Title:
Workflow modeling : tools for process improvement and application developmen
Personal Author:
Publication Information:
Boston : Artech House, 2001
ISBN:
9781580530217
Added Author:
Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
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Searching... | 30000004735647 | HD58.87 S42 2001 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
Searching... | 30000010164396 | HD58.87 S42 2001 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
Providing proven techniques for identifying, modelling and redesigning business processes, and explaining how to implement workflow improvement, this book aims to help define requirements for systems development or systems acquisition.
Author Notes
Patrick McDermott has more than 20 years of computer industry experience as a programmer, analyst, developer, manger, and trainer. He currently teaches seminars on the Y2K Problem, and also runs his own consulting firm in California, where he specializes in Y2K Problem training.
050
Table of Contents
Part I The Convergence of Process and Systems | p. 1 |
1 Why We Had to Write This Book | p. 3 |
Fosdick's thesis | p. 3 |
Process reengineering: the rise... | p. 5 |
...And fall and rise | p. 6 |
The need for guidance | p. 7 |
Our response | p. 9 |
What to expect | p. 10 |
References | p. 11 |
2 A Brief History of Process | p. 13 |
Learning from the past | p. 13 |
The Age of the Craftsworker | p. 14 |
The Age of the Factory | p. 15 |
The Age of the Specialist | p. 15 |
The downside of functional organizations | p. 17 |
Enter reengineering: 1985-1993 | p. 18 |
Exit reengineering: 1994-1995 | p. 19 |
A balanced perspective | p. 20 |
The reengineering aftermath: 1996-present | p. 23 |
Kaizen | p. 24 |
BPR and IT--joined at the hip | p. 26 |
Nirvana at last? | p. 26 |
References | p. 27 |
3 The Approach in a Nutshell | p. 29 |
This chapter and beyond... | p. 29 |
Why it works | p. 30 |
Whom it's for | p. 31 |
Processes--results, not work | p. 32 |
Frameworks in general | p. 33 |
A framework for process enablers | p. 33 |
A framework for putting processes and systems in context | p. 35 |
A closer look at the three-tier architecture | p. 37 |
Presentation | p. 37 |
Application logic | p. 38 |
Data management | p. 39 |
Models in general | p. 39 |
The modeling techniques we employ | p. 40 |
Business process: process workflow models | p. 40 |
Presentation: use case scenarios | p. 41 |
Application logic: various techniques | p. 42 |
Data management: data models | p. 42 |
Five-tier thinking | p. 42 |
A workflow-driven methodology--the process of studying processes | p. 44 |
Frame the process | p. 44 |
Understand the as-is process | p. 46 |
Design the to-be process | p. 47 |
Analyze use cases | p. 48 |
Applications of the approach | p. 49 |
Part II Framing the Process | p. 51 |
4 Just What Are Processes, Anyway? | p. 53 |
The trouble with "process" | p. 53 |
The trouble with terminology | p. 55 |
English words--dictionary definitions | p. 56 |
Information systems terms | p. 56 |
So what is a process? | p. 57 |
Business process terms | p. 57 |
So what? | p. 60 |
Business process versus function | p. 61 |
Other business process characteristics | p. 62 |
Measurable | p. 62 |
Automation | p. 63 |
Levels | p. 63 |
Customers: internal and external | p. 63 |
Closing advice | p. 65 |
Processes are hidden | p. 65 |
Bigger is (usually) better | p. 66 |
Putting the definition to work | p. 68 |
References | p. 69 |
5 Establish the Process Boundaries | p. 71 |
Business processes and project scope | p. 71 |
The dilemma | p. 72 |
A way forward | p. 73 |
Framing the process: goals | p. 74 |
The overall process map | p. 75 |
Identifying your processes | p. 76 |
Where to start? | p. 76 |
Link the milestones/steps together | p. 78 |
Assemble processes based on frequency and affinity | p. 80 |
Name the processes | p. 80 |
Identify the triggering event | p. 82 |
Identify stakeholders and expected results | p. 84 |
Identify the major steps | p. 85 |
