido em atores, tarefas e atividades. A motivação do presente trabalho nasceu a partir da falta de pesquisas relacionadas com os efeitos de políticas organizacionais em processos intensivos em conhecimento, assim como da dificuldade de criar representações e modelos que possibilitassem o seu estudo. Para isto, desenvolveu-se inicialmente um Framework que permite analisar processos intensivos em conhecimento com base em cinco estruturas genéricas: Fluxo das Atividades, Fluxos de Informação, Tomada de Decisão e Alinhamento dos Atores; a quinta estrutura é uma contribuição inédita deste trabalho: Transformação de Conhecimento. Desenvolveu-se dois tipos de diagramas, a partir da abordagem conhecida como Dinâmica de Sistemas - Diagramas de Influência e Diagramas de Fluxos e Estoques - e com base em testes especializados para a Dinâmica de Sistemas o modelo proposto foi validado. Os cenários de simulação definidos, foram comparados entre si em função das mudanças de comportamento observadas em cinco variáveis: Qualidade de Tomada de Decisão, Informação Disponível sobre as Atividades, Desempenho Operacional, Conhecimento Médio dos Atores e Base de Conhecimento. Os resultados das simulações sugerem que o cenário com melhor desempenho é aquele que apresenta o estabelecimento das três políticas em conjunto, com uma média global de melhoria de 32%. Os resultados também sugerem que as Políticas de Processamento de Informação servem somente de apoio às outras duas políticas. Em função da pesquisa feita conclui-se que o Framework modificado com cinco estruturas é mais robusto na modelagem de processos intensivos em conhecimento. Por outro lado, esta pesquisa demonstra que a Dinâmica de Sistemas modela adequadamente processos intensivos em conhecimento ao salientar suas características de complexidade dinâmica e ao apresentar comportamentos contraintuitivos. Assim também, conclui-se que a técnica dos cenários de simulação é uma alternativa adequada para o estudo dos efeitos das políticas de criação e transferência de conhecimento em processos intensivos em conhecimento. Several authors have referred to knowledge creation and transfer as the main elements for effective Knowledge Management. In this sense, policies that mean to favor knowledge creation and transfer affect all of the organizational processes. This thesis aims at studying the effects of those policies, specifically: Information Processing Policies (IPP), Documentation and Registry Policies (DRP) and Training Policies (TP), in particular business process' type: knowledge-intensive business processes. These processes are also fundamental for Knowledge Management since they are highly dependent on the knowledge embedded in actors, tasks and activities. The motivation for this work is twofold, first, the lack of research relating organizational policies and knowledge-intensive business process, and second, the difficulty to model them. Thus, a Framework was initially developed to analyze knowledge-intensive business processes in five generic structures: Workflow Structure, Information Structure, Decision-Making Structure and Agency Structure; and the fifth one consists of an original contribution of this work: Knowledge Transformation Structure. The model was developed using the System Dynamics approach, based on the Influence Diagrams and Stock and Flow Diagrams, afterwards, the model was validated using specialized System Dynamics' tests. The selected simulation scenarios were compared to each other by observing behavior changes in five variables: Decision-Making Quality, Activity-related Information Availability, Operational Performance, Workforce Mean-Knowledge and Knowledge-Base. The results from the simulations suggest that the scenario with best performance is the one with the three policies together, with a global improvement mean of 32%. The results also suggest that Information Processing Policies act only as a support to the other two, and that when established alone, they don´t represent considerable improvement. This works concludes that the modified five-structure Framework is more robust for knowledge-intensive business processes modeling. On the other hand, this research demonstrates that System Dynamics adequately models knowledge-intensive business processes by pointing out the dynamic complexity characteristics as well as counter-intuitive behaviors. This work also concludes that the simulation scenarios technique is an adequate alternative for studying knowledge creation and transfer policies in knowledge-intensive business processes

Formalising, Integrating and Assessing Portfolio Management Processes in Technology-Intensive Firms

