Flexibility and modeling in business processes: a multi-dimensional relationship

• Autor(a) principal: Albuquerque, João Porto de
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista de Administração de Empresas
• Texto Completo: https://bibliotecadigital.fgv.br/ojs/index.php/rae/article/view/30512
• topic: Business process modeling; formalization; flexibility; Actor-Network Theory; case study; Modelado de proceso de negocio; formalización; flexibilidad; Teoría Actor-Red; estudio de caso; Modelagem de processo de negócio; formalização; flexibilidade; Teoria Ator-Rede; estudo de caso

Over the last few years, Business Process Management (BPM) has achieved increasing popularity and dissemination. An analysis of the underlying assumptions of BPM shows that it pursues two apparently contradicting goals: on the one hand it aims at formalising work practices into business process models; on the other hand, it intends to confer flexibility to the organization – i.e. to maintain its ability to respond to new and unforeseen situations. This paper analyses the relationship between formalisation and flexibility in business process modelling by means of an empirical case study of a BPM project in an aircraft maintenance company. A qualitative approach is adopted based on the Actor-Network Theory. The paper offers two major contributions: (a) it illustrates the sociotechnical complexity involved in BPM initiatives; (b) it points towards a multidimensional understanding of the relation between formalization and flexibility in BPM projects.