Utilisation of business process models in managerial practice: An empirical study in Slovak companies certified to the ISO 9001 standard

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the results of an empirical study conducted in Slovak companies certified to the ISO 9001 standard. We assume that some of these companies have developed business process models during the implementation of the ISO 9001 standard. Generally, the ISO 9001 standard creates a space for various opportunities for creating business process models and their real utilisation in managerial practice. Our research looks for answers mostly to these questions: (1) to what extent, and in which way are business process models utilised in Slovak firms which are certified to ISO 9001; and (2) what are the causes of the different ways of utilisation of the business process models in the managerial practice of these companies? Our research focuses on the elements of the corporate system included in a process model, as well as the possibilities for their application. This empirical study also points out the linear dependence between the extent of the process model (X) and its actual utilisation (Y). It also looks into the causes why some firms use the process model more than others. The results of this research serve as a foundation for the requirements of the process-oriented companies independently of their certification to ISO 9001.

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