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Information Systems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises pp 25–46Cite as

Business Process Management in Small Business: A Case Study

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Abstract

Small Businesses account for a significant portion of the Australian business sector. With Business Process Management (BPM) gaining prominence in recent decades as a means of improving business performance, it would seem to only be a matter of time before it gains momentum within the Small Business sector. One may even question why it has not already achieved more traction within the sector. This case study involves a BPM initiative to develop process infrastructure in an establishing Small Business. It explores whether mainstream BPM tools, techniques and technologies can be applied in a Small Business setting. The chapter provides a background to the case organisation, outlines the activities undertaken in the BPM initiative and distils key observations drawn from participation in the initiative and consultation with stakeholders. Based on the case study experiences, a number of implications are identified for further consideration by the BPM discipline as it continues to address the question of how it can become more widely adopted amongst Small Businesses.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank The Business and the Stakeholders for allowing the case study to be conducted within the organisation and for their valuable contributions. This research has received ethical clearance by the Queensland University of Technology University Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval number: 1100001155). It has been confirmed as meeting the requirements of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Ian Dallas

  2. NICTA Queensland Research Lab, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Moe Thandar Wynn

Authors
  1. Ian Dallas
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  2. Moe Thandar Wynn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Moe Thandar Wynn .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. ELIT - Lab, Ghent University University College West-Flanders, Kortrijk, Belgium

    Jan Devos

  2. Industrial Management, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium

    Hendrik van Landeghem

  3. Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ghent University Faculty of Economics and Business Admin., Ghent, Belgium

    Dirk Deschoolmeester

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Dallas, I., Wynn, M.T. (2014). Business Process Management in Small Business: A Case Study. In: Devos, J., van Landeghem, H., Deschoolmeester, D. (eds) Information Systems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Progress in IS. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38244-4_2

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