Workflow modeling : tools for process improvement and application developmen

Title:

Personal Author:

Sharp, Alec

Publication Information:

Boston : Artech House, 2001

ISBN:

9781580530217

Subject Term:

Reengineering (Management)

Organizational change

Industrial management

Information technology

Workflow

Added Author:

McDermott, Patrick

Available:*

Library	Item Barcode	Call Number	Material Type	Item Category 1	Status
Searching... PSZ JB	30000004735647	HD58.87 S42 2001	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown
Searching... PSZ KL	30000010164396	HD58.87 S42 2001	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Razak School	30000010164411	HD58.87 S42 2001	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown

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

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

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Table of Contents