Modeling business processes. Analysis of modern business processes modeling tools business processes modeling tools
As promised several months ago, we return to the topic of modeling business processes, offering you a cycle of articles dedicated to tools with which this type of activity is carried out. In this cycle, we will consider the tools of leading manufacturers who russian companies Can use to solve modeling and improving business processes without significant risks. But before proceeding with the consideration of the first of the instruments, I would like to clarify what exactly the phrase "without significant risks" means (and, consequently, what the criteria for the inclusion of certain instruments in this cycle of articles).
On the criteria for the success of modeling means in the world and Russian markets
In a global scale (first of all for multinational companies and in some cases - for American companies) one of the most serious criteria for the choice of software for carrying out one or another activity is a high product assessment by analytical companies, such as Gartner Group, Forrester Research, IDC and Meta Group.
For the national markets (including Russian), the criteria for choosing corporate software are somewhat different. In this case, when making a decision on the use of the product to the fore, factors are published as accessibility on national market both the product itself, and support services, technical support, national language training, and in the case of products intended for end users (business processes modeling means are precisely this category) - also the presence of a localized version. In the conditions of our country, these factors turn out to be more significant than recognition of analysts, since, unlike relatively small European countries, we are not so closely related to the world community to require users of free possession. foreign languages, to organize training tools to the instrument for end users abroad and communicate with the English-speaking technical support service, located in Europe or the United States, the cost of all listed even for a very successful Russian corporation from the financial, mining or energy industry may be too high. Therefore, on russian market It can be very successful manufacturers of modeling tools, are by no means that are not global leaders. It would be possible to start our review from such tools.
About QPr.
The Finnish QPR company is present in the global market for a long time - it was founded in 1991 in order to create interactive software that significantly improving the decision-making process at any organizational level. Currently, QPR has been engaged in research and development software designed to manage the effectiveness of the organization's activities.
Several years ago, QPR was named analytic company Gartner Group by one of the leading manufacturers of modeling tools with the vision of the market and the prospects for its development, largely due to the support of the BSC Concept (Balanced Scorecard), very popular in the area strategic planning. However, we will tell about the support of the BSC in the QPR products a little later.
QPR ProcessGuide - modeling and documentation of business processes
Supported notations
To model business processes, QPR supplies the QPR ProcessGuide solution. This product allows you to create multi-level business processes in notation similar to the notation of Swim Lane and the workflow diagrams - functions (or in other terminology, processes) are located on the so-called role tracks. At the same time, each function of the process can be detailed to an independent subprocess, described by a separate diagram, and the number of levels of detail is not limited.
On the one hand, the presence of a multi-level diagram system (it is a set of diagrams in QPR terminology is called a model) allows you to create consistent descriptions of the company's activities and, of course, is a sign of maturity of the modeling tool - not every tool used in this area has the support of such sets of diagrams on Storage level data.
Process model in QPR ProcessGuide
On the other hand, this modeling means does not differ in a large number of different types of diagrams like those available to users of ARIS Business Architect or Microsoft Visio, - in fact, this tool has the only type of models supporting the decomposition of the process steps. But for the sake of justice, we note that QPR ProCCESSGUIDE allows you to expand the library of symbols - elements of business processes, so you can formally comply with any graphical notation, for example, in the case when it is corporate standardAdopted in the company.
Documentation of processes
In itself, modeling business processes is not interested in anyone. This type of work is carried out with a certain goal, for the most part in order to find in the company's processes so-called bottlenecks and, on the basis of this, optimize processes, thereby increasing the efficiency of the company, as well as ensure their documentation and regulation (the latter is often done when certified Compliant companies are one of the quality standards).
Capabilities of documentation of processes in QPR ProcessGuide are very wide - this product has a software interface based on the COM technology that allows you to contact absolutely any data contained in models, and the built-in programming language is Visual Basic for Applications. The last fact greatly simplifies the generation of reports in Microsoft Office applications - in the presence of installed office applications, you can contact the reporting script created for QPR ProcessGuide, directly to Word COM interfaces, Excel, PowerPoint. In addition, the presence of a similar class software interface allows you to create various applied solutions based on QPR ProcessGuide, such as models exchange tools with other modeling tools, integration tools with various information systems, etc.
Note that not every means of modeling has similar programming interfaces, although, of course, the ability to program is required for their effective application. However, the product supply includes some amount ready-made scripts reporting.
Simulation and improvement of processes
Improving business processes using QPR ProcessGuide can be carried out by means of both a quantitative analysis of the characteristics of the processes and their steps and simulation modeling of processes - the means of imitation modeling are included in the product.
Results of simulation in QPR ProcessGuide
Simulation modeling is the process of simulating the implementation of various instances of the same process. Before performing simulation modeling, the process model is supplied with data necessary to perform imitation, for example, the frequencies of the onset of certain events, probabilities of a particular outcome in the event of a branching of the process, the laws of distribution of the time of the various steps of the process and other characteristics. In the process of performing simulation simulation for each instance of the simulated process, random data is generated in accordance with the selected probabilities, distribution laws and frequencies. If data for simulation simulation is selected correctly, modeling results and statistical data obtained based on them, and there is that information based on which it is possible to make changes to the process in order to increase its effectiveness, time optimization sx costs money and resources.
