Simulation studies in a low-code development platform for improving the flow of internal electronic documents
Authors: Nowicki Tadeusz , Chodowska Wasilewska Agata , Waszkowski Robert 
Published: October 2023

The article shows a certain methodology for investigating the properties of real processes described by business processes. Studying the properties of a business process allows you to evaluate various properties of a real process. The study of the business process takes place in a Low-code platform. This gives the opportunity to study the properties of processes even for people who do not know the methods and technologies of programming, in particular the design and implementation of computer simulators.In this case, the process that is related to the flow of internal electronic documents in the organization is considered. The process begins when there is a need to prepare an internal electronic document in an organization. The flow of electronic internal documents can be initiated by various persons. The new document can be information for staff, decisions, or announcements. Electronic internal documents during the flow can be modified, submitted for approval, completed, saved in the knowledge base, canceled, etc. The process ends by saving the document to the knowledge base.The number of internal electronic documents sent during the day is usually very large. Therefore, it is worth considering improving the flow of internal documents in the organization. Supporting the process of electronic internal documents flow will make it easier for employees to prepare, distribute, modify, accept and, as a result, save such documents in the knowledge base. A process of internal electronic document flow is constructed. Its equivalent in the Low-code platform is also presented. This platform has a built-in simulator. Simulation experiments allow us to analyze various dynamic properties of real processes described by business processes. Business processes and their elements can be described by many various characteristics such as random streams of internal document generation, execution times of detailed tasks, probabilities of certain events controlling the flow of documents, costs of tasks, work schedules of individual employees, parameters of shared resources, organizational structure, etc.Simulation of internal electronic documents flow in a Low-code platform allows to obtain results for various values of characteristics defined in the model. This gives the opportunity to examine the characteristics of the internal electronic document flow process itself, find bottlenecks, lack of appropriate resources, etc. Such an analysis is very important from the point of view of the human factor in relation to the employees of the organization.As a result of a series of simulation experiments, several interesting characteristics related to the internal electronic document flow can be obtained. Interesting statistics are shown related to the execution times of various types of actions, their execution costs, and waiting times for various steps of the document flow. For employees participating in the electronic internal documents flow, their time load on individual tasks in this area can be determined. It is possible to show (indicate) those actions that are activated most often or those that are activated rarely. The degree of the use of resources in the process of electronic internal document flow may also be interesting. A few characteristics can be displayed in tabular or graph form easy to analyze and evaluate. It is important that the real process is described in the form of a business process, and it is easy to construct by a person from outside the IT sector. This is important from the point of view of considering the human factor in this activity.Finally, the article shows the methodology of proceeding in the case of construction, simulation and efficiency, time, and cost analysis of detailed processes of the organization's functioning. Such a methodology allows for the improvement of processes in the organization, including the consideration of the human factor in such processes.