Enterprises, governments, non-profit organizations, or small teams, regardless of their size or type, engage in organizational activities.
Organizational activities are composed of multiple business processes.
Business processes can be broken down into tasks. When departments and individuals within an organization perform tasks assigned to their respective roles, the business process functions.
In this way, as individual business processes function, the overall organizational activity functions.
Object-Oriented Software
In the world of software development, the concept of object-oriented software, along with design methodologies and programming languages based on it, has been developed.
Prior to this, software was designed with data and processing separately, and within programs, the definitions of data and processing were independent.
This allowed closely related data and processing definitions to be placed either near each other or in entirely separate locations within the program.
Regardless of where they were placed, it made no difference to how the computer processed the program.
However, when modifying or adding features to developed programs, the quality of their arrangement significantly impacted work efficiency and the likelihood of bugs.
If closely related data and processing definitions were scattered across tens or hundreds of thousands of lines of code, making changes would become remarkably difficult.
Object-oriented software provides a fundamental approach to solving such problems.
That is, it adopts the idea of clearly compartmentalizing closely related data and processing within the program and keeping them in the same compartment, making it easier to understand when modifying the program later.
This compartment that holds data and processing is the concept called an object.
It is also crucial to design software from the outset, centered around the unit of an object.
Moreover, we are typically accustomed to perceiving various things as objects.
For example, when we set an alarm clock to a wake-up time, the alarm rings at that time. We have the understanding that an alarm clock, as an object, possesses the data of the wake-up time and the process of ringing the alarm.
Designing and implementing software in a way that aligns with this common human perception is logical. This is why object-oriented software became so prevalent.
Business Process-Oriented Software
I have provided an overview of organizational activities and object-oriented software.
Now, I would like to propose business process-oriented software as a new approach to software development.
As explained in the discussion of object-oriented software, designing software in a way that aligns with human perception offers significant advantages when modifying or adding features to software.
When utilizing software in organizational activities, placing related information and functions within the conceptual compartment of a business process, which is its fundamental unit, should facilitate modifications and feature additions.
This is the basic concept of business process-oriented software.
Manuals and Input Information
In relatively large enterprises, typical business processes are often manualized. Business processes that are clearly defined enough to be manualized are also called workflows.
Business systems implemented by general software are systematizations of these workflows. By having each person or department in charge enter information into the business system according to the workflow, the business process is realized.
Here, business manuals, business systems, and input information are very closely related.
However, in the mechanism described here, these three closely related elements are scattered.
The concept of business process-oriented software takes the position that these should be a single entity.
Imagine a document in a single file that contains a business manual and also fields for each person or department in charge to enter information.
In addition, suppose the contact information for the next person in charge of each task is also specifically written.
Then, you will see that all elements of the business process are encompassed within this input information entry file with a business manual.
If this file is created and handed to the person in charge of the first task, the business process will proceed according to the manual provided. Finally, when all necessary information is entered, one business process will be completed.
This file is the business process-oriented software itself, applying the concept of business process-oriented software.
And as various business process-oriented software functions, the entire organizational activity will function.
The Software Itself
Earlier, I described the input information entry file with a business manual as the business process-oriented software itself.
Some might have imagined that this would lead to a discussion about developing programs or systems.
However, that is not the case.
Regardless of programs or systems, this file itself functions as business process-oriented software.
As explained earlier, if this file is created and sent to the first person in charge, it will then be passed on to the person in charge of each subsequent task, and the business process described therein will be executed.
Of course, it is possible to develop programs and systems based on this file to implement the workflow written within it.
However, how much difference is there between using such a system and simply passing the file itself between responsible parties?
Here, the point to note is that developing a program or system separates the manual from the processing.
This separation runs counter to the business process-oriented approach. In other words, it makes the improvement of business processes and the addition of features difficult.
This becomes immediately apparent if you imagine modifying a business manual.
Every time a business process procedure is changed, the program or system must be modified accordingly.
For this reason, business manuals need to be thoroughly refined from the outset, and manualization takes time. Furthermore, even if a manual is changed, it is not immediately reflected in the program or system.
In addition to the problem of time required, there are also modification costs.
