Predicting the impact on business performance of enhanced information system using business process simulation

The estimation of the impact on performance in business process (BP) by introducing an information system (IS) is an important practical problem in investment appraisal. This paper quantitatively investigates the potential of business process simulation (BPS) as an approach for evaluating an expected IS impact on business performance. By introducing the ability to incorporate system variability, scenario analysis, and visual display to communicate process performance, BPS fundamentally enhances process performance analysis and makes it a useful technique providing a realistic evaluation of impact before introducing a particular IS. A real-life case study is discussed, showing how to develop a BPS model in helping analysts and decision makers arrive at more informed choices for systems design and evaluation.