Publication of models on the corporate intranet portal
QPR ProcessGuide allows you to publish models on intranet portals, and the user is given the opportunity to add and view comments and draw up action plans related to business processes. For the sake of justice, we note that such access is not unlimited - for those users of the portal that create presentations in it, the system of tasks and comments, it is supposed to purchase licenses (though that differ in terms of licenses for models developers).
Publication of models on the corporate intranet portal
QPR Scorecard - BSC technology support
Balanced Scorecard (BSC), or a system of balanced indicators (SSP), which is developed in 1992 by Professors of the Harvard University Robert Kaplan and David Norton, From the point of view of the implementation of the company's strategy through key performance indicators. The use of a balanced system of indicators allows to carry out targeted monitoring of the activities of the enterprise, predict and preempt the emergence of problems, control the most significant financial and non-financial indicators of the enterprise.
The basic idea of \u200b\u200bthe SSP is to formulate the achievable and quantitatively measurable strategic goals of the company with gradual detailing and distribution of these goals in groups, also called prospects, as well as accounting for the mutual influence of these goals.
The specified management tool is actively used by leading Western companies (namely 402 organizations from 500 largest newspapers FINANCIAL TIMES), and recently attracts close attention to top managers in Russia. Learn more about BSC technology can be read in a separate article on this issue, which will be published in one of the nearest rooms of our magazine.
Tree of goals of the company in QPR Scorecard
Strategic Map of Companies in QPR Scorecard
To support the BSC technology, QPR produces a separate QPR Scorecard product that allows you to build strategic maps, make a comparison of planned and real key performance indicators and publish results on a corporate portal.
It should be noted that QPR ProcessGuide allows you to associate the steps of business processes with key performance indicators created in QPR Scorecard, and thereby provides the company's management of the opportunity to assess the degree of achieving its strategic goals at the level of individual processes.
Like QPR ProcessGuide, QPR Scorecard has a convenient software interface based on COM technology, which allows you to create scripts to generate reports of any complexity, as well as other QPR Scorecard-based applied solutions.
QPR products in Russia
When choosing a means of modeling business processes, technical support and localization issues are among the most significant. Unlike IT professionals who are most ready to read English documentation, write letters to European technical support services, and in general, not very capricious, business users engaged in the description of the processes are often extremely unhappy, seeing the English application interface, with They have to deal with them, and the technical support of such users suggests the presence of people in it speaking them in the same language.
Russian-language versions of QPR products are available on the Russian market. Their delivery, introduction and support is carried out by Trodos Consulting - an exclusive QPR Software PLC distributor in Russia and the CIS. In addition, this company supplies a number of specified products to the Russian market. applied solutions With the use of data obtained from accounting systems, such as solutions for automating the standard schedule management, the formation of a system of personnel motivation, budgeting, planning. At the moment, this company made several dozen successful implementation - both QPR products and their own solutions based on them. This means that companies that decide not just to introduce QPR products, but also integrate them with their information systems (and modern business users, as a rule, categorically insist on such integration), will not remain with these tasks one on one.
We also note that for QPr users, the use of the product in Russian duration from 2 to 5 days is available, which includes a joint creation together with the customer of the working prototype model of its company, which is essentially a consulting service.
QPR products are beneficial to purchase with a large number of licenses. Thus, the QPR Process Guide license package for a small number of developers (2-5) and several dozen users (20-100) with annual technical support costs from 12 to 30 thousand euros, whereas in the case of several dozen developers (20-40) and Multi-hundreds of users (200-400) The cost of licenses and annual technical support rolls from 60 to 115 thousand euros. However, the main consumers of this class products are just quite large companies - after all, it is primarily a specialized tools that help improve business processes.
So today we reviewed two products for modeling business processes and supporting strategic planning, which, in our opinion, have good position and support in the Russian market. We note, however, that QPr is far from the only company with such support. Therefore, in subsequent articles of this cycle, we will tell about the means of modeling other manufacturers.
In this article, we will place a brief overview of programs for describing and modeling business processes.
As information has been received, we will add brief descriptions of programs.
If you know a convenient program for modeling business processes that did not get into our list, let us know in the comments or through the feedback form.
1. ARIS Express is a tool for modeling business processes, easy to install and use, so that beginner users can also be applied, and university students. This product The Aris Scheer Modeling Meeting Family (Architecture of Integrated Information Systems) of the Ids Scheer (currently being part of Software AG), widely represented on the Russian market, localized a few years ago and even secured Russian-speaking technical support. Aris Products (Architecture of Integrated Information Systems), which manufactures IDS SCHEER, includes not only business processes modeling and publishing models, but also integrated means of developing a system of balanced indicators, assessment and optimization of the value of business processes, their imitation Simulation, tools that simplify the implementation of ERP systems, design distributed applications and IT infrastructures, as well as tools for monitoring business processes. The leading analytical companies Gartner Group and Forrester Research include IDS Scheer company to the world market for modeling and business processes.
