Automation of Student’s Final Project Business Process using

ProcessMaker: Case Study - Institut Teknologi Kalimantan

Muhammad Ghifari Fadhilah and Lovinta Happy Atrinawati

Institut Teknologi Kalimantan

Keywords: Business process, Business process automation, final project, ProcessMaker

Abstract: Business Process Automation can be applied in the higher education business process, including the student's

final project business process. The undergraduate program in the Kalimantan Institute of Technology (ITK)

ends with the writing of the final project, in which students have to follow the research methods and grammar

rules of scientific writing (ITK, 2018). There are several processes that need to be followed in order to finish

the final project, namely registration, proposal presentation, research & supervisory, and final project defense.

There are also 18 forms that need to be filled throughout the final project process. Problems occurred due to

no information systems to support this business process, leading to missing forms, missing information in

each form, ineffective supervisory activities, and past deadline final project completion. To solve these

problems, it is necessary to do business process automation for the entire process of the final project. In this

study, the method used was part of the life cycle of Business Process Management (BPM), namely, business

process implementation. The steps that were taken in this method confirmed the process model, identify

automation boundaries, task manual review, complete the process model, bring the process model to an

adequate granularity, and specify the execution process. The results obtained from this study were the Final

Project Information System had been implemented using ProcessMaker, and there were 13 proposed process

improvements in the Final Project Guidelines.

1 INTRODUCTION

A business process is a collection of business

activities that involve one or more types of input and

produce outputs that add business value. Business

processes are evolving at different speeds compared

to information systems, which leads to asynchronous

business processes and information systems.

However, this issue can be overcome by

technological developments that currently support

rapidly developing business processes, namely

Business Process Automation. Business Process

Automation is part of Business Process Management

(BPM), which is an approach to be able to realize

effective and efficient business processes. BPM can

help speed up the process of an organization, reduce

labor requirements, increase the level of efficiency,

productivity, and competitiveness of the company

(Singh, 2012). BPM has a life cycle consisting of 6

stages, namely process identification, process

discovery, process analysis, process redesign, process

implementation, and process monitoring and

controlling. To make business processes effective and

efficient, actions are needed to run business

processes. The action is the process implementation

stage contained in the BPM life cycle. To implement

the business process can be done with Business

Process Automation (BPA) (Dumas, Rosa, Mendling,

& Reijers, 2013).

BPA can also be applied in the higher education

business process, including the student's final project

business process. The undergraduate program in the

Kalimantan Institute of Technology (ITK) ends with

the writing of the final project, in which students have

to follow the research methods and grammar rules of

scientific writing (ITK, 2018). There are several

processes that need to be followed in order to finish

the final project, namely registration, proposal

presentation, research & supervisory, and final

project defense. There are also 18 forms that need to

be filled throughout the final project process.

Problems occurred due to no information systems to

support this business process, leading to missing

forms, missing information in each form, ineffective

supervisory activities, and past deadline final project

completion. To solve these problems, it is necessary

204

Fadhilah, M. and Atrinawati, L.

Automation of Student’s Final Project Business Process using ProcessMaker: Case Study - Institut Teknologi Kalimantan.

DOI: 10.5220/0009444902040212

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Industrial Technology (ICONIT 2019), pages 204-212

ISBN: 978-989-758-434-3

to do business process automation for the entire

process of the final project. Therefore, this research

implements the final project business process at ITK

by using one of Business Process Management

Software (BPMS), namely ProcessMaker. By using

BPMS, process owners can save processing time,

save costs, and ensure quality and consistency. This

is expected to help facilitate the entire process of the

final project at ITK. The system that has been

implemented using BPA provides several benefits,

including workload education, flexible system

integration, execution transparency, and rule

enforcement (Dumas, Rosa, Mendling, & Reijers,

2013).

