Lecture 6 Process Design

Question 1

What is a business process?

Answer 1

A business process is a set of activities that start and finish with a concrete deliverable (e.g., a product or service for a customer or department). It includes flows, decisions, and loops, which contribute to achieving the desired output.

Question 2

How can business processes be modeled?

Answer 2

Business processes can be modeled using flow charts or process diagrams. These models include activities (boxes), flows (arrows), decisions (diamonds with questions), loops, and start & finish points. This helps visualize how the process works and where improvements or changes can be made.

Question 3

What do diamonds, boxes, and arrows represent in process modeling?

Answer 3

In process modeling:

Diamonds represent decisions or choices.
Boxes represent activities or tasks.
Arrows represent the flow of information or tasks between activities.

Question 4

What are the two types of process management in organizations?

Answer 4

Traditional Process Management: Fixed and structured, with little change after the process is set up. Examples include methodologies like BPR, Prince 2, and Six Sigma.
Flexible Process Management: More adaptable, with frequent changes. Examples include Agile development, rapid prototyping, and Scrum.

Question 5

What is Business Process Reengineering (BPR)?

Answer 5

BPR involves redesigning business processes to improve performance and efficiency. It emphasizes significant changes, shifts from departmental focus to process focus, and uses IT as an enabler to drive improvements.

Question 6

What are the steps in the BPR process?

Answer 6

1. Identify and document existing processes.
2. Identify inefficiencies.
3. Create models of improved processes.
4. Capture and enforce business rules for automation.
5. Integrate existing systems to support the improvements.
6. Verify that new processes improve performance.
7. Measure the impact on key business performance indicators.

Question 7

What methodologies are involved in BPR?

Answer 7

BPR uses several methodologies for analyzing and improving processes, including:

-Preparation: Gaining consensus for change.
-Process Thinking: Identifying which processes need improvement.
-Creation: Identifying the specific processes to redesign.
-Technical Design: Reengineering processes.
-Social Design: Addressing people and organizational issues.
-Implementation: Managing resistance and applying changes.

Question 8

What is the role of IT in BPR?

Answer 8

plays a central role in BPR by enabling process automation, improving information flow, and integrating existing systems to