Prospectus

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ICT Enabled Process Innovation

Course
2019-2020

Admission requirements

None

Description

The course ICT enabled process innovation will focus on the role of processes and process thinking in organizations with respect to ICT. Information and Communication technologies can radically change the way companies are carrying out their business. Yet, implementing the latest system alone is not the magic pill for business success. On the contrary, process innovation starts with a thorough understanding of the strategy, process and structure of an organization before the right ICT technology can be selected and implemented. To further complicate matters most ICT driven organizations and environments have a tendency to change continuously adding additional complexity to ICT enabled process innovation.

Process thinking is correctly considered as one of the most important approaches to performance improvement. It is the precondition for the quality standards of the new ISO 9000:2000 series or the EFQM-norm (Total Quality Management): Quality is the result of mastered processes. Furthermore, process oriented companies encounter fewer problems when introducing integrated IT–platforms such as of workflow and knowledge management (Corporate and Business Portals) as well as enterprise resource planning (ERP). The management of European companies spends more and more time on the planning and execution of projects that aim to establish a flexible process organization. They focus increasingly on decisive core processes, accelerated processes and rationalized resource deployment.

The central questions that have to be answered are: Which strategic framework of conditions has to be defined for process oriented organizations, how to identify the vital core processes and how to link between strategic and operative management, which role a process owner assumes and what a process oriented organization looks like. Additionally, how can ICT enable a process oriented organization? Next to analyzing and optimizing business processes efficiently, it is imperative to establish a process competence that enables a company to act dynamically. ICT can play a major role in achieving this. Last but not least, the introduction of process oriented organization has to deal with its acceptance by the concerned staff members and thus with aspects of change management.  

Course objectives

By the end of the course, the students should be;

  • familiar with the basic procedures of modern process management,

  • understand the connections between company strategy and processes,

  • able to elaborate and analyze strategies and identify and prioritize core processes,

  • know the critical success factors in process management,

  • able to understand and apply a continuous process management and to analyze, optimize and redesign basic business processes,

  • have an understanding of the important role of ICT in process innovation and automation,

  • understand the basic concepts of change management and the social dynamics of a process management project.

Timetable

The schedule can be found on the Leiden University student website

Detailed table of contents can be found in blackboard.

Mode of instruction

The course is held as a compact course respectively three days seminar. On each of the three days, an introduction to the theory is given, followed by one continuously case study, which is based on a real project.

Assessment method

Group presentation I: 30%
Group presentation II: 30%
Exam: 40%

Blackboard

blackboard

Reading list

Hammer, & Stanton How Process Enterprises Really Work in Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec 1999.
After each session the slides including notes will be made available on the black board and serve as additional literature for this course.

Signing up for classes and exams

You have to sign up for classes and examinations (including resits) in uSis. Check this link for more information and activity codes.

There is only limited capacity for external students. Please contact the programme Co-ordinator

Contact information

Programme Co-ordinator: ms. Esme Caubo