2. Bizagi Process Modeler - Free software for creating process diagrams and documentation in the notation of the BPMN standard.
3. Business Studio is a system of business modeling from a domestic manufacturer, allowing companies to speed up and simplify the development of their management system, the introduction of a quality management system. There is a free version. Main solid tasks:
- Formalization of the strategy and control of its achievement
- Design and optimization of business processes
- Design of organizational structure and staff schedule
- Formation and distribution among regulatory documentation staff
- Implementation of the quality management system in accordance with ISO standards
- Formation of technical tasks and support for the introduction of information systems
4. Allfusion Process Modeler - allows you to describe, analysis and modeling of the data model - Builder of meta-models of data. It takes one of the leading places in its market segment.
Includes three standard methodologies: IDEF0 (functional modeling), DFD (data streaming) and IDEF3 (modeling of workflows).
5. - Comprehensive tool with a convenient user interface intended for modeling and organization collaboration both manufacturing and IT staff.
- Fast and unhindered integration of modeling functions, building workflows and imitation.
- Imitation on the basis of data from repository, reports on changes and real-time performance assessment means.
- Monitoring workflows via the Internet using a standard browser.
6.
ELMA - Russian development. Business Process Management System is based on a simple idea: there is a construction of the business processes of your company using visual charts (BPMN notation), load these descriptions to the ELMA computer system, and the program allows you to track the execution of processes in the real practice of the enterprise. There is a free version.
In addition to managing consistent tasks, which is advantageously automated, there is a project management module. The existing control system (including through the KPI control module) and reports creates optimal conditions for working in a team, including remotely (especially valuable for branches).
Electronic document management associated with all system modules and provides storage, classification of documents. This significantly saves time and reduces the concept of "an indispensable employee" to a minimum.
Accounting for clients and access rights is resolved in the CRM module: the integration feature appeared call centers. For an ELMA ordinary user can be useful as an alternative to an internal corporate mail and task management tool.
7. Fox Manager business processes are free. The program for building and analyzing business processes, as well as generating reports on the enterprise process model. The program allows you to build a single solid process model of the enterprise. Used notation is close to the Basic Flow Chart, which is well familiar with their simplicity of building business processes. The program automatically builds top-level processes, displaying the interaction of categories and business processes in the form of a visual diagram. The analytical functions of the program allow you to notice and eliminate errors made by constructing a built-in process model, namely to allocate processes for which no one answers, find links to non-existent documents, positions, suppliers or business processes.
02/14/2017, W, 16:00, MSK , Text: Andrey Koptelov
There are many tools for describing the company's business processes, you only need to choose the appropriate. What they differ from each other and how not to make a mistake with the choice, tells in this article.The implementation of process management in companies is usually accompanied by the definition of key business processes and their subsequent description, analysis and optimization. Many performers from different departments are involved in business processes, many documents are created, and the main thing is the complex logic of the interaction of performers among themselves, which requires the display of the process format, convenient for perception and analysis.
The description of the existing state of the business process in the status of "as is" allows not only to fix the state of affairs, but also to conduct a primary analysis of the business process. While the description of the business process in the status of "how it should be" allows you to formalize and, most importantly, regulate the new state of the business process for its subsequent implementation of the Company.
Text format description of the business process
There are many examples of the regulations of business processes that reach hundreds of sheets, however, the more such a document, the less chance that it is read, and even more so become executed. That is why it is necessary to describe business processes extremely short documents in the format of structured text, focusing on who, what does and for what time.
At the initial stages of business processes
Text description allows the primary analysis of business processes in the company,
and also consolidate their target state in the form of approved regulations
The secret of the description of business processes in the form of a structured text is to follow a clear structure: first fixed who and when executes the operation, and then in subparagraph, the level is described below, the actions themselves are described, after which it is indicated and in which case the result is transmitted.
Thus, step by step describes the entire business process with an indication of the list of documents that are transmitted by the process, and information systems that are used to perform a particular operation.
In practice, even very "large-scale" business processes can be easily described in such a structure, while the advantage of a text approach is its simplicity and accessibility not only to business analysts, but also any employee of the company. Using these simple rules for structuring text in the company, you can easily create a regulation system that standardize key business processes.
The disadvantage of the text description is the ability to "hide" in it in disabilities and inaccuracies in the business process, which can be detected only attentively by subtracting the resulting document. However, despite the disadvantages, in the initial stages of business processes management, a structured text description allows a primary analysis of business processes in the company, as well as consolidate their target state in the form of approved regulations.
Business process description table format
Regarding the description of the processes in the text format, the use of tabular form adds "structuredness" created by the description of the business process.
The business process is described in the form of a table where the rows describe the operations in the business process, while each line contains not only the number and name of the operation, but also incoming and outgoing documents, temporary performance standards, performer, information used information systems and the logic of further actions. In fact, when describing the business process, technological maps are created in tabular form, describing all the necessary actions in detail with their environment.
Depending on the tasks set, in the tabular description, you can display various elements of the business process environment, for example, if the company is working with operational risks, you can add an additional column in which to specify existing operational risks with their reference to the process operations.
