Development of the course of process management of the enterprise with the use of free software

• Main Authors: A. G. Mikheev, V. E. Pyatetskiy, D. S. Kuznetsov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Plekhanov Russian University of Economics 2018-05-01
• Series: Otkrytoe Obrazovanie (Moskva)
• Subjects: business process approach to enterprise management; business process; business process management systems; free software
• Online Access: https://openedu.rea.ru/jour/article/view/520

Goal. The goal of the search is to develop teaching methods of the process approach to enterprise management, which involves the execution of business process instances in a computer environment. The teaching methods are easy to use in any university, since during the course practical studies free software is used. It is available for installation via the Internet, which does not require payment or registration. The use of free software allows teaching the course partially or completely remotely. Students can get practical skills in working with the business process management system, as well as perform tasks outside the computer class by installing software on the home computer. The results of assignments can be uploaded to the campus or sent to the lecturer by an e-mail. Lecturers can also check completed tasks remotely, having installed the needed software to a laptop or a home computer.Materials and methods. During the development of the theoretical part of the course, a study was made of existing approaches to identify business processes in the enterprise, as well as techniques for automating business processes. The analysis of the concept of the process approach was carried out based on business processes performed in the computer environment of the enterprise, the component parts of the concept were identified and training materials were developed for studying each of the selected parts. The advantages of process automation and the training of the course were analyzed in such a way that during the training it was possible to show these advantages to students. In developing the practical part of the course, the authors’ experience in process automation of enterprises was used. In addition, the materials of the Association of Business Process Management Professionals (ABPMP) were published, as well as those published at various events of the association.Results. A methodology has been developed for training process management to students of financial and accounting specialties and students studying in the fields of Business Informatics, Applied Informatics (in Economics), and Automated Systems for Processing Information and Management. The methodology contains both theoretical and practical parts, as well as a set of tests and tasks used in tests and exams. The training course is aimed at forming among students three main competencies: developing business logic, setting up automatic generation of documents, organizing interaction with external data. For laboratory work, the free business process management system of RunaWFE is used.An approach was developed and tested in practice, within the framework of which the final control work of the course becomes part of the final qualifying work of the student. The course has been approved for several years in the National University of Science and Technology MISIS and Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics (at present – Plekhanov Russian University of Economics). Classes for specific sections of the course were held in Ufa State Aviation Technical University, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Financial University, Higher School of Economics (National Research University), Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Decisions that did not show good practical results were not included in the methodology. A text edition, containing theoretical material and laboratory workshop with a description of practical exercises and a set of control questions were published according to the course.Conclusion. The article demonstrates the experience of teaching students the process approach to enterprise management. This methodology allows training students to create business processes that implement solutions for various situations, arising in the business of enterprise. The gained knowledge will be useful for students who have received training in the follow-up work activity.