This course focuses on translating organizational strategy into effective process designs. Starting with a definition of organizational goals, students learn how to create as-is and to-be process maps, how to evaluate the alignment of process and organizational goals, and practice reengineering approaches as proposed by Hammer and Champy, Davenport, Harrington and others. The course covers the design of processes to meet organizational efficiency goals and the related design of process-oriented organizations. Further topics explored in this course are value-focused process engineering as well as risk and compliance management through BPM. In terms of BPM Maturity this course discusses the aspects of BPM governance, culture and strategic alignment.

This course continues the topics of MIS 710 and leads from process design through implementation to the management of workflows and their underlying technology systems. The course is focused on the technical and implementation aspects of BPM. Students learn the distinction between business processes and business rules and how they can be implemented in information systems. The course outlines the technical structure of process-aware applications and provides an overview of technology standards that affect BPM systems. The course is completed by modules on the run-time monitoring of processes and post-execution evaluation techniques. In terms of BPM Maturity this course focuses on the technology, methodical and people aspects.

Every organization has three essential (core) processes: Product/Service Development (Innovation Management); Product/Service Sales (Customer Relationship Management); and Product/Service Delivery (Supply Chain Management). This third core course in the BPM & SI concentration applies the concepts of the previous two courses in the supply chain management domain. Students are introduced to the concept of the extended enterprise and learn how interorganizational processes can be structured and optimized. The concepts taught in this course are applicable to both services and manufacturing enterprises.

The course studies general management areas for operations, both in manufacturing and services enterprises. The focus of this course is on the service sector. The course uses multiple case studies to emphasize service operations issues with an overall focus on productivity and total quality management. In the context of the BPM & SI concentration, this course serves as an elective for students that are interested in general management concepts surrounding processes in service organizations.

Business Process Management follows a continuous lifecycle model of process design, implementation, execution, and evaluation. Organizations with a high degree of BPM maturity continually evaluate and improve their processes, a concept that is shared with approaches such as Total Quality Management and Six Sigma. This course provides students with the option to refine and extend their knowledge in the area of quality management and continuous improvement.

BPM & SI students can choose to write a report about a research project or initiative in the BPM area. This option allows practitioners to apply the insights from the BPM courses to their organization and document this application in form of a project report. Students with research interests can engage in advanced research projects within the Howe School Center of Excellence for Business Process Innovation. The elective provides an opportunity for full-time students to perform internships in BPM-related positions. Sponsoring organizations can suggest topics and/or source interns with a documented skill set in Business Process Management.

The information systems that support organizational processes provide horizontal functionality that relies on technical components such as databases, messaging systems, enterprise service buses, and business intelligence platforms. Students can select MIS 730 for an in-depth treatment of the architectural considerations behind the technology platforms that support BPM. If desired, students can choose MIS 731 as a variant that focuses specifically on enterprise computing infrastructures.

* Elective course for Graduate Certificate, core course in the MS-IS Program

The MSIS/BPM & SI Master’s Degree consists of 12 courses (36 credits), following this curriculum:

1. MGT-680 Organizational Behavior
2. MGT-609 Introduction to Project Management
3. MGT-623 Financial Management
4. MIS-620 Analysis & Development of IS
5. MIS-710 Process Innovation & Management
6. MIS-712 BPM & Workflow Implementation
7. MIS-690 Supply Chain Management and Strategy
   
8. MIS-730 Integrating Information Systems
9. MIS-750 Management of IT Organizations
10. MIS-760 IT Strategy
11. & 12. choose two of the following:

        MIS-630 Data and Knowledge Management
        MIS-640 Managing Information Networks
        MGT-657 Operations Management
        MGT-656 Quality and Process Management
        MGT-800 Special Problems in BPM

The BPM & SI program consists of three core courses and one elective. The core courses cover the entire spectrum of the process management lifecycle and its application in practice. The electives provide an opportunity for students to focus their studies on either more technical, organizational, or applied aspects of Business Process Management. The program is available in three forms: A Master of Science in Information Systems, a Graduate Certificate, or as custom executive education courses.

The BPM & SI program addresses the needs of public and private organizations that want to strengthen and improve their Process Management capabilities. It covers topics relevant for IT staff that is participating in BPM initiatives, business personnel involved in process modeling projects, and executives involved in process management and strategic development projects. The program is also suitable for IT organizations with BPM tool offerings and provides business-level education for sales-force personnel, technical staff, and consultants.