Using a single table template and simple instructions for completing it, it is fairly easy to describe key business processes in the company by employees of business units, while the quality of the description will certainly be higher than in the text format, but the result will have insufficient visualization regarding the process description in the form of a graphic model.
The only disadvantage of the tabular form is the complexity of the display of the business process logic, since for each operation in the table you have to be described in which action is executed, for example, "if the document is consistent, then the operation 5 is performed, and if not agreed, operation 6 is performed. ", That is not always convenient for understanding the features of the business process and its analysis.
Graphic business process model
Recently, many companies describe business processes in graphic models. This may be a scheme drawn on flipchart, and there may be a model created in a special tool, in accordance with the notation approved in the company.
For most companies describing processes in graphical form, business processes modeling tools are MS Visio or MS PowerPoint. These tools are included in the standard office package, which allows you to create business processes models with a wide range of persons.
In addition to existing tools, the cloud free business processes modeling tools appeared relatively recently, in which the model can be drawn in the browser, while maintaining the result or on the disk or in the cloud storage.
Given the availability and ease of starting the use of cloud modeling of business processes, they quickly conquer fans, both among business analysts and IT professionals and among employees and managers of the company.
With the help of a graphic model, the business process can be described as high quality, because it can reflect not only the all necessary surroundings of operations, but also visualize the logic of the business process using logical operators and events.
True, in the case of the use of the graphic form of modeling business processes, the number of employees in the company creating models of business processes can be seriously reduced, as some of them will pushing the complexity of the toolkit and additional labor costs to create graphic models, relative to the text and table description.
In order for among those who model business processes in the company. It was as many representatives of business units, it is necessary to select modeling tools with a convenient and simple interface, as well as use the simplest notations to display processes.
Business Process Modeling System
Some companies with a large number of employees and high maturity in the field of business processes are moving from the simplest tools for modeling business processes to Business Process Analysis class systems, which allow you to simulate business processes in a single repository, which allows not only to create a complete mutually agreed model. Descriptions of the organization's activities, but also to obtain regulatory documents on its basis using custom reporting.
As a rule, if the number of business processes drawn in the company begins to exceed several thousand, there is a need to ensure their integration among themselves, and also be able to create a regulatory documentation based on the created models, it is in this case that the use of the Business Process Analysis toolkit is justified.
Work in the Business Process Analysis tools requires a tough discipline in modeling business processes, which is achieved through the normalization of reference books of the organizational structure, documents and information systems, as well as the approval of the modeling of business processes and the audit of the compliance of the created models of approved notation or at the level of the toolkit, or with The help of coordination procedures.
The use of Business Process Analysis has certain risks associated just with the need for tight discipline when creating models and with the complexity of the toolkit interface. This leads to a decrease in the number of modeling business processes among representatives of business units. As a result, it is often difficult to work in the Business Process Analysis toolkit become the prerogative of business analysts and IT specialists, which narrows possible resources for modeling business processes in the company, and leads either to expanding the staff of business analysts, or to attract external consultants. At the same time, business often does not want to work with the received models and returns to a text or tabular format description of business processes obtained by reports from the Business Process Analysis toolkit.
From modeling to automation
It is no secret that despite the business processes created by the regulations, the company's employees often work according to their rules, because to control the correctness of the execution of the rules is sufficiently difficult, and the conducted audits require additional labor costs.
It is absolutely logical to shift control the correctness of the execution of business processes on an automated system in which to lay all the necessary logic of its execution. When using specialized Business Process Management SUITE class systems, the business process model becomes executable, and the information system itself manages the business process in accordance with the rules described in the model, assigning executors of operations and routing applications in accordance with the logic of the business process.
In this case, the model becomes prerequisite To automate the business process, however, this business process model requires much more detailed study, because it must be "understandable" by the information system that automates the process.
A kind of specific "consumer" model of the business process makes it a difficult occupation, for which, as a rule, a system analyst is attracted or even an IT developer who knows the automation system well. Representatives of business or business analysts in this case can represent only the prototype of such a model, after which the agreed prototype must be seriously refined taking into account the features of the BPMS system.
What to choose?
To determine the formats for describing business processes, it is necessary to analyze the size of the organization, its maturity in the field of business processes management, as well as to identify consumers of the description of the description.
The company from 50 to 500 people to improve and regulate business processes is quite a texty or tabular description of the processes, while the description may be conducted by the staff and managers who have passed specialized training on the topic of business processes.
The company from 500 to 5,000 people can also be limited to a text or tabular description, using graphic notations to visualize particularly "confusing" business processes with a large number of participants. In the companies of this scale to systematize the described description, it is necessary to conduct a register of business processes and regulations, as well as create templates for both regulations and graphic models.
In large companies with a number of 5,000 people, with a developed process office and high maturity in managing business processes, you can think about the use of Business Process Analysis to model business processes, within which you create a single repository of business processes models, after which to form On its basis, the regulations of business processes and other regulatory documentation.
BPMS systems are most effective where the speed and control of the logic of business processes is important, so they can most often meet in those processes where client applications, orders, complaints and contracts are processed, regardless of the company's scale.
