This chapter is centered on investigating the usability of process modeling tools, which are fundamental components of business process management (BPM). It is structured into two main sections. The first part offers a theoretical overview of the lifecycle of business process management, the concept of business process modeling, and various notations for process modeling. Furthermore, the chapter presents the key knowledge of BPMN and the tools for business process modeling, along with a comparative analysis of the investigated tools. The second part of the chapter is dedicated to evaluating the usability, focusing on users' perspectives, of three process modeling tools, categorizing them into web-based and desktop-based solutions, namely Camunda Web, SAP Signavio, and Camunda Desktop. The research results indicate that Camunda Web garnered the highest scores for usability, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use, and it was also the most preferred choice for modeling BPMN diagrams among participants.
TopIntroduction
Within organizations, both governmental and non-profit, various business processes are executed. In today's digital age, as collaboration increasingly takes place online and paperless operations become more common, many business processes require digitalization and automation (Lobacz & Szanter, 2022; Truong & Nguyen-Duc, 2023). To ensure the successful transformation of these business processes into digital formats, it is essential to follow all phases of process management.
The discipline that encompasses all activities related to managing business processes, including modeling, analyzing, automating, and continuous improvement, is known as Business Process Management (hereinafter BPM). Through process modeling, organizations map out their current processes, providing a visual representation of how work flows. Process analysis helps identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and areas for optimization. Automation is implemented to streamline routine and repetitive tasks, reducing human intervention and errors. Continuous improvement ensures that processes remain aligned with evolving business needs and market dynamics. Therefore, in this context, BPM provides a structured framework with several key and significant activities.
As reported by Polančič and Jošt (2016), BPM success depends on transparent and continuously improving business processes, which mostly result from business process-modeling techniques, approaches, and tools. Therefore, to succeed in digitalization, it is crucial not only to follow all phases of BPM but also to select suitable techniques, approaches, and tools for managing business processes, including tools for modeling processes. Additionally, Zuhaira and Ahmad (2021) emphasize that significant numbers of BPM projects face challenges and fail. It has been reported that 60 to 80% of such endeavors do not succeed (Zuhaira & Ahmad, 2021). The literature has highlighted various critical success and failure factors. One of the technology-oriented factors constraining project success is the lack of suitable and effective software tools for process modeling that assess the value of new processes before their enactment (Zuhaira & Ahmad, 2021).
Selecting a business process modeling tool is a well-established practice, and numerous investigations into evaluating these tools have been conducted over the years (Campos & Oliveira, 2011; Polančič & Jošt, 2016; Schmietendorf, 2008; Zuhaira & Ahmad, 2021). As reported by Schmietendorf (2008), this decision was already intricate 15 years ago. With the advent of new technologies and various tools with diverse functionalities and characteristics, the process of selecting an appropriate tool has grown even more complex in contemporary times. Despite its complexity, this decision is crucial because it can significantly impact the success of a BPM project. In light of this, we are motivated to investigate the usability of appropriate process modeling tools that are focused on modeling using the most widespread notation called Business Process Model and Notation (hereinafter BPMN), also known as standard ISO/IEC 19510:2013, which is identical to BPMN version 2.0.1. Hence, the primary objective of the research outlined in this chapter is to conduct a usability evaluation, including usefulness and ease of use, focusing on users' perspectives, of three process modeling tools: the Camunda online version, the Camunda desktop version, and Signavio. Based on both quantitative and qualitative results, our aim is to perform a comparative analysis of the assessment of these tools.