Identify roles | p. 86 |
Develop glossary or preliminary data model | p. 86 |
Choose your process | p. 87 |
Divine intervention | p. 87 |
Analytic approach | p. 88 |
References | p. 90 |
6 Conducting the Initial Assessment | p. 91 |
A case for action and a vision | p. 91 |
Metrics | p. 92 |
How many? | p. 93 |
Got the time? | p. 93 |
Who's involved? | p. 95 |
Efficiency | p. 96 |
Cost | p. 97 |
Summary of metrics | p. 97 |
Assessment by stakeholder | p. 97 |
Everyone's a critic | p. 97 |
Don't guess--ask! | p. 98 |
The customer | p. 99 |
The performers | p. 100 |
Managers and owners | p. 101 |
Suppliers | p. 101 |
Other groups | p. 102 |
Look at the process in terms of enablers | p. 102 |
The workflow design | p. 102 |
Information technology | p. 102 |
Motivation and measurement | p. 104 |
Human resources | p. 106 |
Policies and rules | p. 107 |
Facilities | p. 108 |
Establishing rationale and direction | p. 109 |
A case for action | p. 109 |
A vision | p. 110 |
One poster is worth a thousand words | p. 112 |
Summarizing findings | p. 112 |
Where to now? | p. 114 |
Refernces | p. 114 |
7 Considering the Environment | p. 115 |
Why bother? | p. 115 |
An example | p. 116 |
What we will cover | p. 116 |
Mission, strategy, and goals | p. 117 |
Business mission, strategy, goals | p. 117 |
Applying MSG to your project | p. 119 |
Strategic discipline | p. 120 |
Strategic discipline in action | p. 122 |
Faster, cheaper, better, or what? | p. 122 |
Beliefs and culture | p. 124 |
Everything stems from beliefs | p. 125 |
Other cultural traits | p. 126 |
Core competencies | p. 128 |
What are we really good at? | p. 128 |
Some questions to get started with | p. 129 |
While we're on the topic of making lists | p. 129 |
Questions for establishing scope, objectives, and constraints | p. 129 |
It matters! | p. 132 |
References | p. 132 |
Part III Swimlane Diagrams-Nuts and Bolts | p. 135 |
8 Workflow Process Modeling | p. 137 |
Swimlane diagrams--what and why | p. 137 |
What is the attraction? | p. 137 |
The basics | p. 138 |
An example--the really big telephone company | p. 140 |
Customer service | p. 140 |
Repair service | p. 141 |
Service analysis... | p. 141 |
Telemarketing | p. 141 |
Market database research | p. 141 |
RB Tel--questions raised | p. 142 |
Essential elements | p. 143 |
The details | p. 144 |
Actors and roles | p. 144 |
Process steps | p. 145 |
Voluntary simplicity | p. 146 |
Which steps to include? | p. 148 |
Process steps--naming guidelines | p. 149 |
Go with the flow | p. 150 |
Branching | p. 154 |
Multiple flows | p. 155 |
What's next? | p. 157 |
9 Managing Detail | p. 161 |
The curse of detail | p. 161 |
What's the problem? | p. 162 |
Controlling the addition of detail | p. 162 |
Three levels of workflow diagrams | p. 162 |
Level 1 | p. 163 |
Issues and observations with the level 1 diagram | p. 165 |
Can we stop now? | p. 166 |
Level 2 | p. 166 |
Level 3 | p. 167 |
How many levels to go to? | p. 170 |
References | p. 159 |
10 Questions and Difficulties | p. 171 |
Introduction | p. 171 |
Avoiding paralysis by analysis | p. 172 |
Actors and other characters | p. 173 |
Steps and types of steps | p. 178 |
What makes it go? (inputs and outputs) | p. 179 |
Variety is the spice of life | p. 180 |
Closing arguments | p. 182 |
References | p. 182 |
Part IV Understanding the As-Is Process | p. 183 |
11 Techniques for Modeling the As-Is Process | p. 185 |
Introduction | p. 185 |
Issues at the extremes | p. 186 |
Assembling the team | p. 188 |
Preparation | p. 190 |
Team organization | p. 190 |
Scheduling | p. 190 |
Facilities | p. 190 |
Supplies | p. 191 |
The kickoff | p. 191 |
Building the handoff level diagram | p. 192 |
The five key questions | p. 196 |
One more question: "can we stop now?" | p. 200 |
Subsequent levels of detail | p. 201 |
Conclusion | p. 203 |
References | p. 203 |
12 Difficulties with As-Is Modeling | p. 205 |
As-is modeling: tips, tricks, and traps | p. 205 |
Missing participants and mystery areas | p. 206 |
Case #1 You can't secure involvement | p. 206 |
