Business Process Management for Open Processes

Abstract

Product development processes are open and creative business processes. They consist of a project level where the coordination of different engineering processes takes place. These sub-processes form a second level. The engineering processes can be supported with business process supporting tools like workflow and document management systems. On the project-level the sub-processes must be bound together, coordinated and their execution has to be controlled. Such business process management for open and creative processes can be supported by the Engineering Process Manager (EPM) which is a generic IT-tool. The module supports a coordination method which reflects a critique of project management methods which support a central information management and decision making rather than decentral management with distributed knowledge and competence. Process management is considered as an ongoing detailation, negotiation, decision making and information process about the product development process between teams and a project manager. EPM helps to collect, disseminate and interpret data to plan, schedule and control the process along important issues like: planning, replanning and controlling. The performed process can be visualised and criticised at arbitrary times. After the product development process has been finished EPM supports the evaluation of stored data to improve and update the standards for the business process management for open, creative processes.