Business Process Management (BPM) research can be applied to any industry; however, this literature review focuses on the implementation and technology of business process management and not on any specific industry vertical. Regarding the topic of Business Process Management, there are articles appearing in common publications; merely evidence that BPM has become a normal part of business today. The Wall Street Journal regularly reports on innovations affecting business trends as articles confirm change management is getting easier because of technology. One such article focuses on the ability to effect change no longer being the expensive undertaking it once was (Brynjolfsson & Schrage, 2009). The ability to improve speed and inefficiency means better customer service and eliminates profit leaks. As this industry grows, so will opportunities for career growth, company growth and ensuring compliance.
The analysis of data for this research is both quantitative and qualitative. The qualitative data is used from case studies and surveys. Much of the research conducted for this project has been primarily through peer and scholar reviewed articles in academic databases through Concordia University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, but also including data from current business magazines, journals, and websites. This literature review involves finding legitimate information to support BPM concepts and strategies. There is a current decline in the use of BPM tools to implement corporate improvements and is noted in this review.
Involvement in the BPM community allows for more in-depth access to expertise and information, what is also referred to as Action Research (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, & Jackson, 2008, p. 93). Within the community of BPM, for example, the website www.bptrends.com is considered a common location for resource information. The resource materials are directed at all audiences. Business journal Business Performance Management details the feasibility of implementing automated systems to support BPM and especially that smaller companies are not excluded from being competitive and agile enough to manage a fast and changing environment. This is because there are available affordable systems (Scherpenseel, January/February 2006). Before technology was more widely affordable, large companies with ample resources were the pioneers of BPM. British Telecom implemented a business process management system back in 2000; the idea of roles and decisions being made by users to speed up transactional delay permeated the implementation of a customer quote process (Jennings, et al., May/June 2000).
The landscape of business management today is changing due to customer demand and increased pressure to reduce costs (Pyke, 2005). Also seen as the approach to enterprise transformation, business process management initiatives come from motivation, capabilities for workflow management, and technology to support them (Caverlee, et al., 2007). Industry sectors reporting that while cuts to the bottom line are showing measurable improvements, sales are still in decline (Dahl, 2008).
Through improvement, there is a focus to trim down transactional delays and these transactions can exist in many different silos. BPM initiatives that offer a simpler solution through a centralized database approach (Batagelj, Bojkovski, & Drnovšek, 2006) show a straightforward approach that is simpler in concept, but may not always be feasible. Quite often however, there are different transactional engines that a single business relies on and therefore need an integrated layer to manage and report the flow of information across these systems. From integrating business process management for process exceptions (a minimal but effective start to BPM) to full multiple system silo integration. Author John Pyke’s article, BPM in Context: Now and in the Future lays groundwork to understand BPM components and functionality available (Pyke, 2005).
Business Process Management contains various components; process management, process modeling, activity monitoring and operations management. When considering the effects of designing and deploying process changes, it is usually quite daunting and the growing field of business process management is providing solutions and technology to optimally support people and systems working together (Pyke, 2005). Among a variety of available solutions to address business management needs, Pyke also offers what is known as the Process Centric approach to BPM. Monitor and manage in real time, process exceptions around existing legacy systems, combined with an integration of different systems and silos provide the framework for the future of this industry (2005).
Pyke has written additional articles on the subject of Business Process Management and they can be found online from a well-known organization, BPTrends (Retrieved from http://www.bptrends.com/). This website is a resource for articles, white papers events, and forums. Additionally, BPTrends will soon post its third annual report called The State of Business Process Management; the previous two years are also currently available (Retrieved from http://www.bptrends.com/). The most recent report was published in February 2008 (Harmon & Wolfe, 2008). It is a comprehensive report with both qualitative and quantitative data and is a reliable resource for providing ample statistics on the trends of this industry.
Following the number of industry respondents, context, and understanding of BPM, this report is based on survey responses of varying individuals involved with the implementation and status of process management initiatives. For instance, fifty-six percent of respondents believe their company is implementing business process changes because of the “Need to save money by reducing costs and/or improving productivity” (2008). The report is also a resource as it lists current available products and companies involved in process modeling, documenting, and automation.
The future of BPM is presented as an area of growth; in 2007, fourteen percent of companies polled were undergoing process training, and one year later the number increased eight percent. Attendance to BPM conferences also rose by five percent. There is a marked drop in the expected purchases of BPM tools and is explained by the lack of available “layer” adaptable tools in the past (Harmon & Wolfe, 2008). As the industry grows, if more tools that can manage the current gaps emerge, then this number would ultimately grow. Otherwise, it can be assumed that companies are looking to existing functionality of systems and people without adding additional software or tools.
Business process modeling needs to have process management rules to provide the mechanisms for reporting the compliance of process design. Connecting the strategy to the output, or compliance should have a “static-compliance checking framework” (Liu, Müller, & Xu, April/June 2007). Liu, et al, connect the business logic to a programmable language set to enforce compliant behavior by participating agents (2007). Companies like Oracle and SAP are among the competitors already offering functional software (Harmon & Wolfe, 2008). Some consensus with the challenges of management of multiple systems and cross transactional information exists, and yet most can agree when defining specific uses of language, adaptation, and even data mining, there are growing opportunities (Caverlee, et al.).
The involvement in this type of literary research proves to fill in the gaps when becoming more entrenched in a field of study or work. Good research involves samples of data; it is important to gather as much information from as many diverse origins as possible. Avoiding bias and remaining objective are always a challenge. Reading as much as possible from as many angles as possible can provide some objectivity. The ability to find data in measurable units gives consistency and evidence to support or deny decisions around change. Reading current information and finding notable and marked changes in behaviors support the need to learn more and find out why things are changing.
From understanding more about Business Process Management and what is being published in that area of research, the available literature is current and growing. In layman’s terms, it is not necessary to know Sarbanes-Oxley or Six Sigma (process management organizations) to understand that Business Process Management is a growing and unavoidable management issue. Nonetheless, careers today in management are heavily focused on processes and people. Effective change management demonstrates skills for people and systems. Keeping up with current data is a natural progression in becoming a part of a given community. Understanding the research process keeps the objectives clearer and the process evolves into a deeper body of knowledge. While reports can show a decline in the purchases of BPM tools in 2006 and 2007, other data show increases in available tools in the software industry (Harmon & Wolfe, 2008). That does not mean that all data is contradictory. It just means more research is required in that area.
Business Process Management is looming over companies and managers trying to survive and create improvements. This is a growing industry that changes the way output is measured and produced. Change is not a roadblock any more; it is an opportunity to be innovative. So much research is available to support a connection between systems, people, and processes. The more that is learned from an academic focus, the more prepared a manager can be to manage change implementation. As this catches on in business, it becomes the competitive mile marker by which businesses compete. Purely conjecture perhaps, but the literature also supports the idea.

