Architectural design support for business process and business network engineering

Concurrent enterprises and networks of business processes cannot function without each other. Cooperation in networks allows for faster reaction to business opportunities. Cooperation requires that the business processes and information technology (IT) systems within and between companies are well aligned with the demands their environment puts upon them. This requires a careful and effective analysis and design of business processes from a customer-to-customer perspective. Moreover, the introduction of IT for effective business network operations and coordination will only function in a predictable way when one has an accurate (design) model of the interaction and cooperation in the network. Therefore, a good model is essential. In this paper, we show how the modelling and analysis principles we developed for business process engineering can be used in business network engineering. We also introduce a visual design studio developed for this purpose. This visual design studio enables business process engineers to capture and analyse both structural and behavioural aspects of (networks of) business processes in terms of models without having actually to build these processes first. Models created with this visual design studio can be analysed and reconfigured on the basis of various business scenarios and perspectives and/or new technological possibilities. In the same way, the strategic benefit of IT for business processes and networks can be analysed and demonstrated. We furthermore discuss the additional endeavours confronted within business network engineering projects in contrast to business process engineering.