Modeling business processes - This is an effective means of finding ways to optimize the company's activities, allowing to determine how the company works as a whole and how activities are organized at each workplace. Under the methodology (notation) of the creation of a model (description) of the business process is a combination of methods, with which the objects of the real world and communication between them are presented in the form of a model. For each object and connections, a number of parameters, or attributes reflecting the definable characteristics of the real object (object number, name, description, execution duration (for functions), cost, etc.) are characterized.
A description of business processes is carried out in order to further analyze and reorganize them. The purpose of reorganization can be the introduction of an information system, reducing costs, improving the quality of customer service, the creation of official and working instructions, etc., and the detailed description of the processes in itself does not represent value.
Reengineering Business Processes (English Business Process Reengineering) is a fundamental rethinking and radical reflashing of business processes to achieve maximum efficiency of production and financial and economic activities, designed by the relevant organizational and regulatory documents. Business engineering consists of modeling business processes (the development of the model "as is", its analysis, the development of the model "as it should") and the development and implementation of the transition plan to the state "as it should".
The basis of many modern business processes modeling methodologies was the SADT methodology (Structured Analysis and Design Technique - the structural analysis and design method), the IDEF standard family (ICAM Definition, where ICAM is Integrated Computer-Aided Manufacturing) and algorithmic languages.
The main types of methodologies for modeling and analyzing business processes:
Modeling business processes ( Business Process Modeling). The most widely used methodology for describing business processes is IDEF0 standard. Models in the notation IDEF0 are designed for high-level description of the company's business in a functional aspect.
Description of work streams ( Work Flow Modeling). The IDEF3 standard is designed to describe workflows and close to algorithmic methods for building flowcharts.
Description of data streams ( Data Flow Modeling). Notation DFD ( Data Flow Diagramming.), allows you to reflect the sequence of work performed in the course of the process, and information flows circulating between these works.
Other methodologies.
In relation to obtaining added value of the product or service, the following process classes can be distinguished:
Main business processes (for example, marketing, production, supply and service maintenance Products).
Providing business processes do not add product value, but increase its cost (for example financial support activities, providing personnel, legal support, administration, security, supply of component materials, repair and maintenance, etc.).
Business management processes.
Business model - This is formalized (graphic, tabular, textual, symbolic) description of business processes. The main area of \u200b\u200bapplication of business models is reengineering business processes.
The objectives of modeling business processes are usually formulated as follows:
Ensure the understanding of the structure of the organization and the dynamics of processes occurring in it;
Ensure an understanding of the current problems of organization and the possibilities of solving them;
Make sure that customers, users and developers understand the goals and objectives of the organization;
Create a base for the formation of requirements for software that automates the organization's business processes (requirements for software are formed on the basis of a business model).
An important element of the business processes model are business Rules or rules subject area. Typical business rules are corporate policy and state laws. Business rules are usually formulated in a special document and can be reflected in models.
Decomposition In general, this is a method that allows you to replace the solution to one large problem with the solution of a series of smaller tasks, splitting an object into components according to the established criterion. Practically decomposition is used to detail business models.
Stages of describing business processes:
Defining the description of the description.
Description of the environment, definition of inputs and business process outputs, building IDEF0-diagrams.
Description of the functional structure (process action), the construction of IDEF3 diagrams.
Description of streams (material, information, financial) process, building DFD diagrams.
Construction of the organizational structure of the process (departments, participants responsible).
IDEF0.
The model consists of diagrams, fragments of texts and glossary with references to each other. Charts are the main components of the model, all functions and interfaces on them are presented as blocks and arcs.
The location of the arc connection with the block determines the type of interface:
Control information is included in the block on top.
Input information enters the block on the left.
The results come out of the block on the right.
Mechanism (person or automated system), which carries out the operation, is included in the unit below.
Each model component can be decomposed (deciphered in more detail) on another diagram. It is recommended to stop modeling when the level of model detail satisfies its goal. The total number of levels in the model should not exceed 5-6.
The construction of diagrams begins with the representation of the entire system in the form of one block and arcs depicting interfaces with the functions outside the system. Then the block that represents the system as a single module is detailed on another diagram using multiple blocks connected by interface arcs. Each detailed diagram is a decomposition of the block from the diagram of the previous level. At each step of the decomposition, the diagram of the previous level is called the parent for a more detailed chart.
On such diagrams, it is clearly not a sequence or time. The method has a number of shortcomings: the complexity of perception (a large number of arcs in diagrams and a large number of levels of decomposition), the difficulty of linking several processes.
IDEF3.
This method is intended for modeling sequence of action and interdependence between them within the framework of processes. IDEF3 models can be used to detail IDEF0 functional blocks that do not have decomposition diagrams.
IDEF3 diagrams display act in the form of a rectangle. Actions are referred to using verbs or exclusive nouns, each of the actions assigned a unique identification number (number of action is usually predicted by its parent number, for example, 1.1.).
All communications in IDEF3 are unidirectional and organized from left to right.
Types of ketches IDEF3:
Temporaal Precedence, Simple Arrow. The initial action should be completed before the final action can begin.