References
(n.d.). Retrieved from BPTrends Web site: http://Retrieved from http://www.bptrends.com/
Batagelj, V., Bojkovski, J., & Drnovšek, J. (2006). Software integration in national measurement-standards laboratories. IET Science, Measurement and Technology, 2(2), 100-106.
Brynjolfsson, E., & Schrage, M. (2009, August 17). The new, faster face of innovation: Thanks to technology change has never been so easy – or so cheap. The Wall Street Jounal, CCLIV(No. 40), p. R3.
Caverlee, J., Bae, J., Wu, Q., Liu, L., Pu, C., & Rouse, W. B. (2007). Workflow management for enterprise transformation. Information Knowledge Systems Management, 6(1/2), 61-80.
Dahl, D. (2008, October). Special financial report: The truth about profits. Inc., 91-96.
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Jackson, P. R. (2008). Designing management research. In Management research (Third ed., p. 93). London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Harmon, P., & Wolfe, C. (2008, February). The State of Business Process Management. Retrieved from BPTrends Web site: http://www.bptrends.com/members_surveys/deliver.cfm?report_id=1003&target=BPTrends 2008 Survey Report 2-11-08 Final, V_2_.pdf&return=surveys_landing.cfm
Jennings, N.R., Faratin, P., Norman, T. J., O’Brien, P., Odgers, B., & Alty, J. L. (May/June 2000). Implementing a buisness process management system using Adept: A real-world case study. Applied Artificial Intelligence, 14(5), 421-463.
Liu, Y., Müller, S., & Xu, K. (April/June 2007). A static-compliance-checking framework for business process models. IBM Systems Journal, 46(2), 335-361.
Pyke, J. (2005, June). BPM in Context: Now and in the Future. Retrieved from Google Scholar Web site: http://Retrieved from http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=The+future+of+BPM&btnG=Search
Scherpenseel, C. (January/February 2006). Automated systems can work for small companies, too. Business Performance Management, 22(1), 56-58.

