How Context-Aware Are Extant BPM Methods? - Development of an Assessment Scheme

Context awareness is vital for business process management (BPM) success. Although many academics have called for context-aware BPM, current BPM research and practice do not seem to sufficiently account for various contexts. To examine whether this statement holds true, we developed an assessment scheme that enables determining to which extent existing BPM methods can be applied in various contexts. We identified 25 exemplary BPM methods based on a structured literature review and rated them according to their applicability to different context dimensions, i.e., goal, process, organization and environment dimension. Our results indicate that most BPM methods are rather context-independent, i.e., they are not geared to specific contexts. Accordingly, the investigated BPM methods follow a one-size-fits-all approach and practitioners have no guidance on how to tailor BPM in their organizations. In particular, there is a lack of BPM methods for explorative purposes as well as for knowledge- and creativity-intense business processes. In the digital age, which is characterized by volatility and high pressure for innovation, these domains are very important. Our research is a first step toward context-aware BPM methods and structured guidance for organizations regarding the systematic selection and configuration of BPM methods.