Monica Anastassiu

Bio: Monica Anastassiu is an academic researcher from Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. The author has contributed to research in topics: Business rule & Artifact-centric business process model. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 3 publications receiving 38 citations. Previous affiliations of Monica Anastassiu include Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

The quest for organizational flexibility: Driving changes in business processes through the identification of relevant context

Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for identifying business process-relevant contextual information that is likely to impact on the process goal. The ORGANON method describes a semi-structured procedural guide alongside with a set of criteria and a matrix for analyzing ontological transactions, which can be used to identify which context information can be considered relevant to a business process. Design/methodology/approach - The authors report on an evaluation of the ORGANON method through a case study conducted in an organization that works in the social security domain. Findings - The results provide evidences of the feasibility of the method application in this scenario. Originality/value - Our research contributes to the literature on business processes flexibility, specifically through a proposal for context identification that can be extended to current techniques for business process modeling and in turn forms the basis for existing approaches for making business processes more flexible. The work has implications for the strategic management of organizations, by suggesting a method that provides informational support to decision makers about when, where and why business processes need to be adapted.

The quest for organizational flexibility: Driving changes in business processes through the identification of relevant context

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for identifying business process-relevant contextual information that is likely to impact on the process goal. The ORGANON method describes a semi-structured procedural guide alongside with a set of criteria and a matrix for analyzing ontological transactions, which can be used to identify which context information can be considered relevant to a business process. Design/methodology/approach – The authors report on an evaluation of the ORGANON method through a case study conducted in an organization that works in the social security domain. Findings – The results provide evidences of the feasibility of the method application in this scenario. Originality/value – Our research contributes to the literature on business processes flexibility, specifically through a proposal for context identification that can be extended to current techniques for business process modeling and in turn forms the basis for existing approaches for making business processe...

Resistance to Change in Software Process Improvement - An Investigation of Causes, Effects and Conducts

Abstract: Context: Resistance to change can affect the effectiveness of software process improvement initiatives as well as the maintenance of improvements after an official assessment. However, the inherent attributes of resistance to change are not entirely clear, for instance: its effects as well as actions to mitigate its occurrence. Objective: We aim to investigate potential causes and effects of resistance to change as well as conducts that can mitigate its occurrence on software processes improvement initiatives. Method: We performed a qualitative study in which we interviewed 21 practitioners and specialists in software process improvement. Results: We have identified 32 causes, 16 effects, and 29 conducts related to resistance to change. For instance, resistant senior management can sabotage the process by creating resistance to other stakeholders who want to implement improvements. Conclusion: We found that resistance to change in software process improvement initiatives also includes resistance to follow the processes. A significant part of the conducts comprises preventive and low-cost actions. Additionally, the results pointed out situations in which given conduct to mitigate resistance can generate other positive impacts like collaborative work fostering continuous improvements. Also, we observed that individuals are more affected by resistance to change than the projects. Our findings and their interconnections expose a diverse set of circumstances that can be explored to help achieve the objectives of a software process improvement initiative.

Ten principles of good business process management

Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to foster a common understanding of business process management (BPM) by proposing a set of ten principles that characterize BPM as a research domain and guide its successful use in organizational practice. Design/methodology/approach - The identification and discussion of the principles reflects our viewpoint, which was informed by extant literature and focus groups, including 20 BPM experts from academia and practice. Findings - We identify ten principles which represent a set of capabilities essential for mastering contemporary and future challenges in BPM. Their antonyms signify potential roadblocks and bad practices in BPM. We also identify a set of open research questions that can guide future BPM research. Research limitation/implication - Our findings suggest several areas of research regarding each of the identified principles of good BPM. Also, the principles themselves should be systematically and empirically examined in future studies. Practical implications - Our findings allow practitioners to comprehensively scope their BPM initiatives and provide a general guidance for BPM implementation. Moreover, the principles may also serve to tackle contemporary issues in other management areas. Originality/value - This is the first paper that distills principles of BPM in the sense of both good and bad practice recommendations. The value of the principles lies in providing normative advice to practitioners as well as in identifying open research areas for academia, thereby extending the reach and richness of BPM beyond its traditional frontiers.

Examining the interplay between big data analytics and contextual factors in driving process innovation capabilities

Abstract: The potential of big data analytics in enabling improvements in business processes has urged researchers and practitioners to understand if, and under what combination of conditions, such novel tec...

The strategic use of information in the airline industry

Abstract: This thesis is an empirical investigation of the strategic use of information in the airline industry, and explores the development of competition in the airline industry from an information perspective. The research traces the evolution in the environmental conditions facing airlines from World War I to the present. The research also analyses evolution of the uses of information. Information is an enabler, allowing things to be done, but information can also be a resource in itself. The research finds growing strategic use of information from automation to using information as a resource for strategic flexibility. The main sources of information that airlines use in their strategic efforts are analysed, as well as the ways in which airlines procure this information and the uses they make of it in strategy. The research finds evidence of distinct phases in the evolution of the uses made of information by airlines. Crucial to airline strategic flexibility is local market information acquired informally. However, the evidence also illustrates the serious difficulties airlines face in using the external information about the markets in which they operate in their strategy. Different streams of academic literature support the findings of this empirical research.

How is process mining technology used by organizations? A systematic literature review of empirical studies

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to review empirical studies on process mining in order to understand its use by organizations. The paper further aims to outline future research opportunities.,The authors propose a classification model that combines core conceptual elements of process mining with prior models from technology classification from the enterprise resource planning and business intelligence field. The model incorporates an organizational usage, a system-orientation and service nature, adding a focus on physical services. The application is based on a systematic literature review of 144 research papers.,The results show that, thus far, the literature has been chiefly concerned with realization of single business process management systems in single organizations. The authors conclude that cross-system or cross-organizational process mining is underrepresented in the ISR, as is the analysis of physical services.,Process mining researchers have paid little attention to utilizing complex use cases and mining mixed physical-digital services. Practitioners should work closely with academics to overcome these knowledge gaps. Only then will process mining be on the cusp of becoming a technology that allows new insights into customer processes by supplying business operations with valuable and detailed information.,Despite the scientific interest in process mining, particularly scant attention has been given by researchers to investigating its use in relatively complex scenarios, e.g., cross-system and cross-organizational process mining. Furthermore, coverage on the use of process mining from a service perspective is limited, which fails to reflect the marketing and business context of most contemporary organizations, wherein the importance of such scenarios is widely acknowledged. The small number of studies encountered may be due to a lack of knowledge about the potential of such scenarios as well as successful examples, a situation the authors seek to remedy with this study.

Context-Aware Business Process Management

Abstract: Context awareness is essential for successful business process management (BPM). So far, research has covered relevant BPM context factors and context-aware process design, but little is known about how to assess and select BPM methods in a context-aware manner. As BPM methods are involved in all stages of the BPM lifecycle, it is key to apply appropriate methods to efficiently use organizational resources. Following the design science paradigm, the study at hand addresses this gap by developing and evaluating the Context-Aware BPM Method Assessment and Selection (CAMAS) Method. This method assists method engineers in assessing in which contexts their BPM methods can be applied and method users in selecting appropriate BPM methods for given contexts. The findings of this study call for more context awareness in BPM method design and for a stronger focus on explorative BPM. They also provide insights into the status quo of existing BPM methods.