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Unit outline_

INFS6015: Business Process Management

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

This unit highlights the key concepts of business process management (BPM) and their importance to organisations in supporting the business operations and providing opportunities for competitive advantage and innovation. It provides a detailed understanding of the concepts, strategies, tools and technologies required throughout the BPM lifecycle. This unit takes both the strategic and change management perspectives in designing process architecture and governance, as well as analysing, designing, and measuring performance of processes across value chains and aligned to industry standards. The unit also develops practical skills in modelling and simulating processes using business process management tools.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Business Information Systems
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
INFS5002 or COMP5206
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Corina Raduescu, corina.raduescu@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Final exam (Take-home short release) Type D final exam Final exam
Written exam
40% Formal exam period 2.5 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Assignment Individual assignment
Written task
25% Week 06
Due date: 10 Sep 2021 at 23:59

Closing date: 17 Sep 2021
1750 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO5 LO6
Assignment group assignment Project Plan
Pitch (5 min) Presentation & Submission
10% Week 07
Due date: 20 Sep 2021 at 23:59

Closing date: 22 Sep 2021
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO5 LO7
Assignment group assignment Business Report
Group Report Submission & Poster Presentation
25% Week 12
Due date: 07 Nov 2021 at 23:59

Closing date: 08 Nov 2021
2750 words
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
group assignment = group assignment ?
Type D final exam = Type D final exam ?

Assessment summary

  • Individual assignment: In this assignment students will take the role of the process analyst and engage in process discovery and analysis within a given business case context. 
  • Group Plan assignment: In this asignment students will analyse the maket and identify new services for a business case seeking to expand. Students will also develop a project plan to guide the execution of the project.      
  • Group Report assignment: In this assignment students will desing new processes following the services proposed in the Group Plan. Students will assess the feasibility of new processes, the resources required, and the challenges encountered during process implementation. Students will use Signavio (BPM tool) to document, simulate and analyse the new business processes. Students will present a summary of the findings and recommendations during a Poster presentation.  
  • Final exam: A take home examination will test students’ theoretical understanding, critical thinking, and ability to apply and evaluate BPM concepts and principles in practice.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Overview of Business Process Management (BPM) Seminar (3 hr) LO1
Week 02 Process identification (architecture) Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO5 LO6 LO7
Week 03 Process discovery Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO4 LO5 LO7
Week 04 Process modelling using BPMN and Signavio Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO5 LO6 LO7
Week 05 Process analysis (qualitative) Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO6 LO7
Week 06 Process analysis (quantitative) - As-Is simulation using Signavio Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO6 LO7
Week 07 Group Plan Pitch - Feedback collection Seminar (3 hr) LO3 LO4 LO7
Week 08 Self-directed learning & Group assignment consultation Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
Week 09 Process redesign (redesign heuristics) Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
Week 10 Process redesign - To-Be simulation using Signavio Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6 LO7
Week 11 Process implementation, automation, and monitoring Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
Week 12 Unit Review & Final Exam Practice Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Week 13 Poster Presentation Seminar (3 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7

Attendance and class requirements

  1. All lectures topics are broken down in pre-recorded short videos. They will beavailable the week before and students must watch these videos before the class. Otherwise students will not be able to apply the BPM concepts and fully engage during the workshops. 
  2. Students are not required to attend a lecture with the lecturer on Thursday 2pm-3pm – this is a self-directed learning time and is dedicated for reviewing the pre recorded videos, the lecture notes, and the aditional materials.
  3. All workshops will focus on applied exercises. Students should attend to be able to fully understand and apply the concepts. These workshops are only partially recorded, i.e., the breakout room interactions during the exercises are not recorded.      
  4. Students should attend and participate in all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All further readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Discuss the holistic role of Business Process Management (BPM) in a business environment to improve performance and align to overall strategy.
  • LO2. Apply BPM methodologies, concepts, and principles to business problems and practice following the BPM lifecycle.
  • LO3. Address the issues and challenges associated with process change initiatives in organisations.
  • LO4. Evaluate the impact of process change projects on stakeholders and the role of change management in mitigating risks in such projects.
  • LO5. Use BPM tools to model, document, and analyse processes during the BPM lifecycle.
  • LO6. Work independently in a professional and ethical manner
  • LO7. Work as a responsible member of a diverse team, collaborate and communicate in a professional manner with people from diverse backgrounds.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The weight of the final exam was reduced from 50% to 40% to reduce the load on final exam. The Group Plan of 10% was introduced in week 7 to provide formative feedback for the group assignment.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.