6. Modelling Business Processes

Question 1

What framework will you use for business process redesign projct?

Answer 1

1. Document the enterprise at organisational level
2. Document existing processes that are within scope
3. Analyse Tasks
4. Redesign processes
5. Implement redesigned processes

Question 2

What techniques will you use to help you redesign a business process?

Answer 2

1. Document the enterprise
   + Business environment analysis
   + Value chain analysis (and organisational model)
2. Document existing processes
   + As Is process modelling
3. Analyse Tasks
   + Task analysis
   + Human performance analysis
4. Redesign processes
   + Process redesign patterns
   + To Be process modelling
5. Implement redesigned processes
   + Job design
   + IT systems development/procurement
   + Change management and control

Question 3

What are the deliverables of a business process modelling project?

Answer 3

1. Document the enterprise:
   Organisational Model
2. Document existing processes:
   As Is Process Models
3. Analyse Tasks:
   Task and Human Performance worksheets
4. Redesign processes
   To Be Process Models (process models and management structure for the processes)
5. Implement Redesigned Process
   Successful Implementation

Question 4

What is the rationale for task analysis?

Answer 4

+ Task analysis ensures that we do not overlook key issues or business rules that must be taken into account when redesigning a process.

+ Gives a detailed understanding of the work involved in a process

Question 5

What are process redesign patterns used for?

Answer 5

They are used to:
\+ Identify opportunities for change such as:
Eliminating disconnects
Eliminating redundancies
Streamlining processes and activities

Question 6

How will you go about using process redesign patterns?

Answer 6

+ Assess the As Is BP and create ‘could be’ models from each of the process redesign patterns where possible

+ Merge some or all of the improvements into one To Be model

+ Redefine the tasks in the To Be model

+ Define the measures and standards for tasks within the new model

+ Design the management structure to support the new To Be model

+ Obtain management approval for the process redesign

Question 7

When implementing the redesigned process, what are some important things to consider?

Answer 7

+ Implementation strategy: Phased, Parallel Running, Pilot, Direct handover

+ Impact of the change from a holistic point of view (POPIT)

+ Possible actions needed to ensure the change is successful e.g. recruitment, new roles designed, training, new IT system built/procured

+ Stakeholder concerns need to be managed

Question 8

What is the rationale for modelling the organisational level?

Answer 8

+ Enables us to see how the core set of high level activities/processes carried out within an organisation fit together to deliver its value proposition to customers

+ Enables us to see how the external business environment (PESTLE) is linked to the main internal business processes

+ Enables us to see how external stakeholders are linked to the main internal business processes

+ Enables us to see how external supply side factors (workforce, finance source, suppliers) are linked to the main internal business processes

+ Enables us to see the main competitors of the organisation and their link to customers and resources

Question 9

Define what value proposition is.

Answer 9

+ A statement of what the organisation offers and why customers should do business with them

Question 10

What are the different elements of a value proposition?

Answer 10

Product Attribute
Functionality + Price +Quality + Choice + Availability

Influenced by the Organisation
Image + Relationship

Question 11

What is the purpose of assessing an organisation’s Value Chain in business process modelling?

Answer 11

+ Used to show how the core set of high level activities/processes that are carried out within an organisation fit together to deliver goods and services to customers

Question 12

What are some strategies for business process change?

Answer 12

Complex Process/Adds little value
+ Outsource

Simple Process/Adds little value
+ Outsource
+ Software product

Complex Process/Vital to business
+ Redesign

Simple Process/Vital to business
+ Automate

Question 13

What is the hierarchy of models in business process modelling?

Answer 13

Organisation Model (value chain with high level business processes)
.
.
Business Process Model/Swimlane Diagrams (tasks within the business processes)
.
.
Task Analysis (steps within a task)

Question 14

What is the relevance of modelling business processes

Answer 14

+ Provides a view of how the organisation carries out its work

+ Allows an analyst to examine activities and workflows in order to identify where improvements might be made

+ Helps identify where there are likely delays, errors and bottlenecks or whether the process is over-complicated

+ An unambiguous way of identifying the business events, actors and sequence of tasks needed to start and complete a process

+ Allows the analyst to outline happy path and exception paths

Question 15

What are the different elements of a business process model?

