Modeling, analysis, design

Business Process Modeling and Analysis (BPMA) starts with the initial conception and description of a process. Models of processes are created and various scenarios or alternate processes are constructed in order to analyze the behavior of processes and optimize performance.

The technologies available for BPMA start with applications that support graphical representations of the process and detailed descriptions of the goals and requirements for the process. Drawing a flowchart or map of the activities involved in a process based on the requirements for the process is one of the early steps in process development. The mapping of business processes is an extremely important stage necessary for designing and communicating processes that meet business requirements and are realistic in terms of their use in detailing implementation requirements.

At a fundamental level any graphics application that allows for charting and describing the flow of steps taken to complete a process will be useful. Flowcharts may represent steps with actions as labeled boxes or other symbols, even pictures of objects. Support for annotations describing the requirements and personnel roles at each step in a process is important. Of course, flowcharts may be drawn by hand on a piece of paper but simple computer graphics programs provide better means for editing and electronically distributing the process representation. Available technologies include drawing software, word processors and spreadsheets with drawing capabilities, sophisticated graphics and mapping software and web enabled drawings with links to other information. In addition modeling activities provide documentation on processes useful for communicating processes to management, collaborating team members, process designers and process implementers. Models can create a common language and terminology across functional business units and promote a common base of models to reduce redundancy and incompatibility in disperse process efforts.

Some computer graphics programs treat elements in a diagram as “intelligent” objects such that a mouse click on a step in the process can display underlying data such as a detailed description of actions, sources of information required at a step, rules related to processing information, directions for the routing of output information and metrics used to calculate performance statistics. The underlying information may be stored in a word processor, spreadsheet or database applications linking detailed information to objects in the process map. A number of object oriented modeling tools are available offering sophisticated features for detailing object properties, methods and relationships in a process map.

Efforts to standardize methods for describing processes have resulted in a standard graphical notation called Business Process Management Notation (BPMN). BPMN is particularly useful as a formal system for the precise description of classes, methods and properties of process activities. BPMN is particularly important for the technical design, coding and implementation of business processes using BPMS. Although a complete description of BPMN is beyond the scope of this publication, it is important for BPM professionals involved in formal modeling, design and technical execution of BPM. (See Business Process Modeling Notation – (BPMN) from the Business Process Modeling Initiative (BPMI) by BPMI.org, Version 1.0, May 3, 2004)

Once the process is adequately described, other useful technologies for BPMA may involve process modeling and simulations. Simulation programs will simulate the behaviors of people (or machines) carrying out the activities of a process. Each simulation of a process is an “incident” of the process. For example, the simulation of an Accounts Payable (AP) process will start with the receipt of an invoice and will follow the steps and actions that would be carried out by people or computers in order to pay or

reject payment of the invoice. Simulators will simulate the actions taken at each step, simulate the flow of data and other information through the process and execute rules that may change the process flow and dictate additional processes to be initiated such as a process of approvals by a manager when the invoice amount exceeds a certain value.

Metrics developed to measure performance such as the time required to complete a step, the lag time between actions and the cost of resources used will be included in a simulation exercise to measure the effectiveness of the process. Simulations and modeling are iterative activities in that a simulation of a number of incidents will be run by a software program based on a set of assumptions about how the tasks in steps are carried out. During the simulation measures such as total time for completion and costs are recorded to determine points for improvements. Assumptions may be changed and another set of incidents will be simulated to compare the results.

The basic features of a typical modeling and simulation application will include:

1. The ability to graphically represent the process as a map of the steps to be taken;

2. Methods to define the flow of information between steps and conditions under which the flow may change. If the flow of the process can be changed based on events, simulators provide the ability to define the probability distribution of the likelihood of one or more routes through the process.

3. Methods to state assumptions about measurable behaviors in process steps such as the time to complete a task. Such behaviors may be based on a probability distribution. For example, the distribution of task completion times may be defined and each simulation of an incident will use a completion time from that distribution.