Business Process Management is unlimited by industry structure in the traditional sense, but is a burgeoning industry in itself. Business Process Management, or BPM, is evolving from workflow functionality to compliance measurements for manual tasks, time management, and contractual requirements, approvals and escalations (Pyke, 2005). Studying BPM as an industry focus should produce different outcomes in different industry verticals, but that should only enrich the experience as the possibilities to study the effects of BPM are abundant. A Business Process Management approach can be effective though modeling or designing a process flow, and then the management or compliance of capturing data and moving that data from one resource to another by following precisely determined steps. To measure such performance and to manage compliance is what many businesses are spending a lot of time, money, and energy to achieve this ability (Harmon & Wolf, 2008).
To position BPM and its concepts of managing resources and throughput, it is helpful to compare it to that of an ERP database and its ability to manage transactional events. The additional features of BPM are the human interactions and other processes of technological or even manual nature. These features are of major importance and can enhance the functionality of existing legacy systems. Qualitative data can be obtained through interviews with individuals who are focusing on BPM products. Consultants can also give information on the realities of implementation efforts. Some questions or areas of discussion are:
1. Whether there is consensus that BPM will become the norm in business practices.
2. Will it replace ERP, or is it the missing layer over all software applications being implemented and used today?
3. How does a typical tool like Xsol differentiate itself from ERP Workflow tools, or add on Process Management tools; where would they suggest finding good, comparative toolsets?
4. Share researched literature; compare findings.
5. What types of bias already exist in the industry?
6. Case studies; any personal involvements that were extraordinary or any failed implementations with BPM?
7. What are some recommended networks or organizations to gain further entry into the community?
8. What are some of the foreseeable roadblocks for this type of industry and software?
9. How is Service Oriented Architecture playing a role in this trend?
10. What kind of toolsets are organizations like SOX recommending?
11. Market strategy information; what has worked for experts in the past and what is working today?
12. Return on Investment value propositions.
Knowing the role to assume and what kind of access is needed to get optimal data feedback. In addition, research participation from an ethnographic approach allows for more in depth understanding (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, & Jackson, 2008, p. 156). By direct involvement, there is even more exposure to information and industry buzz. Participation at the level of an expert joining a project to assist in resolving gaps and difficulties can promote team energy. It provides a close proximity to those through working on projects and having experience dealing with the software provider, other consultants, and all stakeholders in the process itself. Monitoring from the inside also provides the realities in the industry.
The discussion, or interview, will be ongoing and last for the duration of the project. A diary could also be useful as it can provide the ability for maintaining both qualitative and quantitative data (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, & Jackson, 2008, p. 152). The information sharing and comparing notes can facilitate deeper investigations, or networking with other interested professionals. Understanding where to fit process and compliance to have the most impact can be learned from experts who have lived the pains of implementation. These experiences can provide a lot of stepping stones to approaching process recommendations. In addition, the idea of having the same opinion and objective is highly unlikely to stay static throughout the process; therefore a journal or diary would be a terrific mechanism to monitor the shifts in research. One simple way to do this is by keeping an online blog (Frascone); it could eventually become a point of contact for industry community members to come together.
Understanding the complexities of action learning and action research should be relevant when approaching different members of the community. Experience is where incredibly useful qualitative data can be retrieved, so therefore it adds a deeper level of knowledge gained. Joseph Realin and David Coghlan provide a table analysis on action learning and action research compared to conventional education (Raelin & Coghlan, 2006, p. 676). There are nine advantages over conventional education; some of the advantages are relevance, immediate transfer of learning experiences, promote education, and reducing the cost of training.

