Peter Alois Francois

Peter Alois Francois is a Research Fellow at South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Computer Science, where he contributes to the Transformation Management (TM) group. He leads research in the project "Construction and Evaluation of Reference Models and Components for AI-supported Process Automation" and teaches process management and automation to practitioners and management teams.

His academic credentials include:

• M.Sc. in Business Informatics (2019-2021) from Fachhochschule Dortmund
• B.Eng. in Engineering Management with IT (2015-2016) from Staffordshire University
• B.Sc. in International Studies of Business Administration and Computer Science (2014-2019) from Fachhochschule Südwestfalen

His research centers on business process management with specialized focus on low-code reuse ecosystems and citizen developer dynamics. He investigates cognitive biases in digital transformation and vendor lock-in effects in automation platforms, bridging theoretical frameworks with industrial applications from his prior roles at NDR and DB Regio AG. His work emphasizes practical implementation of process automation in organizational contexts.

Analysis of his publications (2022-2025) reveals a cohesive research trajectory toward systematic reuse of automation artifacts. Key themes include organizational capability building for BPM, critical evaluation of RPA adoption goals, and architectural frameworks for enabling citizen developers. His work consistently addresses the intersection of human factors and technical systems in process automation.

The TM-group he belongs to is actively expanding its research capacity in information systems and transformation management, with ongoing recruitment for new research positions to strengthen their innovation focus.