This means that business processes and manuals cannot be easily changed.
On the other hand, if programs or systems are not developed, and instead, input information entry files with business manuals are simply exchanged between responsible parties, then the development period and maintenance costs for programs and systems are eliminated.
Executable Software
Some might wonder, then, why this file is called "software."
The reason is that this file is an executable file. However, it's not software executed by a computer as a program, but rather software executed by humans.
A business manual is like a program for humans. And the input information fields are like data storage locations in memory or a database.
Viewed this way, it is not incorrect to consider this file as software executed by humans.
Executor
Tasks written in business process-oriented software can be executed by either humans or artificial intelligence.
Even for a single task, there might be cases where artificial intelligence and humans cooperate to execute it, or tasks executed solely by humans, or solely by artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence can also read the business manual within this file and perform the appropriate processing.
This means that this file is executable software for both humans and artificial intelligence.
AI Assistance
First, artificial intelligence executes the file. In doing so, it reads the business manual written within the file and understands the content to be processed.
Some parts of the process can be directly executed by the artificial intelligence, or information can be entered into the input fields.
On the other hand, there are also parts that require human processing or information input.
For these parts, the artificial intelligence notifies the human and prompts them for processing or information input.
In this instance, the artificial intelligence can change how it presents information to the human, depending on the human's processing content and the input information.
Basic methods of presentation to humans might include conveying necessary tasks via text or voice chat, or eliciting required information.
There is also the option of directly opening the file itself. If the file is text, for example, a text editor would be opened.
A slightly more advanced method involves extracting the necessary tasks and input information, and then, based on their content, generating a temporary file for an application that is easy for humans to work with, and then executing that file.
For example, if input is required in a table format, a spreadsheet file would be generated for humans to enter information into. The information entered into the temporary file would then be transcribed by the artificial intelligence into the input fields of the original file.
An even more advanced method involves on-demand programming of an application with a user interface that fits the file and the tasks or input required from the human.
In this way, when artificial intelligence either processes automatically or assists human work and input to complete a task, it transfers the file to the contact person for the next task as written in the business manual.
By having artificial intelligence assist humans in this manner, a mechanism can be realized where humans only need to efficiently perform the minimum necessary tasks through a user-friendly interface.
AI-Friendly File
Fundamentally, business process-oriented software can be in any file format.
However, considering assistance by artificial intelligence, a basic file format that is easy for AI to handle is suitable. A prime example is a Markdown-formatted text file.
It would also be beneficial to define basic rules for content description. Since artificial intelligence provides assistance, these basic description rules can be flexibly modified or extended.
Knowledge Accumulation and Business Process Improvement
Business process-oriented software allows organizations to add new business processes or modify existing ones simply by creating or changing the file itself, which combines manuals and input fields, without involving the development of programs or systems.
Furthermore, it is important to include contact information for a communication channel within the business manual for questions or improvement requests related to that business process.
This significantly reduces the time and effort artificial intelligence and humans spend struggling with uncertainties or conducting research. Moreover, since questions, answers, and improvement requests are centralized at a single point of contact, business process knowledge naturally accumulates, and business processes can be improved frequently.
Tasks such as systematizing and organizing accumulated knowledge, or modifying business process-oriented software in response to improvement requests, can also be performed automatically by artificial intelligence or with its assistance to humans.
Additionally, if necessary, new business process-oriented software can be created to add new business processes to the organization.
Fast Learning Organization
In this way, through the concept of business process-oriented software and automation and assistance by artificial intelligence, an organization as a whole can naturally accumulate knowledge and continuously self-improve.
This can be described as a fast learning organization.
This enables far more efficient organizational activities than traditional organizations.
Meanwhile, with AI assistance for individual tasks, humans only need to perform minimal work through user-friendly interfaces.
Therefore, humans do not need to learn a vast amount of information or grasp every frequently changing business process.
Unlike humans, artificial intelligence can effortlessly reread all new business manuals in an instant. Furthermore, it requires no time to get used to new business processes and does not cling to previous ones.
For this reason, AI absorbs the parts that humans find challenging, such as learning extensive manuals and adapting to changes in business processes.
Thus, a fast learning organization can be realized.