References
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Jackson, P. R. (2008). Creating qualitative data. In Management research (Third ed., p. 156). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Jackson, P. R. (2008). Creating qualitative data. In Management research (Third ed., p. 152). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Frascone, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from Michael Frascone Web site: http://Retrieved from http://michaelfrascone.wordpress.com/
Harmon, P., & Wolf, C. (2008, February). The state of business process management. Retrieved from BPTrends Web site: http://Retrieved from http://www.bptrends.com
Pyke, J. (2005, June). BPM in context: Now and in the future. Retrieved from BPTrends Web site: http://Retrieved from http://www.bptrends.com
Raelin, J. A., & Coghlan, D. (2006). Developing managers as learners and researchers: Using action learning and action research. Journal of management education, 30(5), 670-687.

The focus industry could be classified as IT driven or Business Analyst driven, but could perhaps be understood as the matching of the form and function driving business requirements today. Nonetheless, Business Process Management is unlimited by industry structure in the traditional sense, but is a burgeoning industry in itself. Business Process Management is evolving from work flow functionality to compliance measurements for manual tasks, time management, and contractual requirements, approvals and escalations. Understanding process and creating agility for change is what BPM is all about. I will post additional updates on interviewing and a powerpoint shortly, and as my research class comes to a close, I will post a mini-literature review on October 4th.
The tool I will be using is called Xsol. (www.xsol.com). Not only does this tool function as a documentation tool but also a model for automation. Think of the simple example above and then manage and measure it and make it work every time. Change whenever necessary. Think SOX compliance. Think Lean.

My approach so far has been to review scholarly peer reviewed materials in a network of academic databases. I have selected the six articles below to begin my review of BPM industry trends and organizational initiatives and BPM standards.

References
Pyke, J. (2005, June). BPM in context: Now and in the future. Retrieved from Www.bptrends.com Web site: http://www.bptrends.com/publicationfiles/06-05%20ART%20BPM%20in%20Context%20-%20Pyke.pdf
Jennings, NR, Faratin, P, Norman, T J, O’brien, P, Odgers, B, & Alty, J L. (May/June2000). Implementing a business process management system using Adept: A real-world case study. Applied Artificial Intelligence, 14(5), 421-463.
Caverlee, J., Bae, J., Qinyi, W., Ling, L., Pu, C., & Rouse, W. B. (2007). Workflow management for enterprise transformation. Information Knowledge Systems Management, 6(1/2), 61-80.
Allen, D. (May/June 2007). Cost/Benefit analysis for implementing ECM, BPM Systems. Information Management Journal, 41(3), 34-41.
Liu, Y, Müller, S, & Xu, K. (2007). A static compliance-checking framework for business process models. IBM Systems Journal, 46(2), 335-361.
Batagelj, V, Bojkovski, J, & Drnovsšek, J. (2008). Software integration in national measurement-standards laboratories. IET Science, Measurement & Technology, 2(2), 100-106.

This blog will start to include research findings, as today is my first day of my research course. As part of my MBA program, we are also utilizing a strategy matrix tool developed by Joel Barker (Author of “Five Regions of the Future: Preparing your business for tomorrow’s technology revolution”). In conjunction with his Strategy Matrix, we also look at 2nd and 3rd order implications and therefore can provide excellent analysis capabilities. The BPM industry will be my underlying focus in research using these tools. This blog will encompass the process and development of research and analysis and provide current information that pertains to industry trends, statistical analysis, and white papers; all regarding the impact of BPM and BPM technology.

Currently reading Management Research, Third Edition. Mark Easterby-Smith, Richard Thorpe, and Paul . Jackson.