2 METHODOLOGY

Figure 1: Methodology flowchart

BPA has several stages, namely, confirm to-be

process model, identify the automation boundaries,

review manual tasks, complete the process model,

bring the process model to an adequate granularity

level, specify execution properties, user acceptance

test, and user training. In the first stage, interviews

with the business process owners are conducted so

that the business process models are confirmed. The

result obtained from this stage is a clear and fixed

business process model of the final project process at

ITK. Next, the automation boundaries are identified

by separating which activities can and cannot be

automated using the Business Process Management

Software (BPMS). The activities are grouped into

several categories, specifically automated tasks, user

tasks, and manual tasks. All of the manual tasks need

to be reviewed and converted into automated or user

tasks in order to be automated using BPMS. The

manual tasks that cannot be automated by the system

are separated. After setting the boundaries of the

existing process automation in the final project

business process and reviewing the manual task, we

need to check that the process model has been

completed. If there is a process that has not been

completed, the process must be completed first so that

the system can run effectively. Furthermore, it is

necessary to ensure that the tasks in the business

process are of the right size, so that the work carried

out can run without a hitch. If there is a process in the

procedure of implementing the final project that can

be divided into smaller so that it can run more

optimally. In the last stage, the business process

model changed from to-be executed models to

executable models. Specifications need to be made on

how each element in the final project business process

model can be implemented effectively with BPMS.

Things that need to be specified include variables,

messages, and errors of existing processes, task and

event variables, and their maps with process

variables, service details, and others.

Finally, the User Acceptance Test (UAT) stage is

conducted in order to evaluate that that all final

business process automation activities can run

smoothly. The UAT needs to be approved by the

process owners. If the UAT stage has been approved

by the process owners, the next step is to conduct user

training to all of the users to ensure a smooth

transition to using the BPMS.

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Confirm to-be Process Model

The entire final project business process in the

Information Systems Study Program refers to the

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the

Information Systems Final Project Guide. Then after

doing previous research by Wiratama Putra Pratikta,

it produced a to-be process model of a final project

that has been carried out until now. So, it is necessary

to do the confirm to-be process model stage, which is

an interview process to the process owner regarding

the suitability of the final project business processes

that have been running with the current conditions

that occur in the Information Systems Study Program.

Then the business processes are detailed, and their

business process models are described. One business

process that has been confirmed by the process owner

is the final project registration business process,

which can be seen in Figure 2. There are three roles

involved in this business process, namely students,

administration staff, and prospective supervisors. The

process starts with the student doing the required

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205

documents to the administration staff. Then the

administration staff review the eligibility of the

requirements file, if the requirements file does not

meet the requirements, the student must give back the

revised requirements file to the administration staff,

and if the requirements file meets the requirements,

the student requests for supervisor, then the

supervisor will review the topic of the final project, if

the supervisor does not agree, the student must

request the supervisor again, but if the supervisor has

agreed, students can do the final project proposal

consultation process.

Figure 2: Final project registration business process

Based on interviews with the process owner, there

are 9 Final Project business processes at ITK. All the

final project business process list is shown in table 1.

Table 1: List of Final Project Business Processes

No Index Business Process Name

1 PB-01

Attendance of Final Project Proposal

Presentation

2 PB-02 Final Project Registration

3 PB-03 Final Project Proposal Consultation

4 PB-04

Final Project Proposal Presentation

Registration

5 PB-05 Final Project Consultation

6 PB-06 Final Project Proposal Presentation

7 PB-07 Final project defense Registration

8 PB-08 Final project defense

9 PB-09

Submission of Final Project

Completions

3.2 Identify the Automation

Boundaries

The identify the automation boundaries stage is the

process of identifying the type of each task or process

carried out in order to know the limits of automation.

Each task or process has three different types, namely

automated tasks, manual tasks, and user tasks.

Therefore, this stage is the process of giving

appropriate icons to each task. One example of a

business process that has been given the icon is the

final project defense business process, which can be

seen in figure 3.

