PhD - Sustainable Business Process Design

[Former Member]

Hi,

Just read the two great threads on PhD's in the Business Intelligence - Faculty Club forum... but since my topic is more related to Business Network Transformation I thought it best to ask here.

My proposed PhD topic is all about understanding what elements of a business process design makes it more sustainable than an other design.

Clearly this is a highly interdisciplinary topic covering (at least):

- Economics (efficiency / effectiveness)

- General Systems Theory / Systems Dynamics

- Industry Engineering / Work Design

- Industry Ecology / Environmental Science

- Public policy

- and of course, enterprise Software

I'm working on a few leads already (Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia Canada and MIT for example)... but so far I've not found too many people doing research focused on Business Process Design. Lots of people doing work on Business Process Management Systems (BPMS), lots of people doing work on the science and/or policy end of sustainability... but little on Business Process Design and Sustainability.

(Aside: I find this lack of research a bit odd given that in a business network / value chain , it is the design of the overall end-to-end process, crossing multiple organizations, which ultimately determine how sustainably the process's output are being produced)

Any thoughts / ideas in terms of academic's, journals, articles or institutions which are looking at the sustainability crisis through the business process / business network design lens would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Antony

[Former Member]

Hello Everyone

Are there any more link suggestions for sustainability and SAP ERP you can suggest?

Thanks you

Charles Frith

[Former Member]

Check out the sustainability blog on the main SDN community page. Lots of interesting stuff going on there. Here is just one blog I was recently reading.

/people/jim.spath/blog/2010/02/07/sustainability-yours-mine-and-ours

[Former Member]

Hi

I agree with Nancy's reference and want to add that our entire Business Process Expert (BPX) Community is filled with experts you can call on in your research to gain insight. New content and ideas are shared and updated continuously.Just look for the BPX Community link at the top of any page. Explore and Enjoy.

Bob

[Former Member]

Hello Antony,

Your PhD topic sounds right on the button. I can only speak from local experience but around half of my members in the UK&I are starting to use Business Objects as a means to teaching students the concepts you describe in Business Processes - at one of our members for example we are working to support an Engineering Doctorate looking at the use of Business Intelligence in business processes using technology such as the iPad as a BPR analytical tool 'on the shop floor'. This would fall more under element (2) of your list. But you're right - each of the elements are crucial. My only advice would be that when you start out you go down a path which you find enjoyable and rewarding as this will enable to to stick to the PhD, and then also narrow the topic to a point where you can achieve the research in your lifetime. No joke - I've seen plenty of PhDs that wanted to map the world because of course everything is inter-related now. The trick is knowing where to draw the research boundary. I can certainly also point out some contacts at the like of Warwick and Cambridge Universities that have done BPR relating to health and aerospace but I'd suggest going with Jeff's suggestions first as he will almost certainly know people closer to you physically (not that that really matters anymore!)

All the best - and very best of luck!

Martin

Martin Gollogly

Director, University Alliances, UK, Ireland and Benelux

My proposed PhD topic is all about understanding what elements of a business process design makes it more sustainable than an other design.

Clearly this is a highly interdisciplinary topic covering (at least):

- Economics (efficiency / effectiveness)

- General Systems Theory / Systems Dynamics

- Industry Engineering / Work Design

- Industry Ecology / Environmental Science

- Public policy

- and of course, enterprise Software

I'm working on a few leads already (Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia Canada and MIT for example)... but so far I've not found too many people doing research focused on Business Process Design. Lots of people doing work on Business Process Management Systems (BPMS), lots of people doing work on the science and/or policy end of sustainability... but little on Business Process Design and Sustainability.

(Aside: I find this lack of research a bit odd given that in a business network / value chain , it is the design of the overall end-to-end process, crossing multiple organizations, which ultimately determine how sustainably the process's output are being produced)

Any thoughts / ideas in terms of academic's, journals, articles or institutions which are looking at the sustainability crisis through the business process / business network design lens would be much appreciated.

[Former Member]

Hi Antony

I suggest you broaden your literature search into journals and books on Operations Research, Operations Management, and Process Models.

I also wrote a blog recently highlighting SAP's Clear New World advertising campaign. Check it out and follow the links to some related resources:

/people/bob.lobue/blog/2009/07/02/advertising-for-your-lectures

I wish you all the best on your PhD. Don't allow any reason to get in the way of completing it.

Bob

[Former Member]

Hi Antony

SAP is doing quite a bit of work on that topic. Contact me directly and I'll facilitate some introductions to the guys working on it.

jeffrey dot word at sap dot com