The aim of this work is to find relevant approaches of Green Business Process Management (BPM) and analyse them with regard to their purpose. It was considered whether the approaches are extensions of the traditional BPM concepts adapted to the ecological dimension or if they are newer techniques and tools introduced by the rise of Green Information Systems (IS). In order to achieve this goal, the basic concept of BPM and its way towards more sustainability is presented at the beginning followed by the explanation of current approaches. Afterwards, the BPM Lifecycle, which serves as a suitable framework to allocate the different tools and techniques, is introduced. Based on the rough presentation, the main part deals more intensively and in more detail with the tools and techniques of Green BPM approaches. These tools and techniques were mapped into an adapted (Green) BPM Lifecycle so that relevant implications could be derived in the discussion section. But first, the mentioned tools and techniques are classified according their field of acting. Finally, the discussion part takes place where the major contributions are analysed and interpreted according to the observed results and background knowledge.
Companies have been looking at sustainability for several decades, recognizing that by reducing pollution they can also maximize their profits. Thus, sustainability in the field of Information Systems (IS) is becoming increasingly important as topics like Green IS and IT are addressed. These deal with the reduction of IT consumption and emissions because of the implementation of more sustainable business activities. However, this raises the requirement for approaches in the field of Business Process Management. Research and practice lacked an appropriate approach to connect these two areas of Green IS and BPM, which is why the notion of Green Business Process Management was introduced. Experts are developing instruments and techniques whose primary objective is to integrate sustainability into the different phases of the business process Lifecycle so that more ecological processes can be realized. Such approaches help organizations in defining their optimal business strategies regarding the four dimensions of time, quality, flexibility, cost and now adding the aspect of environment.
Table of Contents
1 Business Process Management in the Green IS Domain
2 From BPM to Sustainability
2.1 Business Process Management and Green IS
2.2 Approaches in the field of BPM
2.3 BPM Lifecycle
3 Methodology
4 Analysis of Green BPM tools and techniques
4.1 Green BPM Approaches
4.2 Mapping into the Lifecycle
4.3 Four application areas of Green BPM approaches
5 Discussion
6 Holistic consideration
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the field of Green Business Process Management (BPM) to determine whether existing tools and techniques can be adapted or if new ones are required to integrate ecological sustainability into business process lifecycles. It investigates how current Green BPM approaches map to the traditional BPM lifecycle and evaluates their effectiveness in balancing environmental objectives with standard performance dimensions.
- Integration of sustainability into the BPM Lifecycle
- Classification of existing Green BPM tools and techniques
- Analysis of the "Devil's Pentagon" and environmental trade-offs
- Evaluation of current research state and practical implementation gaps
- Mapping of Green BPM approaches to specific lifecycle phases
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Business Process Management and Green IS
Due to the ever increasing globalization and the associated competition, companies had to adjust to the ever changing needs of customers. These continuous adjustments eventually led to the introduction of a management approach that supported organizational processes in companies called Business Process Management (BPM) (Scheer and Hoffmann 2015, pp. 351). This process-oriented practice contains a whole range of different definitions in literature. Therefore, KARAGIANNIS (2013, p. 1) describes BPM as "a set of structured methods and technologies for managing and transforming organizational operations". ROHLOFF (2011, p. 383) clarifies “a management practice which encompasses all activities of identification, definition, analysis, design, execution, monitoring & measurement, and continuous improvement of business processes.” In general, BPM is seen as the discipline that applies different approaches to the organizations processes in order to improve their business activities by increasing flexibility, reducing costs, saving time and improving quality (Hammer and Champy 1993). However, the further adjustments in the market show that these four dimensions are no longer sufficient to stand up against the competition. Raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce, people’s living standards are changing and also the requirements of customers. Consequently, the management of a company must adapt its business processes to meet the rising importance of sustainability in organizational context (Seidel et al. 2012, p. 4). For this reason, the research area of BPM has to adapt its techniques and tools to dedicated requirements. Due to strong interdependence between environmental impact and resource usage, IS and the IT infrastructure have also to be taken into account, defined under the term of Green IS which refers to “an integrated and cooperating set of people, processes, software, and information technologies to support individual, organizational, or societal goals” (Watson et al. 2010, p. 24). As an intersection of the conventional BPM and Green IS, the new field of Green Business Process Management or simply Green BPM has raised (Opitz et al. 2014).
Summary of Chapters
1 Business Process Management in the Green IS Domain: Introduces the necessity of integrating sustainability into BPM, defines the research question, and outlines the thesis structure.
2 From BPM to Sustainability: Provides the theoretical background on BPM, Green IS, and the evolution of the Devil's Quadrangle into the Devil's Pentagon.
3 Methodology: Details the structured literature review process used to identify relevant Green BPM research and frameworks.
4 Analysis of Green BPM tools and techniques: Surveys existing Green BPM approaches, maps them to the BPM lifecycle, and categorizes them into four application areas.
5 Discussion: Evaluates the research findings, identifying a strong focus on redesign phases and a lack of implementation-oriented tools in practice.
6 Holistic consideration: Concludes the thesis by summarizing the core findings regarding the adaptation of existing BPM concepts for ecological goals.
Keywords
Green Business Process Management, Green BPM, Sustainability, BPM Lifecycle, Information Systems, Green IS, Process Reengineering, Environmental Impact, Carbon Footprint, Resource Efficiency, Process Modeling, Ecological Workflow Patterns, Energy Awareness, Sustainable Enterprise, Performance Measurement
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis explores how business processes can be managed to improve a company's environmental impact, a field commonly referred to as Green Business Process Management (GBPM).
What is the central research question?
The research asks whether current Green BPM approaches rely on the adaptation of existing tools and techniques or if they necessitate the introduction of entirely new ones to achieve ecological goals.
Which framework is used to evaluate Green BPM?
The author utilizes the traditional BPM Lifecycle as a framework to map and analyze various green tools and techniques within different process phases.
What scientific methods were employed?
The work is based on a structured literature review, following established academic principles for systematic research in the Information Systems domain.
What are the primary application areas identified?
The study classifies approaches into four distinct areas: Process Performance Measurement Method Extension, Process Modelling Extension, Process Reengineering and Design, and Process Optimization.
How is the term "Green BPM" defined in the text?
It is defined as the sum of IS-supported management activities that monitor and reduce the environmental impact of business processes across their lifecycle, leading to potential cultural change.
Why is the "Devil's Pentagon" significant?
It represents the extension of the traditional Devil's Quadrangle—which balances time, cost, quality, and flexibility—by adding "sustainability" as a fifth, often conflicting, dimension.
What is the main takeaway regarding the implementation phase?
The analysis reveals that while many tools exist for process redesign and analysis, there is a notable deficit in tools specifically designed for the implementation phase of the lifecycle.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Melih Aracli (Autor:in), 2018, Green Business Process Management. Usage of Existing and New Tools for Achieving the Ecological Goals, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/505644
