Tool-based Codification in Business Process Improvement and the Impact on Problem-Solving

Abstract

Business process improvement (BPI) is an important task in times of quickly changing customer requirements and evolving technologies. A variety of BPI approaches were developed in recent years, however, the proper codification of results created in BPI projects has not been properly investigated yet. In this respect, the paper at hand examines the impact of tool-based codification approaches on problem-solving in BPI. Moreover, the effect of the design either as a spreadsheet-based or a conceptual model-based tool on user satisfaction is analyzed. For that purpose, we revert to two tools we developed, which both offer the identical functionality but diverge in the techniques of codifying results: spreadsheet templates on the one side and conceptual models on the other side. In our study, the form of codification tremendously affected the perceived user satisfaction whereas the results received for problem-solving did not show a clear preference. Regarding the former issue, the beneficial role of conceptual models for codifying results with the help of software tools could be demonstrated.