Object flow (Object Flow), a double tip arrow. The output of the source is the end of the final action. The initial action should be completed before the final action can begin. The names of streaming bonds must clearly identify the object that is transmitted to them.
Fuzzy relationship (relation), dotted arrow.
Completion of one action can initiate the beginning of the execution of several other actions at once, or vice versa, a certain action may require the completion of several other actions before the start of its implementation (process branch).
The branching of the process is reflected by special blocks:
- "And", block with a sign &.
- "excluding or" ("one of"), block with the sign of H.
- "Or", block with O.
If the actions "and", "or" must be performed synchronously, it is denoted by two double vertical lines inside the block, asynchronously one.
The IDEF3 method allows you to decompose the action several times, which ensures the documentation of alternative process flows in one model.
DFD.
The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how each process converts their entrance data on the weekend. May reflect not only informational, but also material flows. Also, as in other models, a decomposition is supported.
The main components of the data stream diagrams are:
External essences ( material object or individualwhich are the source or receiver of information, such as customers, staff, suppliers, customers, warehouse);
Systems and subsystems (for example, a subsystem for working with individuals);
Processes (converting data streams to the output in accordance with a specific algorithm; physically it can be, for example, a division of an organization (department) that performs the processing of input documents and issuance of reports, a program, a hardware-implemented logical device, etc.);
Data storage devices (abstract information storage devices);
Data streams (on the chart - arrows).
It is necessary to place on each diagram from 3 (there is less no sense) to 7 (more - not perceived) processes, without cluttering the diagrams insignificant at this level by the details.
The first step in constructing the DFD hierarchy is to build contextual charts. Usually, when designing relatively simple systems, a single contextual diagram is built with star-shaped topology, in the center of which is the so-called main process connected to receivers and sources of information. For complex systems (ten or more external entities, distributed nature and system multifunction) is built a hierarchy of contextual diagrams. In this case, the top-level contextual diagram contains an unique main process, but a set of subsystems connected by data flows.
Each process on DFD can be detailed using DFD or (if the elementary process) specification. Specifications are descriptions of algorithms of tasks performed by processes. Specification languages \u200b\u200bmay vary from structured natural language or pseudocode to visual modeling languages.
When modeling business processes of data stream diagrams (DFD) are used to build "AS-IS" and "AS-TO-BE" models, thus reflecting the existing and proposed structure of the organization's business processes.
ARIS.
Currently, there is a tendency to integrate a variety of modeling methods, manifested in the form of creating integrated modeling tools. One of these means is the program product that is called ARIS (Architecture of Integrated Information Systems), developed by the German IDS Scheer.
Aris supports four types of models (and many types of models in each type) reflecting various aspects of the system under study:
Organizational models representing the structure of the system - the hierarchy of organizational units, posts and specific persons, the relationship between them, as well as the territorial binding of structural units;
Functional models containing a hierarchy of the goals facing the control apparatus, with a set of trees of the functions necessary to achieve their goals;
Information models reflecting the structure of information required to implement the entire set of functions of the system;
Management models representing a comprehensive view of the implementation of business processes within the system.
To build listed models types, both own methods for modeling ARIS and various known methods and modeling languages, in particular, UML. The modeling process can be started with any of the types of models.
The main business model ARIS - EEPC (Extended Event-Driven Process Chain, an extended model of the chain of processes managed by events). The notation of ARIS EEPC is an extension of the Idef3 notation. The business process in the notation EEPC is a stream of consistently performed works (procedures, functions) located in the order of their execution. The real time of execution of procedures in EEPC is visually not reflected.
For information about the real duration of the processes, you must use other description tools, such as MS Project.
Models in ARIS are diagrams whose elements are a variety of objects - "functions", "Events", " structural units"," Documents ", etc. Between objects of certain species can be established communication defined species ("performs", "makes a decision", "must be aginified by the results", etc.). Each object corresponds to a specific set of attributes that allow you to enter additional information About a specific object.
Main objects of notation EEPC:
Function. It serves to describe the functions (procedures, works) performed by divisions / employees of the enterprise. Each function must be initiated by the event and must end with the event; In each function, more than one arrow, "running" execution of the function, and exit more than one arrow describing the completion of the function.
Event. Used to describe the real events affecting functions.
Organizational unit. For example, management or department.
Document. Reflects real media, such as paper documents.
Applied system.
Information cluster. Characterizes a set of entities and connections between them.
Communication between objects. Type of relationship between objects, for example, activation of the execution of the function by some event.
Logical operator. Operator "and", "or" or exclusive "or" allows you to describe the branching of the process.
If, when creating a model in EEPC, only the sequence of procedures, without taking care of the reflection of control documents and information, the obtained models will have a low value from the point of view of analysis and further use.
For storage of models in ARIS, an object DBMS is used, and a new database is created under each project. There are various database administration functions, such as access control. The database is a hierarchical storage of models.
Work on the creation of a model should be regulated by hard and voluminous modeling agreements (standards), ARIS supports the mechanism of methodological filters that allow the user to use only a certain set of schemes and objects. The development of such agreements requires considerable time and highly qualified specialists. If the project using ARIS begins without a detailed study of such agreements, the likelihood of creating models of business processes that do not respond to the questions raised is very high.
