Abstract
Business processes are collections of one or more linked activities that realize a business objective or policy goal, such as fulfilling a business contract and/or satisfying a specific customer need. The life cycle of a business process involves everything from setting up process goals and requirements, capturing the process in a computerized representation, as well as automating the process.
In this chapter, we provide an overview and an evaluation of the Process Life Cycle phases, as well as details around process modeling, analysis, automation, and coordination capabilities. The life cycle represents the course of developmental changes through which the process evolves in terms of transformation and/or innovation as it passes through six different phases during its lifetime. From process analysis, design, construction, deployment, implementation, as well as governance and continuous improvement. The life cycle helps guide the practitioner to complete categorizations of process areas and groups, mapping of processes, their steps, activities, operations, improvements, and planned changes for the future by using change management as the driving force in the project.