Case #2 You can't arrange meetings | p. 207 |
Applying and misapplying process view | p. 208 |
How do I depict or emphasize? I'm overwhelmed | p. 210 |
Facilitation (and interaction) | p. 211 |
Systems and whether to show them | p. 213 |
Batch systems | p. 214 |
Disagreement | p. 215 |
Conclusion | p. 217 |
13 Completing the As-Is Assessment | p. 219 |
Introduction | p. 219 |
Getting ready | p. 222 |
Confirm initial assessment and goals | p. 222 |
Capture first impressions | p. 223 |
Decide on approach | p. 223 |
Identify leverage points | p. 224 |
Assessment by enablers | p. 226 |
Assess by enabler: workflow design | p. 228 |
Assess by enabler: information technology | p. 231 |
Assess by enabler: motivation and measurement | p. 232 |
Assess by enabler: human resources | p. 236 |
Assess by enabler: policies and rules | p. 239 |
Assess by enabler: facilities | p. 240 |
Assess individual steps | p. 240 |
Consolidate ideas | p. 241 |
Confirm approach | p. 242 |
References | p. 242 |
Part V The To-Be Process and Transition to System Requirements | p. 243 |
14 Characterizing and Designing the To-Be Process | p. 245 |
Look before you leap! | p. 245 |
Goals | p. 246 |
Philosophy/approach | p. 246 |
Key steps | p. 247 |
Caveats | p. 248 |
Post and review key materials from previous phases | p. 249 |
Collect ideas--getting started | p. 250 |
Bring forward ideas generated during assessment | p. 250 |
Generate ideas that specifically address the leverage points | p. 251 |
Steal ideas by reviewing best practices | p. 251 |
Process workflow design: actors, steps, and flow | p. 253 |
Application of information technology: applications, databases, computers, networks | p. 254 |
Motivation and measurement: "reward and punishment" schemes | p. 254 |
Human resources: organizational structure, job definitions, recruitment and placement strategies, skills, and training | p. 256 |
Policies and rules: constraints and guidelines (whether self-imposed or external) | p. 257 |
Facilities design: workplace layout and equipment | p. 258 |
Brainstorming | p. 258 |
Apply the challenge process | p. 259 |
Assess ideas in context and select | p. 262 |
Develop ideal to-be workflow | p. 266 |
Develop to-be workflow | p. 270 |
Road trip | p. 273 |
15 Data Modeling | p. 275 |
Data modeling--what it is, what it isn't | p. 275 |
Basic terms and concepts | p. 276 |
A simple example | p. 277 |
Graphics: the entity-relationship diagram | p. 278 |
The narrative component: the entity definitions | p. 282 |
Levels of detail | p. 283 |
Glossary/vocabulary | p. 286 |
Conceptual data model | p. 286 |
Logical data model | p. 286 |
The components--further guidelines and pitfalls | p. 287 |
Entities | p. 287 |
Attributes | p. 290 |
Relationships | p. 292 |
Starting your data model | p. 293 |
Starting with the glossary | p. 293 |
Starting with a conceptual model | p. 294 |
Starting by reverse engineering | p. 295 |
From conceptual to logical | p. 295 |
References | p. 296 |
16 Use Case Scenario Analysis | p. 297 |
A time of transition | p. 297 |
Use case concepts | p. 299 |
Use case descriptions | p. 301 |
Use case scenarios | p. 302 |
Developing use cases and scenarios | p. 304 |
Identify and describe use cases | p. 306 |
Discovering the use cases | p. 306 |
An interlude on events | p. 307 |
Returning to use case identification | p. 309 |
Describing the use cases | p. 310 |
Prepare for use case scenario development | p. 311 |
Establish use case scenarios | p. 313 |
Develop first-pass use case scenarios | p. 313 |
An interlude on transactions | p. 317 |
Why bother? | p. 317 |
Terms and definitions | p. 318 |
Concepts and examples | p. 318 |
Worth the effort? | p. 320 |
A few more guidelines | p. 321 |
Discovery and documentation | p. 321 |
Want more? | p. 322 |
Develop second-pass use case scenarios | p. 324 |
Closing thoughts | p. 325 |
More uses of use cases | p. 325 |
But why do they work so well? | p. 326 |
References | p. 327 |
Afterword | p. 329 |
About the Authors | p. 331 |
Index | p. 333 |