[PDF] Business process management and success factors

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Business process management and success factors

Which success factors are the basis for a successful A qualitative case study about the success factors present in the implementation phase of a single point of contact project at the

University of Agder

OLA SKARPMOEN ERIKSEN & JOHN JENSEN

SUPERVISOR

Dag Håkon Olsen

University of Agder, 2020

Faculty of Social Science

Department of Information Systems

II III

Preface

This master thesis is written as the final project at the master course in Information systems at the University of Agder. The thesis is a part of the IS-501-1 Master thesis in Information systemscourse and is written in the time period between January 2020 and June 2020. This course gives the opportunity to work in-depth with a specific subject and conduct a project in either the public or private sector. After writing this thesis we will have gained an understanding of applying theoretical knowledge and scientific methods to a specific problem. The purpose of this thesis is to answer what success factors are the basis for a successful implementation phase in a BPM project at a Norwegian university. We want to thank our supervisor, Professor Dag Håkon Olsen at the institute of Information systems at the University of Agder for his guidance and expertise in this field. We are thankful for the guidance, constructive feedback, and continued assistance that we have received throughout this thesis At last we want to thank interviewees at the University of Agder for their participation and honesty in our research. A special thanks to the UiA help project leader for allowing us to use their project as a part of our thesis.

Kristiansand, 3. June 2020

IV V

Abstract

The following master thesis looks into the topic of business process management and the success factors present in the implementation phase. From prior research, it was discovered that there is a research gap in prior conducted research about success factors within different phases of a BPM project. The purpose of this thesis is to add to this perceived research gap by discovering the success factors in the implementation phase of a BPM project undertaken at the

University of Agder.

A literature review was first conducted to identify already existing success factors, resulting in

127 factors found. A pre-existing framework of critical success factors was re-specified and

used in mapping the identified success factors. This led to two new categories being discovered, these being organizational change and processes. The framework was used as a basis in creating our interview guide and consisted of 11 critical success factors, leadership, methodology, people, performance measurement, project management, strategic alignment, organizational change, and processes. Data gathering consisted of a single explanatory case-study and a qualitative process. A total of nine individuals were interviewed through a semi-structured interview process. The chosen case study was a BPM project conducted at a large public sector organization, the University of Agder. The individuals interviewed were all people with a certain authority of the project during the implementation phase. The data collected from the interviews were transcribed and analysed in a data analysis system to determine what success factors respondents meant were critical. Findings were validated by cross-checking transcriptions of the interviews. In our findings, we discover that not all of the 11 critical success factors were critical for the implementation phase. We argue that culture, communication, people, and processes are the critical success factors of the implementation phase. Information technology, leadership, project management and organizational change are considered as important for this phase, but not critical. Methodology, performance measurement and strategic alignment are considered as not important for this phase. VI VII

Table of Contents

1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Motivation ......................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Contribution ...................................................................................................................... 2

Business process management and success factors

Which success factors are the basis for a successful A qualitative case study about the success factors present in the implementation phase of a single point of contact project at the

University of Agder

OLA SKARPMOEN ERIKSEN & JOHN JENSEN

SUPERVISOR

Dag Håkon Olsen

University of Agder, 2020

Faculty of Social Science

Department of Information Systems

II III

Preface

This master thesis is written as the final project at the master course in Information systems at the University of Agder. The thesis is a part of the IS-501-1 Master thesis in Information systemscourse and is written in the time period between January 2020 and June 2020. This course gives the opportunity to work in-depth with a specific subject and conduct a project in either the public or private sector. After writing this thesis we will have gained an understanding of applying theoretical knowledge and scientific methods to a specific problem. The purpose of this thesis is to answer what success factors are the basis for a successful implementation phase in a BPM project at a Norwegian university. We want to thank our supervisor, Professor Dag Håkon Olsen at the institute of Information systems at the University of Agder for his guidance and expertise in this field. We are thankful for the guidance, constructive feedback, and continued assistance that we have received throughout this thesis At last we want to thank interviewees at the University of Agder for their participation and honesty in our research. A special thanks to the UiA help project leader for allowing us to use their project as a part of our thesis.

Kristiansand, 3. June 2020

IV V

Abstract

The following master thesis looks into the topic of business process management and the success factors present in the implementation phase. From prior research, it was discovered that there is a research gap in prior conducted research about success factors within different phases of a BPM project. The purpose of this thesis is to add to this perceived research gap by discovering the success factors in the implementation phase of a BPM project undertaken at the

University of Agder.

A literature review was first conducted to identify already existing success factors, resulting in

127 factors found. A pre-existing framework of critical success factors was re-specified and

used in mapping the identified success factors. This led to two new categories being discovered, these being organizational change and processes. The framework was used as a basis in creating our interview guide and consisted of 11 critical success factors, leadership, methodology, people, performance measurement, project management, strategic alignment, organizational change, and processes. Data gathering consisted of a single explanatory case-study and a qualitative process. A total of nine individuals were interviewed through a semi-structured interview process. The chosen case study was a BPM project conducted at a large public sector organization, the University of Agder. The individuals interviewed were all people with a certain authority of the project during the implementation phase. The data collected from the interviews were transcribed and analysed in a data analysis system to determine what success factors respondents meant were critical. Findings were validated by cross-checking transcriptions of the interviews. In our findings, we discover that not all of the 11 critical success factors were critical for the implementation phase. We argue that culture, communication, people, and processes are the critical success factors of the implementation phase. Information technology, leadership, project management and organizational change are considered as important for this phase, but not critical. Methodology, performance measurement and strategic alignment are considered as not important for this phase. VI VII

Table of Contents

1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Motivation ......................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Contribution ...................................................................................................................... 2