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A business process management lifecycle framework for continuous improvement towards operational excellence: lessons learned from a longitudinal study in a Brazilian organisation

Luiz Felipe Scavarda (Department of Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Paula Ceryno (Department of Production Engineering, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Thais Azevedo (Department of Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Rodrigo Goyannes Gusmão Caiado (Department of Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma

ISSN: 2040-4166

Article publication date: 27 November 2024

Issue publication date: 11 February 2025

106

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to offer a business process management (BPM) framework with information and insights on designing, implementing, using and assessing business processes for continuous improvement towards operational excellence.

Design/methodology/approach

An action research is carried out over two and a half years on the BPM evolution of a Brazilian entertainment organisation.

Findings

Research provides a novel procedural framework towards improving the understanding of how a complete lifecycle approach for BPM can be implemented for continuous improvement, embracing the critical success factors for each lifecycle phase to achieve operational excellence. Information technology and project management are critical success factors resulting in project barriers. Strategic alignment, top management support, collaborative environment, methods and methodology, and focus on users and culture are acknowledged as main enablers. Findings reinforce the importance of an organisation analysis phase to begin the BPM development and highlight the assessment and improvement phase to respond to organisational environment dynamism.

Practical implications

Practitioners can benefit from the lessons learnt and the proposed framework, which serves as a rigorous methodology to achieve operational excellence in their real-world settings.

Originality/value

This paper goes beyond the well-known design and analysis phases of BPM development, generally studied with an individual focus, offering a complete lifecycle approach for continuous improvement, analysing each phase, from the drawing board to its use and evaluation. It counts on an original longitudinal study rather than a single-time assessment study.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) [Grant numbers: N310578/2022-1, 307173/2022-4, 405734/2023-9, 442384/2023-8], Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support of Rio de Janeiro State (FAPERJ) [Grant numbers: E- 26/201.363/2021, E-26/200.451.2023, E26/211.298/2021], and Coordination of Higher Education Personnel Improvement (CAPES) [Grant numbers: Finance Code 001.

Citation

Scavarda, L.F., Ceryno, P., Azevedo, T. and Goyannes Gusmão Caiado, R. (2025), "A business process management lifecycle framework for continuous improvement towards operational excellence: lessons learned from a longitudinal study in a Brazilian organisation", International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 296-327. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-12-2023-0218

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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