Basic notions regarding business processes and supporting information systems

In order to achieve and maintain an optimal fit between business processes (BPs) and business process support systems (BPSs), both need to be understood thoroughly and coherently. Moreover, to benefit fully from the potentials of modern information and communication technology (ICT), the deep structure that lies behind the surface structure of BPs should be understood. The Ψ-theory, which is only summarized in this paper, provides the basis for such an understanding of BPs and BPSs as well as for some other basic notions. In particular, the notions of design and engineering and of architecture and ontology will be addressed. The conclusion is that these notions can consistently and coherently be related to each other, on the said theoretical basis, such that the concurrent (re)design and (re)engineering of BPs and BPSs can be performed more effectively.