Workflow and organizational change

Managing organizational processes is an ongoing endeavour. It does not start with a reengineering project, and does not end with the deployment of a workflow solution. Instead, it is a continuous cycle of design, implementation, execution and evaluation, much like the Deming cycle developed in the 1950s. Most workflow research projects address a particular aspect of the workflow life cycle, but few look at the overall effect of workflow automation on organizations. In my current position at Stevens Institute of Technology we are conducting looking at the exact relationship between process automation and organizational change. Since the automation of business processes will increase, mainly due to the immense efficiency gains it promises, organizations will have to learn to make the most of process automation technology.

Therefore, our research questions are:

• What are the organizational effects of process automation?
• What are critical success factors for process automation projects?
• Which type of workflow automation is suitable for which organization?