Process modeling combines a set of processes and skills which provide insight and understanding of business process and enable analysis, design and performance measurements.
3.1 Business Process Modeling
“Business Process Modeling” is the set of activities involved in creating representations of an existing or proposed business process.
A process model may contain one or more diagrams, information about the objects on the diagram, information about the relationships between the objects, information about the relationships between the objects and their environment, and information about how the objects represented behave or perform.
3.1.1 Diagram vs. Map vs. Model (more precision, simulate)
The terms, process diagram, process map, and process model are often used interchangeably or synonymously. However, process diagrams, maps, and models have different purposes and useful application. In practice it is more often the case that diagram, map, and model are different stages of development, each adding more information, utility and capability in understanding, analyzing and designing processes.
A process diagram often depicts simple notation of the basic workflow of a process. The diagram depicts the major elements of a process flow, but omits the minor details which are not necessary for understanding the overall flow of work.
Mapping implies more precision than a diagram and will tend to add more detail about not only the process, but also some of the more important relationships to other things such as performers (actors), events, results, etc.
Modeling implies that the representation can be used to represent the performance of what is being modeled and therefore more precision, more data about the process, and more data about the factors that affect its performance. Modeling is often done using tools that provide simulation and reporting capability which is helpful to analyze and understand the process.
3.1.2 Process Attributes and Characteristics
Processes have attributes and characteristics which describe the properties, behavior, purpose, or other elements of the process. Often, process attributes are captured in a tool in order to organize, analyze, and manage an organization’s portfolio of processes. Characteristics enable various analyses of the process performance.
3.2 Purpose of Modeling
The objective of process modeling is to create a representation of the process that describes it accurately and sufficiently for the task at hand. Process models have many benefits in managing business operations such as understanding the business process, enhancing communications by creating a visible representation, and establishing a commonly shared perspective. In business process management, the models are the means for managing the organization’s processes, analyzing process performance, and defining changes. They are the expression of the target business state and specify the requirements for the supporting resources that enable effective business operations: people, information, facilities, automation, finance, energy, etc.
Some of the most common reasons for creating process models are as follows:
• To document an existing process clearly
• To use as a training aide
• To use as an assessment against standards and compliance requirements
• To understand how a process will perform under varying loads or in response to some anticipated change
• As the basis for analysis in identifying opportunities for improvement
• To design a new process or new approach for an existing process
• To provide a basis for communication and discussion
• To describe requirements for a new business operation
3.3 Benefits of Modeling
In a process managed business, process models are the primary means for measuring performance against standards, determining opportunities for change, and expressing the desired end state preceding a change effort.
These are some benefits of modeling:
• Models are relatively fast, easy and inexpensive to complete
• Models are easy to understand (when compared to other forms of documentation)
• Models provide a baseline for measurement
• Models facilitate process simulation and impact analysis
• Models leverage various standards and a common set of techniques
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