• A Charles Sturt University IT graduate’s research has improved the speed, productivity and cost-effectiveness of business process management (BPM) systems
• The research integrated virtual resources and work design principles, enabling BPM systems to be more flexible, cost-effective and user-friendly
• This has led to the development of commercial products that have impacted industry and community, improving efficiency and competitiveness in business operations world-wide

A recent Charles Sturt University graduate’s IT innovation tested in real-world environments has improved the speed, productivity and cost-effectiveness of business process management (BPM) systems and led to the development of commercial products.

Last month, Dr Luke Bartlett (pictured above, left) graduated with Doctor of Information Technology in the Charles Sturt School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering, having completed the higher degree research (HDR) program part-time while working full-time in the industry in which he is currently employed.

Dr Bartlett’s HDR project significantly transformed BPM by integrating virtualisation and work design into BPM system architecture, which has led to the development of commercial products now used by leading global companies such as RBC Group and JayB Enterprises.

This groundbreaking research earned a commendation for the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award 2024 - HDR Thesis of the Year in the Charles Sturt Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences (BJBS).

Associate Professor in Computer Science Ashad Kabir (picture above, right) in the Charles Sturt School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering was principal supervisor of Dr Bartlett’s doctorate.

He said traditional BPM systems focus on automating business processes without fully considering the impact of virtualised resources (computers, networks, storage) and well-designed workflows.

“This research addressed the need to bridge this gap by integrating virtual resources and work design principles, enabling BPM systems to be more flexible, cost-effective and user-friendly,” Professor Kabir said.

Dr Bartlett said his research involved designing and testing a BPM system architecture that integrates virtual resources, such as remote human resources as well as virtual computer resources and storage, with carefully crafted work design principles, such as task structuring and process optimisation.

“Empirical evidence from controlled studies in real-world business environments supported the hypothesis that this integration significantly improves system performance across various metrics, including speed, productivity, cost, and user satisfaction,” Dr Bartlett said.

The research engaged with industry partners throughout the process with key collaborations involving RBC Group, JayB Enterprises, and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HP).

“These relationships allowed the research to be tested, applied, and refined in real-world business environments, ensuring that the proposed system architecture addressed both theoretical and practical challenges,” Dr Bartlett said.

“This engagement led to several case studies, including with QBD Books and Jen Retail, that showcased the practical benefits of the research in diverse commercial settings.”

Professor Kabir said the research has impacted both industry and community, improving efficiency and competitiveness in business operations worldwide.

“This research has set a new standard for BPM systems, integrating virtualisation and work design into system architectures and has led to enhanced efficiency, competitiveness, and user satisfaction across industries worldwide,” he said.

The research has been successfully implemented in several commercial products, most notably:

• RBC Group, a major BPM platform provider, has integrated this research into its docs2me platform, directly benefiting more than 1,000 users globally, including companies like QBD Books and Jen Retail.
• JayB Enterprises has adopted the work design principles for its Accounts Payable (AP) Automation system, benefiting from significant labour savings and improved operational efficiency. This system is being white labelled to several AP automation providers throughout Australia and integrates with popular finance systems such as Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks.
• Nine applications have been developed based on this research for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP) resellers via its Workpath application platform. These applications are used by resellers worldwide, enhancing their workflow solutions and have already been installed on over 2,000 devices in seven countries.

Professor Kabir said both the Charles Sturt Bachelor of Information Technology and the Bachelor of Computer Science are relevant undergraduate qualifications for students seeking higher degree research qualifications such as a PhD.