The Case for a Business Process Modeling Tool and Repository
Jul/01/2024 Filed in: BPM Software
Your organization's business processes can be thought of as intangible assets. One of the components of a business process asset is its documentation . But while maturing organizations might have their processes documented, the ability to quickly and easily access that content is often a challenge. A step up from widely scattered documentation is the implementation of a centralized Business Process Modeling Tool and Repository. Below is a list of benefits to consider. Read More…
How to Estimate Business Process Mapping for Software Projects
Jun/01/2024 Filed in: Process Mapping
There is no industry standard or common formula for estimating the work of business process mapping and modeling. That’s primarily because of the wide range of variables involved in the work. Secondarily, few organizations have any experience in performing or managing the work of business process mapping and modeling. Read More…
The Difference Between Accuracy and Precision in Business Process Modeling
May/01/2024 Filed in: Process Engineering
The greater the level of precision, the greater the return on investment (ROI) in the work of business process mapping and documentation. In other words, an accurate yet imprecise workflow diagram has less value to an organization than a workflow diagram that is both accurate and precise.
Aren’t they Synonyms?
Outside of business process mapping and documentation, the word pairs are often considered synonymous. But in the context of business process mapping and documentation they are specifically different. In this post, I’ll explain that difference by first examining the dictionary definitions of the words. Then I’ll explain my interpretation of the differences and how they apply to the quality and utility of business process mapping and documentation.
Read More…
Aren’t they Synonyms?
Outside of business process mapping and documentation, the word pairs are often considered synonymous. But in the context of business process mapping and documentation they are specifically different. In this post, I’ll explain that difference by first examining the dictionary definitions of the words. Then I’ll explain my interpretation of the differences and how they apply to the quality and utility of business process mapping and documentation.
Read More…
The Difference Between Thorough and Complete in Business Process Modeling
Apr/01/2024 Filed in: Process Engineering
A business process flowchart alone does not represent a thorough business process model. A thorough business process model is one that illustrates and specifies all of the relevant details of a process. While a good flowchart can communicate many process details, other types of content can detail or present information more effectively, efficiently, or purpose-driven.
The type of audience or consumer of the business process model is the criteria for determining what is relevant. If one of the objectives of the business process model is to provide value for the widest range of audiences, then an illustration and specification framework should be used to guide the business process model developers. Read More…
The type of audience or consumer of the business process model is the criteria for determining what is relevant. If one of the objectives of the business process model is to provide value for the widest range of audiences, then an illustration and specification framework should be used to guide the business process model developers. Read More…
The Risk of Memory-Based Event Triggers
Mar/12/2024 Filed in: Process Engineering
A business event triggers a response. The response is a business process. When a business event is triggered (initiated) only when a human performer remembers to trigger it, I call that a Memory-Based Event Trigger (MBET). MBET’s are risky because the business depends on a performer to remember to trigger the event. If the performer forgets, the process doesn’t happen. If the performer takes a day (or week or month) off, the process doesn’t happen. Read More…
The Many Benefits of Business Process Mapping
Feb/01/2024 Filed in: Process Mapping | Process Modeling
There are several areas of a business where the existence of good business process maps can help improve efficiency and productivity. Business executives and business process managers often take organizational-wide business process knowledge for granted, and assume everyone has “adequate” knowledge to perform their job responsibilities. In reality, few tangible, much less credible business process knowledge assets exist in any organization.
But for those astute executives and managers who recognize the need for adequate business process knowledge content, business process maps are – and should be – one of the first artifacts produced for an enterprise business process knowledge library.
Read More…
But for those astute executives and managers who recognize the need for adequate business process knowledge content, business process maps are – and should be – one of the first artifacts produced for an enterprise business process knowledge library.
Read More…
The Role of Process Classification Frameworks in Process Mapping
Jan/01/2024 Filed in: Process Classification
One of the first activities in the work of business process documentation is to setup a Process Classification Framework (PCF). In simple terms, a PCF is a categorized list of processes. As defined by APQC (APQC.org), “Process frameworks are essentially lists of all the key processes performed in an organization, grouped hierarchically to show how they relate to each other.“ In other words, it's a comprehensive, structured list of business processes that can be used as a standard/example for creating and organizing your organization's list of business processes. By organizing and standardizing the names of processes your business process information consumers will have an easier time finding information about specific processes. Read More…
A Practical Framework for Business Process Modeling
Dec/01/2023 Filed in: Process Modeling
Several years ago I wrote this article, then posted it on a site called ArticlesBase. According to Wikipedia, "Articlesbase was an online directory of syndicated articles on 26 core topics," that eventually included more than 3 million articles published by more than 300,000 authors. The site went offline in early 2017 and my article disappeared from the Internet. I decided to revise the document and republish it here: A Practical Framework for Business Process Modeling
The Hidden Waste in Software Projects
Nov/01/2023 Filed in: Process Mapping
It’s invisible, yet it’s right in front of you. It’s invisible, yet it’s the most common topic covered in most of your project meetings. It’s invisible, yet everyone knows it’s a problem. It’s invisible, yet you’re unwilling to make any effort to improve visibility. It’s the most costly impediment to success within every phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC). And it continues to rob productivity and profitability throughout the lifespan of the software product. Read More…
Which Comes First, Requirements or Use Cases?
Oct/01/2023 Filed in: Software Requirements
That was a question posed on the r/businessanalysis Reddit community recently. Below was my response comment to the post. Read More…