Process Management of Continuing Professional Education Organizations: Digital Transformation

Abstract

The article examines the evolution of the process management concept and its consistent adaptation to the specifics of continuing professional education (CPE). The authors conduct a comprehensive retrospective analysis of theoretical views of national and international scholars on the essence and conceptual framework of the "business process" category. The paper identifies a scientific and practical problem of inconsistency between rigid hierarchical functional management structures of educational organizations and dynamic demands of the modern labor market and growing key stakeholder requirements. The specificity of CPE as a unique object of process management is detailed, including short course duration, clear orientation towards adult audiences with practical experience, and high sensitivity to regulatory and professional standard updates. The institutional structure of the Russian CPE market is analyzed based on statistics from the Federal State Statistics Service and empirical studies of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. The expectations of key stakeholders (students, employers, regulators, faculty) are systematized, and the destructive manifestations of the functional approach are detailed, including operation duplication, bureaucratic bottlenecks, responsibility gaps, and customer churn. Based on systems analysis, an author's decomposition algorithm and a four-dimensional process typology (primary, supporting, managerial, and development processes) are developed. A dynamic normative management model linking instructional design directly to economic key performance indicators is justified. It is proved that process-oriented transformation reduces course development cycles by 30-40%, eliminates transaction delays, and increases overall educational product value.