Summary Business Process Management | Ghent University | 2025/26

Summary
Business Process Management
Table of contents
0. Introduction.................................................................................... 1
0.1. What is Business Process Management? .......................................... 1
0.2. Types of business process management .......................................... 2
0.3. The BPM lifecycle .......................................................................... 3
1. Process identification ....................................................................... 6
1.1. Process identification & context ...................................................... 6
1.2. Definition of the process architecture .............................................. 7
1.3. Process selection ......................................................................... 10
2. Process modelling ........................................................................... 12
2.1. Process modelling languages ......................................................... 12
2.2. Why BPMN? ................................................................................ 13
2.3. BPMN diagram types .................................................................... 13
2.4. Process decomposition ................................................................. 14
2.5. Capita Selecta Process Modelling with BPMN .................................... 14
3. Process discovery ........................................................................... 17
3.1. Discovery techniques ................................................................... 17
3.2. Process modelling method ............................................................ 18
3.3. Process model quality assurance.................................................... 19
3.4. Automated process discovery ........................................................ 20
4. Process analysis ............................................................................. 22
4.1. Qualitative process analysis .......................................................... 22
4.2. Quantitative process analysis ........................................................ 24
5. Process redesign ............................................................................ 27
5.1. The essence of process redesign .................................................... 27
5.2. Four performance dimensions ....................................................... 28
5.3. Navigating the redesign orbit: different methods ............................. 28
5.4. Introduction to blockchain ............................................................ 29
6. Process implementation................................................................... 34
6.1. Process Aware Information System (PAIS) ...................................... 34
6.2. Process implementation with executable models .............................. 36
7. Process monitoring ......................................................................... 38
7.1. Business Intelligence (BI) & Business Process Monitoring .................. 38
7.2. Process performance dashboards ................................................... 38
7.3. Process monitoring perspectives & dimensions ................................ 39
7.4. Process mining ............................................................................ 39
7.5. Levels of process monitoring ......................................................... 42



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,0. Introduction
0.1. What is Business Process Management?
• BPM = a body of methods, techniques and tools to discover, analyse,
redesign, execute, and monitor business processes

• Business process = a sequence of tasks/activities your business performs to
achieve a specific organizational goal

• The fall of Business Process Redesign:
- Concept misuse: organizations often labelled mass layoffs as “BPR”,
triggering resentment from staff
- Over-radicalism: the insistence on “obliterating” existing processes was
too aggressive
à Many situations actually required a gradual, incremental approach
rather than a total restart
- Support immaturity: the IT infrastructure of the time was too rigid to
support rapid process flexibility, thwarting redesign efforts

• The revival: why process-thinking returned:
- Empirical validation: research proved that process-oriented organizations
consistently outperform non-process-oriented companies
- Technological maturity: the arrival of ERP systems (providing shared data)
and Workflow Management Systems (WfMS) solved the “rigid
infrastructure” problem, allowing processes to be executed and modified
without rewriting hard code

• Other related disciplines:

Discipline Main similarity BPM Main difference BPM
TQM Focus on ongoing TQM focuses on products/services,
improvement while BPM focuses on improving
processes
Operations Similar use of OM focuses on controlling an
Management mathematical techniques existing process, while BPM focuses
to manage & optimize on changing existing process
Lean Strong customer BPM focuses more on use of
orientation, focus on Information Technology (IT)
delivering value
Six Sigma Focus on measurement of Six Sigma targets minimization of
outputs defects (errors), while BPM is
broader




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,• Ex. Zalando: key challenges:
- Speed & accuracy: fast, error-free picking, packing, and shipping to meet
customer expectations
à Warehouse & logistics handling
- Scalability during peaks: handling massive order spikes (ex.: holidays,
sales) without bottlenecks
à Warehouse processing
- Reverse logistics: efficient processing of returns, including inspection,
restocking, and recycling
à Returns handling
- Sustainability: minimizing packaging waste, optimizing transport, and
reducing environmental impact
à Logistics & return handling
- Cost efficiency: controlling operational costs despite increasing demand
and complexity
à Warehouse & logistics handling

• A business process…
- consists of Activities è OrderReceived
è Shipping
à which triggers Events è OrderPlacement
è CustomerFeedback
- interacts with Objects è Order
è FashionItem
- includes DecisionPoint è FitAssessment
è ReturnDecisions
- delivers Outcome



0.2. Types of business process management
1) Document-centric BPM
• Focus on processes where a document is the central output
• Designed to manage and optimize the lifecycle of documents through multiple
revisions and approvals

• Key features:
- Tracks document changes and approvals
- Streamlines collaboration for faster turnaround times
- Ensures version control to avoid errors and confusion

• Ex. legal documents: drafting è reviewing è approving contracts

• Why it matters:
- Increases productivity in document-heavy workflows
- Reduces errors and accelerates final approvals




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, 2) Human-centric BPM
• Focus on processes that are predominantly carried out by people
• Designed to optimize workflows where human involvement is essential
• Helps individuals make better decisions and remain unblocked during their
work

• Key features:
- Real-time guidance and tracking capabilities
- User-friendly interfaces to simplify complex processes
- Notifications to keep tasks on track and streamline approvals

• Ex. hiring and onboarding: improving job postings, resume tracking, and
interview scheduling

• Why it matters:
Helps businesses maintain a human touch in critical areas while increasing
efficiency

3) Integration-centric BPM
• Focus on connecting and integrating multiple tools and systems into 1 platform
• Solves inefficiencies caused by tool-switching and fragmented processes

• Key features:
- Creates a single source of truth for all business data
- Automates data transfer between systems to reduce manual effort
- Enhances visibility across teams and departments

• Ex. tool integration: syncs CRM, project management, and communication tools
for seamless collaboration

• Why it matters:
- Reduces time spent searching for data across apps
- Prevents errors and lost information in manual updates
- Drives digital transformation across the organization



0.3. The BPM lifecycle




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