6. Modelling Business Processes Flashcards
6.1 Relevance to the business analyst 6.2 Relevance of the module to an organisation 6.3 Description of the module
What framework will you use for business process redesign projct?
- Document the enterprise at organisational level
- Document existing processes that are within scope
- Analyse Tasks
- Redesign processes
- Implement redesigned processes
What techniques will you use to help you redesign a business process?
- Document the enterprise
+ Business environment analysis
+ Value chain analysis (and organisational model) - Document existing processes
+ As Is process modelling - Analyse Tasks
+ Task analysis
+ Human performance analysis - Redesign processes
+ Process redesign patterns
+ To Be process modelling - Implement redesigned processes
+ Job design
+ IT systems development/procurement
+ Change management and control
What are the deliverables of a business process modelling project?
- Document the enterprise:
Organisational Model - Document existing processes:
As Is Process Models - Analyse Tasks:
Task and Human Performance worksheets - Redesign processes
To Be Process Models (process models and management structure for the processes) - Implement Redesigned Process
Successful Implementation
What is the rationale for task analysis?
+ 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
What are process redesign patterns used for?
They are used to: \+ Identify opportunities for change such as: Eliminating disconnects Eliminating redundancies Streamlining processes and activities
How will you go about using process redesign patterns?
+ 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
When implementing the redesigned process, what are some important things to consider?
+ 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
What is the rationale for modelling the organisational level?
+ 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
Define what value proposition is.
+ A statement of what the organisation offers and why customers should do business with them
What are the different elements of a value proposition?
Product Attribute
Functionality + Price +Quality + Choice + Availability
Influenced by the Organisation
Image + Relationship
What is the purpose of assessing an organisation’s Value Chain in business process modelling?
+ 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
What are some strategies for business process change?
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
What is the hierarchy of models in business process modelling?
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)
What is the relevance of modelling business processes
+ 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
What are the different elements of a business process model?
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
What is a task?
A piece of work that is carried out in one place, by one person (or system) at one point in time (OPOPOT)
What is the relevance of task analysis?
+ 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
What are recorded in a task analysis worksheet?
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)
How can analysing business rules provide opportunities for process improvements?
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
What is the rationale behind human performance analysis when analysing tasks?
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).
What are the different aspects of a task that are examined in human performance analysis?
Task Measures Task Standards Task Support Skill, Knowledge and Capability Feedback Consequences
What is the relevance of analysing process measurements?
Analysing process measurements can help us realign organisational measures (objectives, CSFs, KPIs, Balanced scorecard, value proposition) with with customer expectations
What are some major areas of waste in a business process?
TIMWOODS (Lean thinking) Transport Inventory Motion Waiting Overproduction Overprocessing Defects Skills Utilisation
What kind of processes should be redesigned and what are some process redesign patterns?
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
