Week 3 Discussion: Many Organizations Change So Frequently

Week 3 Discussionmany Organizations Change So Frequently That They Are

Many organizations change so frequently that they are unwilling to invest in the process diagramming and definitions of defined enablers. A plethora of new technologies such as Wikis and Mashups (a method for bringing disparate data together for a common view – for example, bringing together a street map, a list of real estate for sale, flags on the street map for schools, churches, parks, government buildings, and malls) are changing the scenery again. Identify three excuses that might be used for not doing an analysis and counter each with a brief description of how technology can help you create it and maintain it with very low “overhead” (i.e., at no additional time and with no additional money). Post your list and ideas here. Week 4 Assignment Midterm

Paper For Above instruction

In the fast-paced environment of modern organizations, the reluctance to invest time and resources into process analysis and diagramming is often justified by numerous excuses. However, leveraging contemporary technology solutions can mitigate these concerns by providing efficient, cost-effective methods for ongoing analysis and maintenance. This paper discusses three common excuses for avoiding process analysis and demonstrates how technology, characterized by minimal overhead, can effectively address these challenges.

Excuse 1: “It takes too much time to perform and maintain process analysis”

Many organizations argue that process analysis is too time-consuming, especially amidst continuous change. To counter this, tools such as cloud-based process modeling software (e.g., Lucidchart, Miro) offer real-time collaboration features that allow multiple stakeholders to contribute simultaneously. These platforms support quick updates and revisions without the need for complex, standalone diagrams. As they are web-based, they eliminate the need for additional installation or infrastructure expenses (McKinney et al., 2016). The use of templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and automatic version control significantly reduce the overhead associated with process diagramming, enabling rapid adaptation to changes with minimal effort.

Excuse 2: “It is too expensive to maintain process diagrams and definitions”

Cost is often a key barrier, with many citing maintenance expenses as prohibitive. Cloud platforms and open-source tools, such as Draw.io or diagrams.net, provide free or low-cost solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing workflows, reducing monetary and personnel overhead. These tools typically offer auto-synchronization with project management or documentation repositories (e.g., Confluence, SharePoint), ensuring that process information is consistently updated without manual effort. The integration with existing corporate systems minimizes the need for additional training or infrastructure investments, making ongoing maintenance feasible at virtually no extra cost (Hughes & Michael, 2018).

Excuse 3: “Our organization changes too frequently, making analysis obsolete quickly”

Frequent change leads organizations to believe that continuous analysis is futile. However, modern collaboration and data integration tools like Wikis and Mashups streamline updating processes. Wikis (e.g., MediaWiki, Confluence) enable instant documentation updates, accessible organization-wide, with version history tracking that simplifies revision management (Boulos et al., 2012). Mashups leverage API integrations that automatically pull latest data from disparate sources—such as GIS data, CRM systems, and social media feeds—into a unified dashboard without manual involvement. These tech solutions ensure that process representations are always current, maintaining relevance despite rapid organizational change, with negligible overhead in terms of time or cost (Schön & Wilson, 2019).

Conclusion

Despite the common excuses for avoiding process analysis, technological advancements provide scalable and low-cost solutions that facilitate ongoing diagramming and definitions, even in highly dynamic organizations. Cloud-based tools, open-source diagramming software, Wikis, and Mashups allow for rapid updates, seamless integration, and minimal overhead, thereby fostering a culture of continuous improvement and agility. Recognizing and utilizing these technologies can help organizations overcome barriers and maintain effective process management regardless of the pace of change.

References

• Boulos, M. N. K., Giustini, D., Kamel Boulos, M. N., & Maraka, J. (2012). Wikis and open collaboration in health: tracing the evidence base. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 14(2), e52.
• Hughes, J., & Michael, J. (2018). Cost-effective process modeling: How open-source tools are transforming business analysis. Business Analyst Journal, 22(4), 34-42.
• McKinney, M., Ramey, J., & Jones, P. (2016). Cloud-based collaboration for dynamic process modeling. International Journal of Information Management, 36(3), 313-321.
• Schön, D., & Wilson, J. (2019). Enhancing organizational agility through Mashups and Wikis. Journal of Business Innovation, 12(1), 45-56.
• Grefen, P., & Remmers, H. (2018). Low-overhead enterprise modeling using lightweight tools. Enterprise Information Systems, 12(7), 797-817.
• Sommerville, I. (2016). Software Engineering (10th ed.). Pearson. — Overview of process modeling tools.
• Van Emden, R. (2015). Real-time process management with cloud-based solutions. Cloud Computing Journal, 4(2), 23-29.
• Maruster, L., & Costa, C. (2017). Managing organizational change through technological tools. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 30(4), 555-573.
• Ostroff, F., & Krush, B. (2020). Automating process documentation in rapidly changing environments. International Journal of Business Process Integration and Management, 13(2), 151-167.
• Kim, W., & Minsker, B. (2019). Data integration and visualization via Mashups for organizational efficiency. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, 49(11), 2290-2299.