Empirical research in business process management: introduction to the special issue

摘要

In this editorial letter, we provide the readers of Information Systems and e-Business Management with an introduction to Business Process Management and the challenges of empirical research in this field. We then briefly describe selected examples of current research efforts in this field and how the papers accepted for this special issue contribute to extending our body of knowledge. The improvement of business processes is a perennial top priority of chief information executives (Gartner Group: Leading in Times of Transition 2010). When seeking to re-design business processes to improve operational efficiency, increase compliance or foster business innovation, managers increasingly turn to Business Process Management (BPM) (Smith and Fingar 2003).