BUSINESS PROCESSES MODELLING IN SMEs USING PETRI NETS

In order to survive in highly competitive business environments, companies have to continuously change their business processes. The paper stresses the necessity for organisational restructuring in the context of global information connectivity. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are extremely important to many countries and they should be encouraged to radically change the way their businesses are conducted. Internet and information technology should offer a suitable basis for SMEs to participate in the global marketplace at less cost and more efficiently. The necessary organisational changes of inefficient business processes could be the largest obstacles for the prospects of SMEs, therefore SMEs should be prepared for business process reengineering (BPR). Simulation modelling has a great potential in modelling and analysing business processes. It is acknowledged that developing dynamic models of business processes prior to their change can contribute towards more successful Business Process Reengineering (BPR). This paper presents a methodology that responds the needs of SMEs in their BPR projects. An example of retail process modelling in small to medium-sized enterprise using Petri nets (DES-nets) is provided. The suitability of Petri nets for modelling business processes is investigated. The benefits of the developed simulation model should be explored through further research in order to determine if it could be implemented as a general retail business process model for guiding SMEs performance improvement.