Forty-Fourth International Conference on Information Systems (2023) AI Processed Human Approved
On the Potential of Business Process Management for Digital Entrepreneurship:Findings from a Literature Review
This paper conducts a structured literature review of 49 peer-reviewed articles to examine how Business Process Management (BPM) can support digital ventures during their growth and scaling phases. The authors analyze theoretical lenses and emerging themes to reconcile the need for structured business processes with entrepreneurial flexibility.
Problem
Digital ventures face severe organizational challenges during rapid growth, requiring structured operational processes to manage expanding teams and sales. However, traditional BPM methodologies focus on optimizing stable, pre-designed processes, creating a tension with the flexibility, agility, and high uncertainty characteristic of digital startups.
Outcome
- Reconciles BPM and digital entrepreneurship literature by highlighting synergies such as process modularity, agility, and customer orientation.
- Identifies key tensions between traditional process structures and the dynamic operational flexibility required by digital ventures.
- Proposes three main research avenues: applying ambidextrous BPM in digital ventures, treating digital venturing as a business process, and developing capabilities to balance flexibility and structure.
- Identifies key tensions between traditional process structures and the dynamic operational flexibility required by digital ventures.
- Proposes three main research avenues: applying ambidextrous BPM in digital ventures, treating digital venturing as a business process, and developing capabilities to balance flexibility and structure.
What it means for you
- CIO / IT Executive: On Monday morning, initiate a review of our current core digital processes (e.g., customer onboarding, product deployment) to identify specific components that could be modularized to allow for independent updates and scaling without disrupting the entire workflow.
- IT Manager: On Monday morning, schedule a 30-minute meeting with a key team member from sales or customer support to identify one friction point in their daily workflow that could be addressed by a small, agile process improvement, rather than a large, monolithic system change.
- Business Strategist: On Monday morning, dedicate an hour to mapping out the critical decision-making points in our growth strategy and outline potential process 'switches' or 'modes' that can be activated or deactivated based on market feedback or scaling needs, embodying ambidextrous BPM.
- Researcher: On Monday morning, begin by identifying three specific digital venture growth challenges (e.g., rapid customer acquisition, international expansion) and conceptualize how treating the *process of venturing itself* as a business process (i.e., defining, measuring, and iteratively improving the venture creation and growth cycle) could be studied.
- Policymaker: On Monday morning, draft a brief (one-page) outline of potential policy levers (e.g., startup support programs, digital skills training) that could foster the development of 'capabilities to balance flexibility and structure' within digital entrepreneurial ecosystems, focusing on practical implementation.
Transcript
Host: Welcome to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. I’m Anna Ivy Summers. Today, we’re exploring a fascinating subject that strikes at the heart of fast-growing startups: how to build structure without killing innovation. We're looking at a recent study titled "On the Potential of Business Process Management for Digital Entrepreneurship: Findings from a Literature Review." Joining me is our resident analyst, Alex Ian Sutherland. Welcome, Alex!
Expert: Thanks, Anna. It’s great to be here. This study really touches on a classic corporate dilemma—the tension between needing formal business processes to scale and keeping the agile, flexible spirit that made a digital venture successful in the first place.
Host: Right! So let's talk about that big problem. When a digital startup takes off, what actually happens inside the organization?
Expert: Well, early on, startups are focused purely on product creation. But once they launch their product and start growing rapidly—what the study calls the scaling phase—everything changes. They have to hire new employees, build specialized departments, and handle increasing sales volumes. That requires structured operational processes. But traditional Business Process Management, or BPM, was built for mature, stable enterprises looking to optimize pre-designed workflows. Applying that rigid structure to a young, unpredictable startup can actually stifle flexibility.
Host: That sounds like a tough tightrope to walk. How did the authors of the study investigate this friction?
Expert: They conducted a rigorous, structured literature review of 49 peer-reviewed academic articles at the intersection of BPM and digital entrepreneurship. They categorized the literature across four main dimensions—goals, process characteristics, organizational dynamics, and the broader business environment—to map out where BPM and digital venturing collide and where they can work together.
Host: And what did they find? What are the main takeaways from this review?
Expert: The study highlighted both critical tensions and exciting synergies. On the tension side, traditional BPM relies on fixed process models and predefined process owners. That creates friction because early-stage digital ventures operate under extreme uncertainty with small teams of generalists, not specialized process managers. However, on the synergy side, the authors found that concepts like process modularity and agility can bridge the gap.
Host: Modularity—can you explain how that works in practice for a growing business?
