An exploratory study of IT-enabled collaborative process modeling

Abstract

Process modeling is an important design practice in intra- as well as inter-organizational process improvement projects. Inter-organizational process modeling often requires collaboration support for distributed participants. We present the results of a preliminary exploratory of study of process modeling on basis of collaborative technology. We examine a group of process modelers that rely on a collaborative modeling editor to complete two process modeling tasks in distributed settings. We examine how the participants learn to appropriate the technology, the key phases and tasks of collaborative process modeling, the breakdowns encountered and workarounds employed by the participants. With our study, we provide a first understanding of the IT-enabled process of process modeling, and detail a set of guidelines and implications for the research and design of collaborative process modeling. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.