Modelling at the event response level (30%)

Question 1

What do arrows show at the event-response level compared to the enterprise level?

Answer 1

Event response/model: arrow shows flow betweentasks (swimlane)
Enterprise level/map: arrow show dependencies between processes

Question 2

For all business processes we need to document:

Answer 2

1. Actors
2. Tasks
3. Business rules
4. Customer
5. Events that trigger
6. Outcomes

Question 3

Actors

Answer 3

• Represent a set of responsibilities
• Perform tasks
• Represent people/groups/businesses/IT systems
• Actors become swimlanes

Question 4

Business Rules

Answer 4

Business rules determine how the work is done and which outcomes are
achieved. They constrain how work is done and the decisions that are made

Rules are created:
External constraints e.g. legislation
Best practice
Experience
Organisation policy
Operational guidance

Question 5

Customer

Answer 5

Receives direct benefit from the process
- Can be internal/external
- May be more than one

Question 6

Business Events

Answer 6

Trigger processes
3 Types:
Internal
External
Timebased

Question 7

Relationship between organisation/processes/tasks

Answer 7

The organisation is the sum of its processes
The process is the sum of its tasks

There should be minimum coupling

Question 8

Relationship between levels

Answer 8

Process dependencies (L1) comprises of process flows (L2) each of which comprises of tasks (L3)

Question 9

Why is process modelling important?

Answer 9

Offers a common unified language for communicating processes and the complexity of task-flow, events, rules and responsibilities

Also good for training/knowledge transfer etc

BUT: This can only happen if internal (and ideally, external) stakeholders use the same consistent, standard notation

Question 10

2 Business Process Notation

Answer 10

BPMN
- Capable of modelling the most complex of processes

UML (Activity Diagram)
- Simpler to use than BPMN

Question 11

Symbols/Notations for BPMN

Answer 11

Flow objects – such as events, activities (tasks) and gateways
Connecting objects – denoting sequence flow, message flow, and association
Pools and lanes – where a pool represents the process while a lane defines the activities each participant is responsible for performing
Artefacts – these encompass data objects, groups, and annotations

Question 12

UML

Answer 12

Designed for software modelling
It can show: triggering events, actors, tasks, decisions and process flows

Question 13

Swimlanes

Answer 13

Labelled swim lanes are used to show who or what is responsible for carrying out each task in the process

If an IT system carries out some of the tasks that will be shown as a swim lane

Question 14

Initial Node

Answer 14

The start of the process is shown with an ‘initial node’ and the event written next to it

There should only be one start for a process

Question 15

Tasks

Answer 15

Each task in the process is shown as a round-cornered rectangle expressed as a verb-noun phrase

A task is something done by one person (actor) in one place at one time (OPOPOT)

Question 16

OPOPOT

Answer 16

One person (actor)
If the actor hands off to another actor then it is the end of the task
One place
If the work moves to a different physical location then it is the end of the task
One time
If the actor stops doing the work to wait for something else to happen or for a particular point in time then it is the end of the task

Question 17

Flows

Answer 17

Flows between tasks are shown as single directional arrows
Flows crossing from one swim lane to another indicate hands off from one actor to another

Question 18

Decisions

Answer 18

Decisions show ‘or’ - where only one flow will take place (one input multiple outputs)
Decisions are shown as diamonds with the conditions in square brackets on the outflows:
These are called ‘guard conditions‘

Question 19

Merges

Answer 19

Two inputs, one output. Represented by a diamond.

Purely for syntax

Question 20

Fork & Join

Answer 20

Fork shows ‘and’ - where both flows will take place.

Can’t go beyond until both are finished but may take different times

Join shows where he flows comeback together

Question 21

Finish

Answer 21

End of the flow shown by the ‘final node’ bulls eye
There can be multiple ends to a process

End of flows - use in the event of a fork

Question 22

Time events

Answer 22

Symbolised by a timer

Can be built into a process or a time event for starting a process

Question 23

Why do we measure process performance?

Answer 23

If we don’t continuously measure and monitor our processes then all of our efforts to analyse, create and manage them are a waste of time!
The only reason for implementing processes is to improve organisational performance in meaningful ways

Question 24

How can we measure processes

Answer 24

Time, Cost & Quality
Efficiency, Efficacy & Effectiveness

Question 25

TCQ

Answer 25

Time = how long things take
Cost = use of resources (all resources ie. human/energy/raw materials etc)
Quality = how well things are done

Customer may have different view on the start/end point & success of a process

Question 26

EEE

Answer 26

Efficiency = relates to time & cost & use of resources
Efficacy = quality of output
Effectiveness = quality of outcome / fulfilling customer requirements

Question 27

Internal/External view of process management

Answer 27

Internal measurements (organisation’s point of view)
For the cinema, might consider how long it takes to sell a ticket to a customer
Start the clock when the customer asks for a ticket for a particular film
Stop the clock when the box office person hands the ticket to the customer

External measurements (customer’s point of view)
The customer wanting to buy a ticket from the cinema would start their clock when they enter the box office and join the queue: they include waiting time, which is not considered from the internal point of view