Exploring the intersection of business process improvement and BPM capability development: A research agenda

Purpose: Despite an obvious connection, business process improvement and BPM capability development have been studied intensely, but in isolation. We thus aim to make the case for research located at the intersection of both streams. We thereby focus on the integrated planning of business process improvement and BPM capability development as this is where, in our opinion, both streams have the closest interaction. We refer to the research field located at the intersection of business process improvement and BPM capability development as process project portfolio management. Design/methodology/approach: We structure the field of process project portfolio management drawing from extant knowledge related to BPM, project portfolio management, and performance management. We also propose a research agenda in terms of exemplary research questions and research methods. Findings: The proposed structure shows which business objects and interactions should be considered when engaging in process project portfolio management. The research agenda contains exemplary questions structured along the intersections of BPM, project portfolio management, and performance management. Research limitations/implications: This paper’s main limitation is that it reflects the authors’ individual viewpoints based on experiences of several industry projects and prior research. Originality/value: This paper addresses a neglected research field, opens up new avenues for interdisciplinary BPM research, and contributes a novel perspective to the ongoing discussion about the future of BPM.