代做COMP3760/6760: Enterprise Systems Integration Assignment 2 Semester 2, 2024
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Assignment 2: BPMfor (International) Student Admission
Semester 2, 2024
BPM for (International) Student Admission
Source: Gonzalez-Dominguez, J., Busch, P., (2018), “Automated business process discovery and analysis for the international higher education industry” Knowledge Management and Acquisition for Intelligent Systems: 15th Pacific Rim Knowledge Acquisition Workshop, PKAW 2018. Yoshida, K. & Lee, M.
(eds.). Cham: Springer, Springer Nature, p. 170-183.
BPM Background
Business Process Management uses different techniques to achieve organisational goals through well established, monitored and continuously improved processes [1]. Business processes are a series of interdependent activities carried out at different levels. Processes can run internally in an organisation, either inside a department or among various departments, or externally through different organisations [8]. Several authors have approached the study of business processes from different perspectives. Papazoglou and Ribbers [9] describe business processes as part of the technical and management foundations for e-business solutions. Hammer [10] notes processes and process management as a whole discipline that supports transformation strategies and organisational operations. Hung [11] notes process alignment and people involvement are variables impacting the successful implementation of Business Process Management as a competitive advantage. Business process initiatives allow organisations to develop or implement methodologies to maximise resources by business process continuous improvement [12].
Since the publication of the value chain by Porter [20] organisations have shifted from functional centric to process-centric operations. Business processes are the collection of interdependent activities performed in an established order to reach organisational goals [8]. Several measurements can be attached to business processes, for instance, time, cost, performer and quality. Furthermore, business processes’ scope can range from processes running within an individual business unit to processes running across different organisations [9].
Business Process Management is considered a mature discipline that “support business processes using methods, techniques, and software to design, enact, control, and analyse operational processes involving humans, organisations, applications, documents and other sources of information” [1]. BPM uses techniques such as business process modelling to help create representations of business processes (also known as business process models), for better visualization and to avoid misunderstandings [21]. Business Process Management can use tools and techniques from different approaches. Methodologies based on creativity like Process Re-engineering, internal or external benchmarking or statistical analysis such as Six Sigma [22] are also relevant. For example van der Aalst, La Rosa and Santoro [23] highlight how Six Sigma methodologies for improving a business process by “statistically quantifying process performance” [23] could be not accurate as the data would be manually collected, as well as prove expensive and time-consuming.
University processing
With growing demand from international students, a university should have the capability to monitor and improve its International Students Admissions Process continuously. The importance of this process relies on the ability of the university to ensure candidates’ qualifications and English proficiency are appropriate, comply with the Australian Education Legislation of providing written agreement, facilitate the transition between the application stage and the student enrolment stages, and elaborate market development strategies for recruitment. To manage the process, a university may use an application system that records all daily transactions regarding admissions activities and helps to keep one actual source of information. In general, the process is triggered when an application for study is received. The application can be made online through the application system or in hard copy (paper application). Data Entry Clerks can review the application and create a new student in the Student Management System, if the application is on paper, student details are entered in both systems.
The application can then be turned over for assessment to the Admissions Assistant or Admissions Officers. During assessment, admission officers confirm if the documentation is complete, if it complies with the university policies and if the student meets the entry requirements for the desired program. Furthermore, faculty permission and recognition of prior learning advice are sought if necessary. After assessment, the admissions officer either rejects the application, asks for more information or issues an offer letter with all the information about the program, tuition fees, commencement dates, insurance and other information requested by Australian Legislation. The offer letter can be Full Offer Letter, Full Offer with Conditions or Conditional. The next task is Acceptance. A significant time gap can be expected between issuing the offer letter and acceptance. The acceptance is processed by the admissions officer/assistance in coordination with the finance department. When the finance department confirms the student’s payment, a confirmation of enrolment (CoE) is issued and sent to the student with a welcome message and instructions for program enrollment. At this point, the International Student Admission Process can be considered finished.
Processes
The process in figure 1 shows two activities that do not conform. with the assumed process flow. “Application Edited” is an activity that can happen in any part of the process, but it happens mainly before the application is submitted. In the process model, this activity leads to “Assessing” skipping two activities “Submitted” and “Pending Assessment” . The other activity - “Not Qualified” is considered an ending activity. However one case in the event log continues with “Agent Assignment Request by Student” which allows the algorithm to link the activities, this case can be an exception within the process. On average a process case can change status nine times and include 10 activities from beginning to end. The maximum number of activities is 29, and the minimum is two.
Table 1 summarises the main events and processing times per sequence pattern in days. The table shows average times and standard deviation.
The overall results for the complete data set mention an average of 1.06 months to complete a case (i.e. an application) with a standard deviation of 1.02 months.
The applications are reviewed and entered in the Student Management System in less than one day and then hold a Pending Assessment status for 4.2 days. If advice is requested from faculties or recognition of prior learning, this could take 21.5 and 6.8 days respectively. Issuing offer or rejection letters when documentation is complete and no further faculty or recognition of prior learning is sought, can be completed in 12.4 days on average (includes Qualified, Conditional Offers and Not Qualified).
University Team
Your work team of six staff will consist of the following professional staff:
. two (2) international office workers – Higher Education Worker (HEW) level 7
. two (2) faculty administrative officers – HEW level 7
. one (1) faculty manager who signs off the process – HEW level 8
. one (1) international office manager who signs off the process – HEW level 8
Student
. Don’t forget this is an international student application, so let us create one (1) ‘International Student’ to model in our process as well.
Cost
What will help you is looking at the SCHEDULE 1: FULL-TIME ANNUAL SALARIES (pages 77 and 78) in the document in the footnote below.
Assignment algorithm
You are a Business Analyst (BA) undertaking BPM to improve processes in an international office at an Australian university (you can pretend it is MQ).
a. Read pages 335-340 (section 12.6 - 12.7) regarding BPMN (Papazoglou and Ribbers, 2010). These
pages are included with this assignment.
b. Consider the software you wish to use – ADONIS etc. (see appendix 1) or other suitable BPM software depending on your machine.
c. Re-read pages 2-5 above.
d. Examine figure 1 and table 1 above, and appendix 2 below for an idea of how to create a To-Be process.
e. Implement your To-Be process model for the scenario above. You are free as a business analyst to re-work processes!
1. Implement the above scenario
Who are your staff and where do they sit (faculty vs. international office)?
How much do your staff cost?
What are your costs and why?
What time did your whole process take for one cycle?
You are free to make assumptions - so explain them!
2. Take your BPM model, screen-dump it into a report and briefly discuss what you have done.
3. PDF your report.
4. Submit your report on iLearn.
Deliverables
Soft copy only
One
- The
- Use connectors in your diagrams and export to your document using screen shots (PrtSc).
Submission
Place your soft copy in your assignment 2 submission folder on iLearn.