Technology-intensive firms strive to introduce new products and services effectively and efficiently, having to tackle challenging issues of technology and market uncertainties in their dynamic business environments. This implies that organizing for portfolio management (i.e. taking appropriate decisions regarding projects for new product & service development) is a critical capability for a firm’s survival and growth. However, both academic and practical studies reveal that firms often report a challenge of low levels of portfolio management effectiveness, which increases the likelihood of poor portfolio management performance. After a comprehensive literature review of multi-domain scholarly contributions central to portfolio management, a process design framework for portfolio management provides a basis to tackle this challenge, by addressing three main knowledge gaps: I. Lack of guidance on how and what to formalise in portfolio management processes II. Limited understanding of inter-relationships between portfolio management processes III. Lack of a comprehensive assessment approach for portfolio management processes With the objective to fill these knowledge gaps, this research analysed portfolio management in more than 40 multinational firms operating in different industries including industrial automation, medical devices, manufacturing and semiconductors. This involved use of multiple rounds of various empirical methods such as case studies, focus groups, workshops and participatory observations. As a result, this research bridges these respective knowledge gaps by developing: • Portfolio Management Formalisation Framework reveals five key portfolio management processes that could be formalised and that have implications for portfolio management performance: a) Ecosystem Surveillance, b) Portfolio Strategy Development, c) Business Case Management, d) Portfolio Decision-Making, and e) New Product Management. The three portfolio management stakeholder functions driving these processes are: a) Corporate Functions, b) Top Management Functions, and c) Project Management Functions. • Portfolio Management Integration Framework: develops the inter-relationships between these portfolio management processes as well as stakeholder functions in the form of exploratory relationships. Better integration of these processes and functions could enable better portfolio management performance. • Portfolio Management Diagnostic Tool: a template-based tool for assessing the management practices underpinning the portfolio management processes and stakeholder functions. It involves scoring of these practices against the criteria of relevance, importance, consistency and execution quality. The scores can reveal areas of strengths and weakness in overall portfolio management and can be used for process improvement purposes. This research contributes to theory by conceptualising five key portfolio management processes and three portfolio management stakeholder functions as components of portfolio management formalisation. It also conceptualises the inter-relationships between these processes and function as components of portfolio management integration. The practical utility of the proposed diagnostic tool lies in using it to diagnose and benchmark portfolio management processes and stakeholder functions.Research and Development Management Association; Centre for Technology Management, Institute for Manufacturing; St. Edmunds College, Cambridge; Cambridge University Engineering Departmen

Advanced Techniques for Assets Maintenance Management

16th IFAC Symposium on Information Control Problems in Manufacturing INCOM 2018 Bergamo, Italy, 11–13 June 2018. Edited by Marco Macchi, László Monostori, Roberto PintoThe aim of this paper is to remark the importance of new and advanced techniques supporting decision making in different business processes for maintenance and assets management, as well as the basic need of adopting a certain management framework with a clear processes map and the corresponding IT supporting systems. Framework processes and systems will be the key fundamental enablers for success and for continuous improvement. The suggested framework will help to define and improve business policies and work procedures for the assets operation and maintenance along their life cycle. The following sections present some achievements on this focus, proposing finally possible future lines for a research agenda within this field of assets management

Knowledge-Intensive Processes: Characteristics, Requirements and Analysis of Contemporary Approaches

Engineering of knowledge-intensive processes (KiPs) is far from being mastered, since they are genuinely knowledge- and data-centric, and require substantial flexibility, at both design- and run-time. In this work, starting from a scientific literature analysis in the area of KiPs and from three real-world domains and application scenarios, we provide a precise characterization of KiPs. Furthermore, we devise some general requirements related to KiPs management and execution. Such requirements contribute to the definition of an evaluation framework to assess current system support for KiPs. To this end, we present a critical analysis on a number of existing process-oriented approaches by discussing their efficacy against the requirements

Innovation Systems and Knowledge-Intensive Enterpreneurship: a Country Case Study of Poland

This study surveys the current state of affairs in Poland with regard to the development of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE), or new firm creation in industries considered to be science-based or to use research and development (R&D) intensively. We place KIE in Poland in the larger institutional context, outlining the key features of the country’s National Innovation System, and then focus on KIE itself. Our findings are perhaps more optimistic than many previous studies of knowledge-based economy development in Poland. We observe significant progress due to Polish access to the European Union. The frequency with which universities are playing a significant role as partners for firms in the innovation process has increased significantly; moreover, we observe a significant degree of internationalization of innovation-related cooperation. Another optimistic development is that the level of activity of venture capitalists seems to be fairly high in Poland considering the relatively low degree of development of capital markets offering VC investors exit opportunities. Moreover, after almost two decades of decline in the share of R&D spending in GDP, there are signs that this is beginning to rise, and that businesses are beginning to spend more on R&D. While demand-side problems continue to be significant barriers for the development of KIE, due to the relatively low level of education and GDP per capita in the country, the trends here are optimistic, with high rates of economic growth and improvements in the level of education of younger generations. Significant improvement is still needed in the area of intellectual property protection