Case Study
Visual Business Process Modeling
Traditional techniques to model and document a business process typically involve length descriptions and complex flow charts. Even the simplest of processes appear formidable to understand from this type of documentation and difficult at best to modify. The documentation is usually outdated from current practice and isolation of specific responsibilities is difficult.
By using the same structured techniques used in Object Oriented Programming, a high level set of tools can now be used to model business processes. Visual Design Language (VDL) is used to represent the various elements of a business process. By using the dozen or so symbols in Visual Design Language the reader can intuitively understand each element in a business process while isolated from other elements. The reader does not have to follow complex, inter-related flow charts. These elements are then further refined into a model that can be used directly by system analysts and programmers to automate a process. VDL is a common language of understanding from high-level business planning, through systems analysis, and into the deepest levels of system implementation. However, even if the techniques are only used for business planning, the rewards of simplicity, rigorous planning, process isolation are worthy in themselves.
Through VDL business documents, people, groupings, communications, and responsibilities are all captured into an easy to understand model. Responsibilities and collaborations are explicitly defined to improve communicate and accountability. A graphical language has the advantage of being understood by individuals of varying technical backgrounds. With this graphical language, managers, clerical, technical, and non-technical workers have a common language of understanding.
The Virant Group teaches employees basic modeling skills so that everyone in the organization can contribute to developing a real-world model representing a business process as it currently exits. This "as is today" model is known as the Reference Model. A Solution Model is then developed depicting the business process after re-engineering. An impact analysis between the two models shows the net change in how business will be affected. Once the Solution Model is agreed upon, and its resultant impact, additional planes of implementation are drilled down from the solution model to specify implementation details. These planes can, if needed, extend all the way down into software code.
The ultimate goal of using this modeling methodology is effective communication. Companies can take an imperfect business process and begin molding a new way of doing business while effectively involving everyone throughout the organization by using a common language.