Figure 3: Final project defense business process

In the student lane, there are three tasks with each

type of task. In the final project, the session task is

categorized as manual tasks because students are

required to present their final project directly in the

classroom. Student revision task is also categorized

as a manual task because students revise reports

directly and submit for final project report revision

task is categorized as a user task because students can

submit revised final project reports via email or that

kind of thing. Then in the supervisor lane, there are

two tasks, namely the supervisor revision review task

is categorized as a manual task because the supervisor

reviews directly on the final project report and score

input task is categorized as user tasks because

Supervisor can input score in Academic Information

Systems ITK (SIKANTAN). Then the examiner lane

only has 1 task, namely the revision review task,

which is categorized as manual tasks because they

must do a review directly on the final project report.

3.3 Review Manual Tasks

After the process of identifying the automation

boundaries, the manual task review stage can then be

performed to maximize the value obtained by the

system. Tasks that are still categorized as manual

tasks are changed to user tasks or automated tasks. So,

there are no more business processes that contain

manual tasks. One example of a business process that

has passed the manual task review stage is the final

project Proposal Presentation, which can be seen in

figure 4.

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Figure 4: Final Project Proposal Presentation business

process

Previously, the final project Proposal Presentation

business process had passed through the identify the

automation boundaries stage, which was explained in

figure 3. In the student lane, the final project Proposal

Presentation task has been replaced by the submit

proposal task with the type of user tasks. And the

removal of the revised student task was done. Then in

the supervisor lane, the type of supervisor review

task, which was previously a manual task, has been

changed to a user task. Then in the examiner lane, the

type of examiner review task has been changed to a

user task.

3.4 Complete the Process Model

At the complete process model stage, all Final

Project business processes are confirmed to be

complete and clear. The final project consultation

business process can be seen in figure 5. In the final

project consultation business process, all tasks have a

category. So that the business process can proceed to

the next stage.

Figure 5: Final project consultation business process

3.5 Bring the Process Model to an

Adequate Granularity

Bring the process model to an adequate granularity

level is a process of combining interconnected tasks

into one task. This stage can be seen in one of the final

project defense business processes in the student lane

section described in figure 6.

Figure 6: Final project defense business process

It can be seen in the student revision task has a

connection with the submit report revision task so that

both tasks can be combined into the submit final

project report revision.

3.6 Specify Execution Properties

At the stage of specifying the execution process, all

tasks in the final project business process need to be

specified. This stage is carried out, aiming to

automate business processes to run smoothly, thus

making the system effective. The specifications

carried out on the task, or the business process itself

are as follows:

 Assignment Rules

 Dynaforms

 Input Documents

 Output Documents

 Triggers

 Permissions

 Sub-process Properties

Figure 7: Final project defense business process

Examples of business processes that have passed

the specify execution properties stage are the final

project defense business processes described in figure

7. All of the tasks have been carried out in the

specification process for the assignment rules section.

It aims to determine the tasks given in accordance

with their respective roles.

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Figure 8: Assignment rules

Can be seen in figure 8, the specifications are done

on the submit final project report revision task in the

student roles section. So, assignment rules need to be

done to student users.

Figure 9: Dynaform

Furthermore, so that students can collect revised

final project reports, a form is needed as a container

for collecting student report files. So, it can be seen in

figure 9, an example of a dynaforms that has been

designed is called submit final revision report

contained in the submit final revision report task.

Figure 10: Submit revised final project report form

From the results of the design, the form display on

the system can be seen in figure 10. In that view,

students fill in the data related to the final project

report. Management of files sent by each user can be

set in the input documents specification, which

includes the document size, document name,

document type, document placement, illustrated in

figure 11.

Figure 11: Input documents

This input document can be used on different

dynaforms. So, the user can upload files according to

the input settings of the document that has been

adjusted. Then the display of the results of the input

documents shown in Figure 12, there are titles of

input documents, ID documents, and document

management.

Figure 12: Document input results

Similar to input documents, the function of the output

documents specification is to manage the files

received by each user, which include the file name,

file type, and file contents. Output documents can

produce files such as final report value, create

invitation letters, official records, and so on, as in

figure 13. So, the user can download the file as

specified.

