Discussion Paper
Design it like Darwin - A Value-based Application of
Evolutionary Algorithms for Proper and Unambiguous
Business Process Redesign
by
Patrick Afflerbach, Martin Hohendorf1, Jonas Manderscheid
in: Information Systems Frontiers, 2016, p. 1-22
1
Martin Hohendorf has written this paper as a continuation of his master thesis.
Now he is working at Ernst & Young.
WI-554
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Design it like Darwin
A Value-based Application of Evolutionary Algorithms for Proper and
Unambiguous Business Process Redesign
Abstract
Business process management (BPM) is an acknowledged source of corporate performance. Despite the mature
body of knowledge, computational support is considered as a highly relevant research gap for redesigning business
processes. Therefore, this paper applies Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) that, on a conceptual level, mimic the
BPM lifecycle – the most popular BPM approach – by incrementally improving the status quo and bridging the
trade-off between maintaining well-performing design structures and continuously evolving new designs.
Beginning with describing process elements and their characteristics in matrices to aggregate process information,
the EA then processes this information and combines the elements to new designs. These designs are then assessed
by a function from value-based management. This economic paradigm reduces designs to their value contributions
and facilitates an objective prioritization. Altogether, our triad of management science, BPM and information
systems research results in a promising tool for process redesign and avoids subjective vagueness inherent to
current redesign projects.
Keywords: Evolutionary Algorithms, Genetic Programming, Business Process Redesign, Business Process
Management, Computational Process Management, Value-based Business Process Management