Answer 15

Event (that initiates process)
Task/Activity
Swimlane (for each actor)
Decision Diamond and Guard Conditions (shows why different process flows result from a task)
Junction fork and join (allows multiple activities to happen at the same time

Question 16

What is a task?

Answer 16

A piece of work that is carried out in one place, by one person (or system) at one point in time (OPOPOT)

Question 17

What is the relevance of task analysis?

Answer 17

+ Enables the analyst to understand the required inputs (information needed to perform a task) and outputs (information distributed to stakeholders)

+ Helps the analyst understand a task in detail before identifying potential changes

+ Helps identify business rules, measures and standards that must be taken into account when suggesting improvements

Question 18

What are recorded in a task analysis worksheet?

Answer 18

Business Event

Major Input (key info/documentation that’s passed to the actor and is needed to carry out the task)

Major Output (key info/documentation that’s passed to the next task)

Steps
Measures (e.g. quality, timing, volumes, cost)
Decisions/Business Rules (how a task should be performed)

Question 19

How can analysing business rules provide opportunities for process improvements?

Answer 19

Constraints
+ Legal: ensures recommendations are in line with regulations

+ Organisational Policy: a business rule may be due to long standing practice and may not originate from an organisation’s policies or needs

+ Organisational Standards: always useful to challenge whether these are fit for purpose

Operational Guidance
+ Procedures
+ Calculations
These are often the most open to challenge

Question 20

What is the rationale behind human performance analysis when analysing tasks?

Answer 20

Employees are often unfairly blamed for poor performance of a business process. Therefore human performance analysis is carried out to rigorously examine different aspects of a task to identify the root causes of a problem(s).

Question 21

What are the different aspects of a task that are examined in human performance analysis?

Answer 21

Task Measures
Task Standards
Task Support
Skill, Knowledge and Capability
Feedback
Consequences

Question 22

What is the relevance of analysing process measurements?

Answer 22

Analysing process measurements can help us realign organisational measures (objectives, CSFs, KPIs, Balanced scorecard, value proposition) with with customer expectations

Question 23

What are some major areas of waste in a business process?

Answer 23

TIMWOODS (Lean thinking)
Transport
Inventory
Motion
Waiting
Overproduction
Overprocessing
Defects
Skills Utilisation

Question 24

What kind of processes should be redesigned and what are some process redesign patterns?

Answer 24

Complex and Business Critical processes should be re-designed

+ Process Re-engineering: blank sheet, high risk

+ Simplification: remove redundancies and bottlenecks, streamlining

+ Value-added analysis: customer perspective, identifying value added activities and enabling activities, reducing non-value added activities to a minimum

+ Gaps and disconnects: addresses communication failures, unnecessary/excess hand offs, management problems

+ Automation: clerical tasks, simple tasks, COTS solutions

Question 25

How will you go about deriving IT requirements from process models?

Answer 25

+ Indicate on the process model where IT support is required to carry out tasks

+ Draw context diagrams to show the scope of the IT system and the actors who will use it

+ Conduct interviews, workshops etc. to elicit the functionality needed for the system

+ Draw use case diagrams to identify the functionality of the new IT system

+ Translate the functionalities identified into functional requirements

Question 26

What are some pros and cons for the different implementation strategies?

Answer 26

Direct Changeover
+ Quicker, less expensive than parallel run
+ High risk, reputational damage if something goes wrong

Parallel Run
+ Less risky than DC, can revert to existing system if any problems
+ More expensive, higher resource needs, habits of old process harder to break

Pilot
+ Problems can be identified and improved before full launch,
+ Pilot scope may not be representative poor experience in pilot can lead to negative impression of upcoming rollout

Phased
+ Reduced risk of building wrong process, can respond to changes
+ More expensive than direct changeover, stakeholder value is realised slower