Figure 13: Output documents

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Figure 14: Output documents results

From the results of the draft output documents, the

data filled out by the user will be displayed as an

example of the output documents in figure 14. The

triggers specification is needed to regulate the

running of a task process. So that each task goes

automatically according to the user-specified. So that

the task process runs precisely and efficiently. An

example of triggers can be seen in figure 15.

Figure 15: Triggers

Triggers are used to call the main supervisor,

supervisor, and examiner. So, the results displayed on

the triggers settings can be seen in Figure 16 below.

Figure 16: Triggers results

In order for all users can access input documents,

it is necessary to do specifications on permissions,

and an example can be seen in figure 17. Permissions

are intended for lecturer roles, so lecturers can

download files sent by students, or from others.

Figure 17: Permissions

Then the results of the specifications on the

permissions, the Lecturer has been able to download

the revised final report file that has been sent by the

student listed in Figure 18.

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Figure 18: Permissions results

One of the most important specifications, so that

the entire process can run, it requires sub-process

properties. This specification can manage every

variable that has been sent by each user so that it is

passed on to other processes. Examples of sub-

process properties specifications that have been used

are in the sub-process submission of the completion

of the final project. This can be seen in figure 19.

Figure 19: Sub-process properties

After the specification of the sub-process

properties is carried out, the process that was

previously in the final project defense can proceed to

the sub-process of submitting the completeness of the

final project shown in Figure 20 below.

Figure 20: Sub-process properties results

3.7 User Acceptance Test (UAT) &

User Training

This stage aims to ensure that all final project

business process automation activities can run

smoothly and are approved by the process owner.

Therefore, the testing and training stage of the system

only covers the Information System Study Program.

Because it is constrained by the free time, each

process owner is different, so it is very difficult to

bring the entire process owner in UAT & UT

activities. Then the testing and training activities are

carried out simultaneously. All UAT participants

conduct testing and training in accordance with

predetermined scenarios.

The UAT scenarios are carried out in all business

processes, which can be seen in table 2.

Table 2: Testing and training scenarios

No Scenario Index Business Process Name

1 UAT-01 PB-01

Attendance of Final Project

Proposal Presentation

2 UAT-02 PB-02 Final Project Registration

3 UAT-03 PB-03

Final Project Proposal

Consultation

4 UAT-04 PB-04

Final Project Proposal

Presentation Registration

5 UAT-05 PB-05

Final Project Proposal

Presentation

6 UAT-06 PB-06 Final Project Consultation

7 UAT-07 PB-07

Final project defense

Registration

8 UAT-08 PB-08 Final project defense

9 UAT-09 PB-09

Submission of Final Project

Completions

The test results of the final project information

system in this second UAT & UT are all UAT

scenarios accepted by UAT participants, and the

system is considered to have run properly. All UAT

scenarios that have been successfully tested can be

seen in table 3.

Table 3: UAT scenario test results

No Scenario Index

Business Process

Name

Test

Results

1 UAT-01 PB-01

Attendance of Final

Project Proposal

Presentation

Pass

2 UAT-02 PB-02

Final Project

Registration

Pass

3 UAT-03 PB-03

Final Project

Proposal

Consultation

Pass

4 UAT-04 PB-04

Final Project

Proposal Presentation

Registration

Pass

5 UAT-05 PB-05

Final Project

Proposal Presentation

Pass

6 UAT-06 PB-06

Final Project

Consultation

Pass

7 UAT-07 PB-07

Final project defense

Registration

Pass

8 UAT-08 PB-08 Final project defense Pass

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9 UAT-09 PB-09

Submission of Final

Project Completions

Pass

3.8 Proposed Improvement of the

Guide to the Final Project

Information Systems Study

Program

The final project guide aims to maintain the quality of

the final project produced by ITK students, especially

in the scope of Information Systems Students. In

addition, each study program has its own criteria, so

that in the final project guide, there is a special

reference to accommodate the study program criteria

in the ITK environment. From the results of the

Business Process Automation stages that have been

carried out, in accordance with aspects of the

implementation of business processes, it is necessary

to do the organizational change management stage,

which is to align the process of the final project guide

with the final project business processes that have

been implemented. From the results of these stages,

there are 13 proposed improvements to the process of

the final project guide, which are listed in table 4.

