The Metamorphoses of Workflow Projects in their Early Stages

Abstract

Empirical studies on workflow usually focus on systems which have already been introduced and on the problems which occur with these systems if exceptional cases differ from the regular business processes. This study focuses on the problems that occur in the early stages of projects intended to introduce workflow systems but which do not inevitably succeed. In most cases the companies under investigation eventually introduced other types of software, or the business processes were merely analysed and improved but not automated during the project. We explain this phenomenon by referring to Orlikowski's concept of metamorphoses which analysed organizational change under conditions of groupware usage. A number of empirical details in our study of seven companies during a 4-year period can be related to this concept as well as to literature on workflow. In our ex-post study of the workflow projects we concluded that paradoxically starting with a workflow project might be an appropriate way of introducing improvement in cooperation and coordination without using workflow management technology and that concepts for flexible workflow technology are of minor relevance for this improvement.

The effectiveness of workflow management systems: Predictions and lessons learned

“…The same phenomenon and in an even more intensified shape has been reported in Herrmann and Hoffmann (2003). This study describes several WfM projects that failed in the sense that the WfM was never actually introduced.…”

“…They state the following paradox: ''It is sensible under certain circumstances to accept requests for workflow introduction and to commence such a project since this might be the most promising way leading to alternative solutions.'' (Herrmann & Hoffmann, 2003). We partly agree with this workflow paradox.…”

The Dynamics of Material Artifacts in Collaborative Research Teams

“…Eckert and Boujut (2003) explored the use of design artifacts as boundary objects. Herrmann and Hoffmann (2005) described workflow description as boundary objects. Boujut and Blanco (2003) conceived of intermediate artifacts as boundary objects that mediate, transform and re-represent information from one perspective into a form that is understandable by another.…”

Analysis of a collaborative workflow process with distributed actors

“…(Palmer 2007;Staffware 2000). In academic papers, various single case studies of workflow implementations are described and a small number of studies that involve multiple implementations (Herrmann and Hoffmann 2005;Kueng 2000;Oba et al 2000). Most of the studies that explicitly consider performance established a positive effect of workflow technology, in particular in Oba et al (2000).…”