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2003
Report
Title
eParticipative process learning for sustainable and lived processes
Title Supplement
A case study on process introduction (executive summary)
Abstract
Why eParticipative Process Learning? Sustainable change! The ability to change is of crucial importance for an organization's success. Shorter innovation cycles, rising costs, and individualizing customer's demands offer new challenges to successful organizations [Schu00]. Software organizations, in particular, are faced with these challenges of change. Short innovation cycles through rapid technical progress and paradigm change cause existing knowledge to quickly become obsolete, and require continuous, goal-oriented adaption of the organization. Contrary to the necessity of change is the success of projects that implement the necessary change. According to the study of ILOI in 1997 [MoC97] 4 of 10 change projects achieve less than 60 % of their goals. These projects usually fail not because of hard, factual-technical barriers, but because of soft, mentalcultural ones [KoMo02]. Leverages for the comprehensive change of an organization are their business processes and the knowledge associated with these processes. An approach to use these leverages for achieving the necessary change is Process Learning [ArSc78], i.e., the organization-wide introduction and improvement of a process. In the case of eParticipative Process Learning, organization members provide opinions on and experiences with processes via web-based technologies. Conflicting opinions are then mediated towards a consensus and experience is captured for upcoming process executions. What is indiGo? Methodology & platform for eParticipative Process Learning. The indiGo1 project supports eParticipative Process Learning technologically with an Intranet-based process information system (PINS) with discourse and Lessons Learned features. A methodology for business-process oriented knowledge management, tuned to the features of the indiGo-PINS, ensures its organizational embedding. The discourse feature of the indiGo-PINS allows a comprehensive participation of members of an organization. With this discourse feature, conventional approaches to change implementation are supplemented and supported (training courses, task team, workshop). The consent obtained thereby promises sustain1able change through high acceptance, high commitment during its implementation, and a special quality through the variety of discussed ideas, perspectives and arguments. Based on these comprehensive participation results, Lessons Learned are extracted from the discussions. These Lessons Learned are then available for upcoming process executions and thus support application of the (changed) processes. Contents of case study? Controlled introduction of two processes! In order to show these positive effects, a case study was performed at IESE. Two processes relevant for IESE's business were introduced using eDiscourses: Industrial Project Acquisition and Conference Participation Planning. The evaluation of these processes concerning acceptance and perceived quality was measured with two questionnaires: The first questionnaire was distributed during the discussion; the second one after the changes based on the discussion results were implemented. These questionnaires also captured the attitude of the participants toward eParticipative Process Learning and were combined with the evaluation of discussion contributions. And the result? It works! The case-study showed three substantial results regarding indiGo's methodology and platform: · The acceptance and the perceived quality of the process descriptions were increased. · Relevant process improvements could be derived and implemented based on the discussion. · The discussion participants were satisfied with the discussion and its results. These results are based on 16% to 27% of IESE members participating in the activities of the case study. Thus, the results are based on a representative population. Furthermore, the distribution of the case study participants concerning experience level and position in the organization was balanced.
Publishing Place
Kaiserslautern