Expert: Absolutely. Instead of creating massive, rigid corporate workflows, modular business processes mean breaking operations into smaller, adaptable blocks. This allows startups to tweak or swap out individual processes—like customer onboarding or marketing automation—without disrupting the whole company. The study also highlights "ambidextrous BPM," which means balancing efficiency in your current operations while exploring completely new business models or supporting major pivots.
Host: That ambidexterity sounds crucial, especially when a startup needs to pivot quickly. What else should business leaders and founders take away from this study?
Expert: A major takeaway is treating digital venturing *itself* as a business process. Founders can use modern digital trace data—like logs from Slack, enterprise tools, or project management software like Trello—and apply process mining to see how work actually gets done. This lets them optimize their operations dynamically. Another practical takeaway is exploring cloud solutions like Business-Process-as-a-Service, or BPaaS, which gives startups flexible process frameworks without heavy upfront IT investments. Finally, leaders must proactively plan for upskilling: as the venture grows, employees need training to transition from wearing many hats to mastering specialized process roles.
Host: So, it’s really about building structure that enables flexibility rather than replacing it.
Expert: Exactly, Anna. BPM doesn't have to mean bureaucracy. Applied right, it’s the scaffold that allows a digital startup to scale gracefully.
Host: That is a powerful framing for any growing company. Alex, thank you so much for breaking down this study for us today.
Expert: My pleasure, Anna.
Host: And thank you all for listening to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time as we continue unpacking key insights at the intersection of business and technology.
Expert: Thanks, Anna. It’s great to be here. This study really touches on a classic corporate dilemma—the tension between needing formal business processes to scale and keeping the agile, flexible spirit that made a digital venture successful in the first place.
Host: Right! So let's talk about that big problem. When a digital startup takes off, what actually happens inside the organization?
Expert: Well, early on, startups are focused purely on product creation. But once they launch their product and start growing rapidly—what the study calls the scaling phase—everything changes. They have to hire new employees, build specialized departments, and handle increasing sales volumes. That requires structured operational processes. But traditional Business Process Management, or BPM, was built for mature, stable enterprises looking to optimize pre-designed workflows. Applying that rigid structure to a young, unpredictable startup can actually stifle flexibility.
Host: That sounds like a tough tightrope to walk. How did the authors of the study investigate this friction?
Expert: They conducted a rigorous, structured literature review of 49 peer-reviewed academic articles at the intersection of BPM and digital entrepreneurship. They categorized the literature across four main dimensions—goals, process characteristics, organizational dynamics, and the broader business environment—to map out where BPM and digital venturing collide and where they can work together.
Host: And what did they find? What are the main takeaways from this review?
Expert: The study highlighted both critical tensions and exciting synergies. On the tension side, traditional BPM relies on fixed process models and predefined process owners. That creates friction because early-stage digital ventures operate under extreme uncertainty with small teams of generalists, not specialized process managers. However, on the synergy side, the authors found that concepts like process modularity and agility can bridge the gap.
Host: Modularity—can you explain how that works in practice for a growing business?
Expert: Absolutely. Instead of creating massive, rigid corporate workflows, modular business processes mean breaking operations into smaller, adaptable blocks. This allows startups to tweak or swap out individual processes—like customer onboarding or marketing automation—without disrupting the whole company. The study also highlights "ambidextrous BPM," which means balancing efficiency in your current operations while exploring completely new business models or supporting major pivots.
Host: That ambidexterity sounds crucial, especially when a startup needs to pivot quickly. What else should business leaders and founders take away from this study?
Expert: A major takeaway is treating digital venturing *itself* as a business process. Founders can use modern digital trace data—like logs from Slack, enterprise tools, or project management software like Trello—and apply process mining to see how work actually gets done. This lets them optimize their operations dynamically. Another practical takeaway is exploring cloud solutions like Business-Process-as-a-Service, or BPaaS, which gives startups flexible process frameworks without heavy upfront IT investments. Finally, leaders must proactively plan for upskilling: as the venture grows, employees need training to transition from wearing many hats to mastering specialized process roles.
Host: So, it’s really about building structure that enables flexibility rather than replacing it.
Expert: Exactly, Anna. BPM doesn't have to mean bureaucracy. Applied right, it’s the scaffold that allows a digital startup to scale gracefully.
Host: That is a powerful framing for any growing company. Alex, thank you so much for breaking down this study for us today.
Expert: My pleasure, Anna.
Host: And thank you all for listening to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time as we continue unpacking key insights at the intersection of business and technology.