& Editorial

Business Process Management Revisited

It is fascinating to note that gradually organizationsare becoming refocused on processes. This refers toeither the use of technology or more general appro-aches to the design, redesign and management ofbusiness processes. Why is this so? I would like toexplore some of the reasons for this in this editorial.

It is my contention that process management is nomere fashion. Process management speaks to someissues that will remain of crucial importance toman-agers. Organizations are facing customers withhigher and higher expectations with respect to thequality, reliability and responsiveness of the pro-ducts and services that are delivered to them. It isonly through a deep understanding of business pro-cesses that managers can meet these expectations.Such a deep understanding also allows for the speci-fication of appropriate measures of business processperformance that will enhance their ability to man-age these business processes.

Another reason for the perennial importance ofbusiness process management concerns the coststhat are bound up in processes. An essential aspectof controlling costs is controlling the costs associatedwith business processes. The interesting futuredimensionwill address the costs embedded in inter-organizational processes.

Process management also demands detailedknowledge of internal and external aspects of thebusiness. Obviously it requires a level of processknowledge but it also requires detailed, relevantand up-to-date knowledge of customers, markets,and many other aspects of the environment withinwhich the business operates.

A central theme here is integration—processeshave to be integrated internally and with other pro-cesses. Elements of knowledge have to be integratedto create more reliable, coherent, knowledge that isnecessary for the efficient and effectivemanagementof the organization.

We must research, develop and apply appropri-ate conceptual tools for analyzing processes. Over

the last few years it is my hope that Knowledgeand Process Management and its large number ofexcellent contributors have made a not insignificantcontribution to this endeavor.

In upcoming issues of Knowledge and Process Man-agement I am particularly interested in exploring avariety of what I believe to be central issues forKnowledge and Process Management:

� Process modelling approaches that facilitate theintegration of knowledge and knowledge man-agement;

� Research on and approaches to facilitating theintegration of knowledge within and betweenorganizations and, increasingly, between cul-tures;

� The part technology can play in enabling and sup-porting knowledge and process management;

� Approaches to integrating the visioning and revi-sioning of organizational strategies and processperspectives;

� Research and practice relating to analysing,designing, implementing, and managing interor-ganizational processes.

Although these issues span a wide range of issues Ilook forward to being stimulated to explore manyother topics and areas as a result of papers submittedto Knowledge and Process Management.

In addition to providing an outlet for excellentresearch I also take pride in the quality of the prac-titioner papers that we have published over thelast seven years. This combination along with thejoint focus on knowledge and process manage-ment makes this publication unique. Please keepyour contributions coming and if you have notyet made a contribution to this stimulating andvital field of research and practice please considerdoing so!

Anthony Wensley

Knowledge and Process Management Volume 10 Number 4 p 217 (2003)

Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/kpm.185

Copyright # 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.