Proposition of BPM in the Russian market today is quite fully - here are both domestic and main foreign developments, including the subsystems of "heavy" complex products of large vendors. While the Russian software is still more oriented to the description of the processes, foreigners are to execute. Before choosing a product, it is necessary to immediately clarify - what is required to describe, in which volume and how the execution will be monitored. Next, the system is selected, based on the most different set of criteria - from ergonomics, the requirements for the hardware, software before technical support and cost.
As the enterprise grows, the system of management is complicated. In organizations, a description of this system and business processes occurring, if there is a presented in most cases in unparalleled and disparate formats, is in an irrelevant state. As a result, employees do not understand which processes at all flow into the organization, the degree of personnel participation in these processes is reduced. Increasing the gap between real actions of employees and general strategy Companies. This leads to a slow response to changes in external conditions, which affects the efficiency of the business and, as a result, on its profits. In the real economic situation, this is an unforgivable luxury.
Optimization of such costs is an obvious internal reserve for the increase in the effectiveness of the organization. And here to help companies can come modern technologies for describing the organization's activities, the result of which is the information model. As a rule, the development of an organization information model is carried out "top down", starting with the formation of a company's mission, corporate objectives, developing a strategy that determines the necessary set of functions to achieve their goals. The full information model becomes its management system for the enterprise.
"BPM offers a methodology and tool tools that bind to constructed models of processes with the operating activities of the Company, provide mechanisms for monitoring and monitoring processes - notes Liana Meliktyan, Business Development Director, Software AG in Rossi and CIS (the company has recently announced the acquisition of IDS SCHEER AG). - The latter is especially valuable when building a quality management system or when the improvement of business processes based on quantitative indicators significantly affects business efficiency.
Nishel offer
Today in the Russian market you can find a certain amount software productsthat help simplify the process of describing the organization's activities. Among the Russian developments here you can allocate Business Studio ("Modern Management Technologies"), "Business Engineer" ("Bitek"), "Intalheev: Corporate Navigator" ("Intral'ev"), "Org-Master Pro" ("Business Engineering Group "). From the most popular foreign software products you want to mark Aris Business Performance Edition (IDS SCHEER AG), CA Erwin Process Modeler, previously BPWIN (CA), Hyperion Performance Scorecard (Oracle), IBM WebSphere Business Modeler (IBM), SAP Strategic Enterprise Management (SAP ).
"You should pay attention to the fact that russian developments First of all, intended to describe / design the company's activities. They, as a rule, provide the ability to describe almost any subject area. Foreign manufacturers are more oriented. In most cases, their products are one or more modules in the software layer provided by the manufacturer, "comments Alexey Fedoseev, General Director of the Intralian Group of Companies.
Business modeling systems in Russia
Product |
Provider |
Functionality |
Tools |
Cost* |
| Foreign software products | ||||
| IBM WebSphere Business Modeler | IBM. | Simulation, imitation, analysis of business processes. Allows you to form a list kPI indicators, bind them to elements of the business process and predict. Supports more than 40 types of analysis as static (the model structure is analyzed) and dynamic (the model is analyzed during and after imitation). |
BPMN standard diagrams; Crystal Report is the creation of any types of reporting on model objects and regulatory reporting, which can be unloaded in MS Word, Excel, PDF, etc. | Cost of one license Basic ~ 1 500 $ , Advanced - ~ 11 500 $ . IBM WebSphere Business Modeler Publishing Server ~ 650 $ . |
| ARIS BUSINESS PERFOMANCE EDITION | IDS Scheer. | A full cycle of business process management: from the description of the strategy to controlling. Aris Design Platform Module Products (ARIS Business Architect, Aris Business Designer, ARIS Business Publisher, etc.) allow you to simulate, optimize and publish business processes. The Aris Strategy Platform module products (ARIS BSC, ARIS BSC Portal) allow you to develop a balanced system of indicators, associate it with an organizational and process structure or other information about the activities of the enterprise. The ARIS Controlling Platform module products (ARIS Process Performance Manager, ARIS Risk & Compliance Manager) allow you to control the execution of business processes and analyze the causes of deviations from scheduled indicators, as well as check the developed models of processes for compliance with the requirements of standards and regulatory acts. |
Designing business processes in IDEF, Basic Flowchart, Cross Functional Flowchart, EPC, BPMN, BPEL, as well as the creation of own types of diagrams. Getting a large set of reporting on developed models. All reports can be unloaded in MS Word, Excel, HTML files, text files, etc. Supports Integration with 1C, SAP, Oracle, MS Biztalk Server, DMS (Lotus, Documentum, Web Sphera), Ultimis, as well as with other means of modeling and analyzing business processes - AllFusion, Erstudio, Power Designer, OracleDesigner, Rational Rose, and DR . Multiplayer access to models with different data access levels, distributed databases. |
Cost of one license - 2600 €. Telecommunication is charged additionally and is 22% of the cost of the product + VAT (18%). |
| CA Erwin Process Modeler | CA. | Analysis, documentation and reorganization of complex business processes | Development of business processes in Idef0 notations (recommendations of the State Standard of the Russian Federation, US Federal Standard), IDEF3 (US Federal Standard) and DFD. The system of built-in regulatory reporting. Report Template Builder Template Generator. Designed models can be imported into Arena simulation medium to analyze them in real time. Integrates with CA Erwin Data Modeler, CA Erwin Model Manager, Paradigm Plus, Arena. |
From 76 000 before 136 000 rub. |
