Business process management under the microscope: the potential of social network analysis

Business Process Management seeks to do just as its name suggests. As with many management approaches, improvements can made through analyzing at varying levels how processes are actually undertaken compared to how management may think they are being done or vice versa. One novel way business process management may be improved is through the use of Social Network Analysis to observe actual working relationships among employees. If we are able to ascertain who is working with whom in practice, as opposed to how we may think they are, we have a means of either reconstructing workflows or alternatively employee practices, to name but a couple of approaches. Ultimately it is not unreasonable to consider such improvements as aiding in the knowledge management of the organization as a whole.