An evaluation structure and criteria of Workflow Management Systems for Business Process Reengineering

경영혁신을 위한 일류시스템 평가구조 및 기준에 대한 연구

The changing business environment requires that firms reengineer their fundamental processes in order to retain their competitive advantage. Most Business Proess Reengineering (BPR) projects, however, have failed partly because the essential enabler, ie. information technology, was unable to perpetuate the original vision. The information systems were unable to support the collaboration among the workers participating in the process. Workflow Management Systems (WfMS) have the potential to enhance not only individual performance as did traditional information systems, but also the group performance essential to the success of BPR by providing an effective means of communications through connectivity. It also enhances productivitiy through proceduralization of the fundamental processes, thus making it possible to empower the employee even while it controls the flow, and ultimately the delaly that originally made the BPR effort necessary. Therefore, though it is not a panacea, WfMS's can improve chances for the success of BPR projects. Managers who have realized this are faced with another obstacle - that of selecting the WfMS that best meets the particular organization's needs. This paper provids an evaluation structure of WfMS functions with emphasis on those functions that are essential for BPR, classifying the functions into an attribute hierarchy according to the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach. It also suggests specific evaluation criteria for the main workflow functions provided by most vendors today, thus providing managers with a comprehensive guideline to facilitate the decision process.