| Hyperion Performance Scorecard | Oracle | The means of visual analysis of indicators that simultaneously compare the real achievements of the company with the goals, the best sectoral indicators or any other landmarks, as well as control the dynamics of changes in key indicators in time. | Allows you to arrange data imports from any external systems, including accounting systems, ERP, etc. | The maximum cost of one license for one user - 700 $ The cost of technical support - 154 $ |
| Russian software products | ||||
| Intratone: Corporate Navigator | Intralians | Platform and a set of ready-made sets of management tasks (management templates). Each of the kits is designed to solve a specific business problem: Building Strategy, Development financial structure etc. Kits are easily integrated through each other, allowing you to develop unified system Office management: from strategy to job descriptions of a separate manager. The presence of a separate module configurator allows you to develop both your own sets and arbitrarily modifying typical kits to implement the specifics of a particular organization. The configurator gives the highest level of product flexibility for business modeling and enterprise management system. | Supports data presentation in various formats (reference books, diagrams), imitation modeling, value analysis, the ability to develop their own types of diagrams. It is possible to develop regulatory reports that can be further exported to MS Word, HTML documents using a web module can provide access to the developed models to all interested users. Can be used as a corporate web portal with update in real time. Using the Security Module, you can configure access to edit and view data. | License cost for any set - 10 000 rub. Cost of the license for the Configurator Module - 48 000 rub., Safety module - 29 000 rub. |
| Org-master about | Business Engineering Group | Allows you to develop systems of goals and indicators, system of business processes, financial, information, organizational structure etc. Supports the possibility of collecting and controlling key performance indicators. |
When designing, data can be presented in the form of hierarchical directories, projections (reflecting the relationship between reference books), diagrams. Diagram development is supported in IDEF, Cross Functional Flowchart, EPC (Event-Driven Process Chain). Developed charts can be analyzed using value analysis, analysis of resource loading, the average time of processes can be calculated. All data developed in the model can be represented as reports that can be unloaded in MS Word, MS Excel, HTML and text files. | Depending on the version, from 3 000 before 5 000 $ |
| Business engineer | Beech | The instrumental means of modeling the activities of the enterprise and the development of regulatory documents supports the full design cycle: from the development of strategy, key indicators and business processes before analyzing and optimizing the organizational structure, improve the efficiency of personnel, projects, building a quality management system, finance and information system of the enterprise. | The system allows you to develop business models, form on their basis analytical reports and regulatory documentation in various directions: strategy, business processes, personnel, etc. Allows you to submit data in the form of charts, reference books, to build responsibility matrices. Integrated with MS Office products. | License Cost (Pro version 2.0) - 22 000 rubles. |
* Prices are as of May 2009
Source: Abis Soft, CNews Analytics, 2009
How to choose a system for business modeling
Before you start choosing a software product, you need to understand three main points: what is required to describe; in what volume; How the execution will be monitored. When answering the first question, it should be determined which areas of the control system to describe whether a comprehensive description of the entire system is necessary. The answer to the second question should be the idea of \u200b\u200bwhether the management system will be described for a separate business, a division or for the entire organization as a whole. The third question will determine the limitations that can overlap on the software product so that in the future it can be integration with the executive system.
Having answers to these questions, it is possible to significantly narrow the range of possible software products. Next, it is already necessary to choose a product based on such criteria as the possibility of multiplayer work, ways of presenting results, interface and ergonomics, availability of documentation and technical support, hardware and software requirements, cost.
Overview of the capabilities of some business modeling systems *
* - The table below indicates only the presence / lack of one or another functionality. It should be borne in mind that the declared functionality is implemented in various products with different degrees of its study.
Opportunity |
ARIS BUSINESS PERFORMANCE EDITION |
CA Erwin Process Modeler |
Hyperion Performance Scorecard |
Intratone: Corporate Navigator |
Org-master about |
Business engineer |
|
| Simulated subject areas | |||||||
|
Not | Not | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Not | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Not | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Not | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Not | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Yes | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Yes | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Not | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ways to represent data | |||||||
|
Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Yes | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Not |
|
Yes | Yes | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Not |
| Not | Yes | Yes | Not | Not | Yes | Not | |
|
Not | Yes | Not | Not | Not | Not | Not |
|
Not | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Not |
|
Not | Yes | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Not |
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Not |
| Yes | Yes | Not | Not | Not | Not | Not | |
|
Not | Yes | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Not |
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Not | Not | Not | Yes | Yes | Not | Not |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Opportunities for obtaining regulatory reporting | |||||||
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Not | Not |
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Not |
|
Yes | Yes | Yes | Not | Yes | Yes | Not |
|
Yes | Not | Yes | Not | Not | Yes | Not |
|
Yes | ||||||
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