PROCESS MODELS AS TRANSFORMATION VEHICLE FOR STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

Practitioners within the IS-field tend to engage in different kind of modelling activities for the purpose of analysis, design and evaluation of information systems. Business process models has been used for several purposes such as reconstructing existing practice (AS-IS) and to design the future (TO-BE). So far little research has been conducted on process modelling practices, the role and characteristics of models mean for business transformation. This paper elaborates on the role of process models as transformation vehicle to create alignment between a strategic business plan and business processes. The empirical base in this paper is an action research project where researchers together with a retail chain in sports and recreation (Intersport), as a part of a bigger change program, has designed Intersport´s future practice based on a new strategic business plan. The results in the paper are descriptions about the role, characteristics and usage of different models during process design. The design of the future is a transformational process where models will have different roles during different phases of the project; scoping models, chiseling models, design models and change models. Good design results can be ensured through that the business process models in the end manage to express vital business dimensions such as transformation, coordination and interaction. The conclusions also depict the need for incremental design to create strategic alignment. The main reason for this is that people need to digest the evolving design in order to be able to understand characteristics and consequences of the final design

How Digital Transformation affects Enterprise Architecture Management – a case study

Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, cyber-physical systems and other recent technological innovations offer new opportunities for enterprises in the context of Digital Transformation (DT) but also cause new challenges for Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM), which traditionally deals with enterprise-IT planning and coordination. Based on an industrial case of a power garden products manufacturer that is exploring potentials and facing challenges in DT, this article investigates the integration of product-IT into EAM. Product-IT includes the embedded IT-systems in physical products and services, components for operations, maintenance or evaluation purposes. In this article we discuss product-IT and enterprise-IT integration in the context of EAM observed in the industrial practice. The main contributions are (1) positioning of the product-IT in the field of EAM, and (2) identification of the challenges from real-world case regarding integration of product-IT into EAM

How Digital Transformation affects Enterprise Architecture Management – a case study

Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, cyber-physical systems and other recent technological innovations offer new opportunities for enterprises in the context of Digital Transformation (DT) but also cause new challenges for Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM), which traditionally deals with enterprise-IT planning and coordination. Based on an industrial case of a power garden products manufacturer that is exploring potentials and facing challenges in DT, this article investigates the integration of product-IT into EAM. Product-IT includes the embedded IT-systems in physical products and services, components for operations, maintenance or evaluation purposes. In this article we discuss product-IT and enterprise-IT integration in the context of EAM observed in the industrial practice. The main contributions are (1) positioning of the product-IT in the field of EAM, and (2) identification of the challenges from real-world case regarding integration of product-IT into EAM

Пpоблемы нанотехнологий в современном материаловедении (обзор)

Материалы VI Междунар. межвуз. науч.-техн. конф. студентов, аспирантов и молодых ученых, Гомель, 4–5 мая 2006 г

Att förstå och förändra systemutvecklingsverksamheter : en taxonomi för metautveckling