Final Project Guide

Proposed

Improvement

Chapter Statement

Chapter I,

Number 8,

Section 2

Duties and

obligations of

supervisor

The addition of

points in section 2 is

prospective

supervisors are

entitled to accept

and reject the

request of

supervisors from

students

The addition of

points in section 2 is

Determining the

examiner lecturer

Chapter I,

Number 9,

Section 2

Rights and

obligations of the

examiner

The examiner has

the right to accept or

reject requests to

determine the date

of the seminar and

the final project

defense of the

student.

Chapter II,

Number 1

Requirements that

must be met by

students in order to

carry out the final

project

Attend 5 Proposal

Presentation times

by collecting the

Proposal

Presentation

attendance sheet file

to the system.

Chapter II,

Number 2,

Section 1

Candidate final

roject participants

fill out the final

With the Final

Assignment

information system,

project topic

proposal form

(Form. TA-001a).

the candidate final

project participants

can directly fill the

supervisor request

form on the system.

Chapter II,

Number 2,

Section 3

The final project

coordinator will

propose a list of

final project

participants, along

with the assigned

supervisor (Form

ta-014) and then be

approved by the

study program

coordinator.

With the final

project information

system, this process

is no longer needed.

So, the process can

be removed.

Chapter II,

Number 2,

Section 4

Candidate

participants in the

final project fill out

the advisory form

proposal and

research interest

field (form. ta-

001).

With the final

project information

system, candidate

final project

participants can

directly fill out the

Final Project

registration

requirements file

form

Chapter II,

Number 2,

Section 5

Prospective

participants of the

final project

compile a proposal

file of supervisors

and fields of

interest to the

academic

administration of

the study program

with a deadline

determined by each

study program.

With the final

assignment

information system,

the deadline for

collecting files can

be abolished, so that

the final assignment

registration can be

done at any time

during the lecture

Chapter II,

Number 3

Proposal

preparation

procedure and

Proposal

Presentation

implementation

The addition of

points is the

determination of the

time and space of

the final project

Proposal

Presentation

determined by the

student and with the

approval of the main

supervisor,

examiner, and

administration staff.

The procedure for

submitting a

seminar proposal

that must be done

by students.

With the system, the

8-points submission

procedure is

changed according

to the latest system.

Automation of Student’s Final Project Business Process using ProcessMaker: Case Study - Institut Teknologi Kalimantan

211

Chapter II,

Number 4,

Section 4

Submit the final

project approval

form (form. ta-007)

as a condition of

the final project

defense.

With the system,

students can fill out

the final project

defense registration

form

Chapter II,

Number 5

The procedure for

submitting a final

project defense

must be done by

students.

With the system, the

procedure points 1 –

10 is changed

according to the

latest system.

Chapter I,

Number 7,

Section 2

The final project

coordinator is an

ITK lecturer who is

responsible for

carrying out the

final project in the

study program

concerned

Adds the

responsibility of the

Final Project

Coordinator to add

Student & Lecturer

users

4 CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of BPMS for the final project

business processes has finished. The process owners

have agreed that all of the business processes

implemented using ProcessMaker are suitable to

support the final project activities. This integrated

system (BPMS) is expected to provide benefits for the

students, supervisors, and also ITK in order to

implement an effective business process. There are

some changes made, and the guidelines provided in

the final project guide are not suitable anymore.

Therefore, ITK needs to manage its organizational

change management in order to align the process of

the final project guide with the use of ProcessMaker.

There are 13 changes proposed to improve the final

project guidelines.

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