Discovering the Internet of Things (IoT) within the business process management : A literature review on technological revitalization

Purpose – We still know very little about how the Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way of interpreting the business process management inside and outside firms and this topic is progressively becoming increasingly hot in the leading managerial literature (Al-Mashari and Zairi, 2000). Furthermore, management scholars are aiming at investigating the impact and the role of the IoT on the business process management in terms of promotion of knowledge flow, innovation and competitiveness. Likewise, management researchers aim at understanding how the IoT fosters innovation within organizations and which implications this phenomenon may have on the business process management and competitiveness of firms (Al-Mashari and Zairi, 1999). The purpose of this paper is to offer a literature review on the topic, by considering the technological revitalization through the IoT as a key driver for the business process management of the industrial firm. Design/methodology/approach – The present paper offers a literature review of the most relevant contributions on IoT and business process management. It presents a qualitative approach to the discussion of the technological revitalization concept within industrial firms using IoT technologies. Findings – The rising number of technical contributions using IoT shows that technologies are evolving and there is a learning and application process supported by standardization efforts. Easy installation, standardization, stoutness, configuration and servicing are essential to keep IoT systems operational and hence offering value for the business process management within every industry. From a business process management point of view, value creation from the IoT application to technological revitalizations is pivotal and will affect the use of IoT technologies in the industry, on a progressively higher scale, in the coming years. Originality/value – There are still few contributions in the managerial literature that show the implications of the IoT on business process management of industrial firms and, particularly, on technological revitalization. The paper offers a literature review on the topic, at the same presenting some reflections on the application of the IoT to technological revitalizations, within industrial contexts.