Abstract
With the increasing proliferation of Robotic Process Automation and other low-code approaches in automating business processes come new challenges for reusing automation artifacts. Business logic is implemented in multiple technologies and developed decentrally across the organization. Especially citizen developers, who do not have extensive programming knowledge, face issues regarding reuse. Based on a thorough literature analysis and informed by Transaction Cost Theory, this research in progress identifies five challenges for reuse. Following design science research, we develop five principles that help organizations set up reuse environments that encompass both low-code and traditional development regarding automation artifacts. In addition, we describe how we plan to validate the principles in the next stage of our research.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dumas, M., La Rosa, M., Mendling, J., et al.: (2018) Fundamentals of Business Process Management, 2nd edn. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg (2018)
Woo, M.: The rise of no/low code software development—no experience needed? Engineering 6 (2020)
Novales, A., Mancha, R.: Fueling digital transformation with citizen developers and low-code development. MISQ Exec. 22 (2023)
Apte, U., Sankar, C.S., Thakur, M., et al.: Reusability-based strategy for development of information systems: implementation experience of a bank. MISQ 14 (1990)
Allen, G., Parsons, J.: Is query reuse potentially harmful? anchoring and adjustment in adapting existing database queries. Inf. Syst. Res. 21, 56–77 (2010)
Beerepoot, I., Di Ciccio, C., Reijers, H.A., et al.: The biggest business process management problems to solve before we die. Comput. Ind. 146, 103837 (2023)
Xie, W., Iyer, L,, Simpson, S.J.: Agile software development vulnerabilities and challenges: an empirical study. AMCIS 2022 Proc. 15 (2022)
Li, Y., Huang, R.: Participating in citizen development: theory of planned behavior. AMCIS 2022 Proc. 2 (2022)
Hevner, A.R., March, S.T., Park, J., Ram, S.: Design science in information systems research. MISQ 28 (2004)
Gregor, S., Chandra Kruse, L., Seidel, S.: Research perspectives: the anatomy of a design principle. JAIS 21 (2020)
Gogan, J.L., McLaughlin, M.-D., Thomas, D.: Critical incident technique in the basket. ICIS 2014 Proc. (2014)
Wolfswinkel, J.F., Furtmueller, E., Wilderom, C.P.M.: Using grounded theory as a method for rigorously reviewing literature. EJIS 22, 45–55 (2013)
François, P.A., Plattfaut, R.: The Reuse of Business Process Automation Artefacts. LNI 337 (2023)
van Aken, J.E.: Management research based on the paradigm of the design sciences: the quest for field-tested and grounded technological rules. J. Manag. Stud. 41 (2004)
Bock, A.C., Frank, U.: Low-Code Platform. BISE 63, 733–740 (2021)
Lethbridge, T.C.: Low-code is often high-code, so we must design low-code platforms to enable proper software engineering. In: Margaria, T., Steffen, B. (eds.) Leveraging Applications of Formal Methods, Verification and Validation, vol. 13036. Springer, Cham (2021)
François, P.A., Borghoff, V., Plattfaut, R., et al.: Why companies use RPA: a critical reflection of goals. Bus. Process Manag. BPM 2022, LNCS 13420 (2022)
Naqvi, S.A.A., Zimmer, M.P., Syed, R., et al.: Understanding the socio-technical aspects of low-code adoption for software development. ECIS 2023 Res. Papers 357 (2023)
Kim, Y., Stohr, E.A.: Software reuse: survey and research directions. J. Manag. Inf. Syst. 14 (1998)
McIlroy, M.D.: Mass produced software components. In: NATO Software Engineering Conference (1968)
Delgado, A., Ruiz, F., García-Rodríguez de Guzmán, I.: A reference model driven Architecture linking Business Processes and Services. HICSS 2018 Proc. 4651–4660 (2018)
Huang JC, Henfridsson O, Liu MJ (2022) Extending digital ventures through templating. Inf Syst Res 33
Li, S., Zhang, H., Jia, Z., et al.: Understanding and addressing quality attributes of microservices architecture: a systematic literature review. Inf. Softw. Technol. 131 (2021)
Becker, J., Delfmann, P., Knackstedt, R: Adaptive reference modeling: integrating configurative and generic adaptation techniques for information models. In: Reference Modeling: Efficient Information Systems Design Through Reuse of Information Models. Physica (2007)
Asatiani, A., Penttinen, E., Rinta-Kahila, T., et al.: Organizational implementation of intelligent automation as distributed cognition: six recommendations for managers. ICIS 2019 Proc. (2019)
Baskerville, R., Cavallari, M., Hjort-Madsen, K., et al.: Extensible architectures: the strategic value of service oriented architecture in banking. ECIS 2005 Proc. (2005)
Bjørnstad, S.: A research programme for object-orientation. EJIS 3 (1994)
Lacity M, Willcocks LP, Craig A (2015) Robotic Process Automation: Mature Capabilities in the Energy Sector. The Outsourcing Unit Working Research Paper Series
Hallikainen, P., Bekkhus, R., Pan, S.: How OpusCapita used internal rpa capabilities to offer services how opuscapita used internal RPA capabilities to offer services to clients to clients. MISQ Exec. 17 (2018)
Katz, R., Allen, T.J.: Investigating the Not-Invented-Here (NIH) syndrome: a look at the performance, tenure, and communication patterns of 50 R&D project groups. R&D Manag. 12 (1982)
Nazareth, D.L., Rothenberger, M.: Does the ‘Golidlocks Conjecture’ apply to software reuse? JITTA 8 (2006)
Lacity, M., Willcocks, L.P.: Innovating in service: the role and management of automation. In: Willcocks, L.P., Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J. (eds.) Dynamic innovation in outsourcing: Theories, cases and practices. Palgrave Macmillan (2018)