Utveckling av systemutvecklingsverksamheter (metautveckling) är ett komplext fenomen där det finns ett dokumenterat utvecklingsbehov vad gäller förståelse, beskrivningar och guidning relaterat till metautveckling. Som en följd av detta och baserat på ett forskningsintresse har jag sedan 1997 varit aktivt involverad i fyra förändringsprojekt i olika systemutvecklingsverksamheter (Myndigheten, Läkemedelsföretaget, Programvaruföretaget och Konsultföretaget). Syftet med dessa förändringsprojekt har främst varit att utveckla det sätt som respektive systemutvecklingsverksamhet bedriver systemutveckling. Utvecklingsbehovet avseende förståelse, beskrivningar och råd gäller inte bara forskare och förändringsagenter utan också för de som har sin dagliga gärning i systemutvecklingsverksamheter. Det finns således ett behov av något systematiskt stöd (taxonomi) för att förstå, beskriva och ge riktlinjer för hur metautveckling bör bedrivas. Avhandlingen är i huvudsak en kvalitativ studie där jag som aktionsforskare, i aktuella förändringsprojekt, studerat människors beteenden, attityder, värderingar och föreställningar i samband med utveckling av SU-verksamheter. Studien är indelad i två faser, en empiriskt inriktad fas och en analytiskt inriktad fas där aktuella förändringsprojekt varit avslutade. Under den analytiskt inriktade fasen har jag tillämpat en kontinuerlig växelverkan mellan empiri, teori och modellering för att inkrementellt utveckla föreliggande taxonomi (en teoridriven, induktiv och modelleringsbaserad ansats). Resultatet av studien är på en övergripande nivå ökad kunskap om metautveckling. Det centrala kunskapsbidraget, en taxonomi för metautveckling, är uppbyggd av tre dimensioner, en hierarkidimension, en processdimension och en temadimension. Hierarkidimensionen ger främst en systematik av förändringshandlingar på olika nivåer och genom en klass som benämns handlingskaraktäristika accentueras olika egenskaper för dessa förändringshandlingar. Processdimensionen accentuerar en fasindelning och relationer mellan förändringshandlingar på olika nivåer enligt hierarkidimensionen. Temadimensionen ger sedan uttryck för olika teman som bör uppmärksammas vid metautveckling, dvs vad som bör hanteras i systemutvecklingsverksamheter vid metautveckling. Förutom en taxonomi presenteras också ett angreppssätt, ett arbetssätt och fyra användningssituationer för tillämpning av taxo

The Diversity of Enterprise Modeling : A Taxonomy for Enterprise Modeling Actions

Both researchers and practitioners have recognized the need for developed knowledge about enterprise modeling. Therefore it is necessary to increase the understanding of various actions that are performed during enterprise modeling, their meaning, and their diversity. This paper proposes a taxonomy with a conceptual structure in two dimensions (hierarchy and process) that could be used to increase the knowledge about enterprise modeling actions. The taxonomy introduces a terminology that enables a better understanding of the modeling actions for a clear purpose. One important aspect of the taxonomy is to create visibility and traceability of decisions made during enterprise modeling activities. These modeling decisions have previously been of a more tacit nature and the taxonomy is supposed to make the rationale behind different modeling decisions explicit and understandable

Digital Transformation of Enterprises: Case Studies and Transformation Paths

In research, industrial case studies are a possibility to collect information about complex phenomena from the environment where they occur. Digital transformation (DT) is a complex phenomenon, but there is a paucity of published case studies which describe the intermediary steps taken in enterprise DT activities. The paper contributes to a more diversified picture of digital transformation (DT) by describing and analyzing the step-by-step transformation of five case studies. The approach proposed for planning and analysis of DT cases in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) consists of three elements: (a) focus on the dimensions “products/services” and “operations” when initiating DT in SME, (b) use step-by-step transformation along transformation paths instead of aiming at transformation in one go, and (c) include the success factors of DT known from literature in the step-by-step approach

PARTICIPATIVE OR CONVENTIONAL ENTERPRISE MODELLING? MULTIPLE-CASE ANALYSIS ON DECISION CRITERIA

Many advantages are attributed to participatory enterprise modelling as compared to conventional modelling and elicitation approaches. Among them are an improved quality of the models, better acceptance of the modelling results by the stakeholders and co-creation of models by different stakeholders. Although these advantages were observed in a number of modelling projects, there is not much empirical work comparing conventional and participatory modelling in real-world cases. Much work on participatory modelling is more exploratory and argumentative than explanatory and conclusive. From a pragmatic perspective, one effect of this situation is missing decision criteria when to do participatory and when conventional modelling. This paper aims at contributing to this research area by investigating what factors should be taken into account when deciding for or against participatory enterprise modelling. The approach taken is to analyze successful and non-successful cases from both participatory and conventional modelling in order to identify such decision factors. The main contributions of this paper are (1) an approach for analyzing enterprise modelling cases consisting of criteria derived from literature on enterprise modelling, (2) comparison of conventional and participatory modelling cases according to the analysis criteria and (3) a detailed discussion of criteria relevant for the decision for/against participatory or conventional modellin