Noppen, P., Beerepoot I., van de Weerd, I, et al.: How to keep RPA maintainable? business process management. BPM 2020, Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. 12168 (2020)
Coarse, R.: The problem of social cost. JLE 3 (1960)
Coarse, R.: The nature of the firm. Economica 4 (1937)
Stallman, R.M.: Free software, free society: Selected essays of Richard M. GNU Press, Boston, Stallman (2002)
Subramanyam, R., Ramasubbu, N., Krishnan, M.S.: In search of efficient flexibility: effects of software component granularity on development effort, defects, and customization effort. ISR 23 (2012)
Nazareth, D.L., Rothenberger, M.A.: Assessing the cost-effectiveness of software reuse: a model for planned reuse. J. Syst. Softw. 73 (2004)
Heinrich, B., Huber, A., Zimmermann, S.: Make-and-sell or buy of web services a real option approach. ECIS 2011 Proc. (2011)
Anguswamy R, Frakes WB (2013) Reuse Design Principles. DReMeR ‘13 - International Workshop on Designing Reusable Components and Measuring Reusability Picture held in conjunction with the 13th International Conference on Software Reuse
Ren, M., Lyytinen, K.J.: Building enterprise architecture agility and sustenance with SOA. CAIS 22 (2008)
Bērziša, S., Bravos, G., Gonzalez, T.C., et al.: capability driven development: an approach to designing digital enterprises. BISE 57 (2015)
Sherif, K., Menon, N.M.: Managing technology and administration innovations: four case studies on software reuse. JAIS 5 (2004)
Poulin, J.S., Caruso, J.M., Hancock, D.R.: The business case for software reuse. IBM Syst. J. 32 (1993)
Joachim, N., Beimborn, D., Weitzel, T.: The influence of SOA governance mechanisms on IT flexibility and service reuse. JSIS 22 (2013)
Becker, A., Widjaja, T., Buxmann, P.: Value potentials and challenges of service-oriented architectures. BISE 3 (2011)
Borghoff, V., Plattfaut, R.: Steering the robots: an investigation of IT governance models for lightweight IT and robotic process automation. In: Business Process Management: LNBIP, vol. 459 (2022)
Mirispelakotuwa, I., Syed, R., Wynn, M.T.: Is RPA causing process knowledge loss? Insights from RPA experts. In: Köpke, J., López-Pintado, O., Plattfaut, R. et al. (eds) Business Process Management: Blockchain, Robotic Process Automation and Educators Forum, vol. 491. Springer Nature (2023)
Rothenberger, M.A., Jain, H., Sugumaran, V.: A platform-based design approach for flexible software components. JITTA 18 (2017)
Strothmann, A., Schulte, M.: Migrating from RPA to backend automation: an exploratory study. In: Business Process Management: Blockchain, Robotic Process Automation and Educators Forum. BPM 2023 Proceedings (2023)
Rothenberger, M.A., Kulkarni, U.R.: Software reuse in information systems development. AMCIS 2000 Proc. (2000)
Witman, P.D.: Tracing patterns of large-scale software reuse. AMCIS 2006 Proc. (2006)
Juhrisch, M., Thies, G.: Service management beyond UDDI - a design science approach. PACIS 2008 Proc. (2008)
(2017) ISO/IEC/IEEE International Standard - Systems and software engineering - Software life cycle processes (ISO/IEC/ IEEE 12207)
Ryan, T.J., Walter, C., Alarcon, G., et al.: The influence of personality on code reuse. HICSS 2019 Proc. (2019)
Schreieck, M., Wiesche, M., Krcmar, H.: Governing innovation platforms in multibusiness organisations. EJIS (2022)
Davenport, T.H.: Process management for knowledge work. In: vom Brocke, J., Rosemann, M. (eds.) Handbook on Business Process Management 1: Introduction, Methods, and Information Systems, 2nd ed. Springer (2015)
Montecinos, F.: An experience in the establishment of a software reuse culture in a real environment. AMCIS 1996 Proc. (1996)
Kedziora, D., Penttinen, E.: Governance models for robotic process automation: the case of Nordea Bank. JITTC 11 (2021)
Kerpedzhiev, G.D., König, M.U., Röglinger, M., et al.: An exploration into future business process management capabilities in view of digitalization. BISE 63 (2021)
Plattfaut, R., Borghoff, V., Godefroid, M.E., et al.: The critical success factors for robotic process automation. Comput. Ind. 138, 103646 (2022)
Syed, R., Suriadi, S., Adams, M., et al.: Robotic process automation: contemporary themes and challenges. Comput. Ind. 115, 103162 (2020)
François, P.A., Kampmann, M., Plattfaut, R., et al.: Systematically embedding automation reuse in business process management projects. LNI 340 (2023)
van Looy, A., Rotthier, S.: Kiss the documents! How the city of Ghent digitizes its service processes. In: vom Brocke, J., Mendling, J. (eds.) Business Process Management Cases. Springer International Publishing (2018)
Průcha, P., Madzík, P.: SiDiTeR: Similarity discovering techniques for robotic process automation. In: LNBIP, vol. 491. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham (2023)
Hevner, A.R.: A three cycle view of design science research. SJIS 19 (2007)
Acknowledgements
This work has been developed for the project KEBAP at South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences. The project (reference number: 13FH034KX0) is partly funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
François, P.A., Plattfaut, R. (2024). Designing the Organizational Reuse Environment - Enabling Citizen Developers to Reuse Process Automation Artifacts. In: Di Ciccio, C., et al. Business Process Management: Blockchain, Robotic Process Automation, Central and Eastern European, Educators and Industry Forum. BPM 2024. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 527. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70445-1_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70445-1_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-70444-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-70445-1
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)