Buzz
Business process modeling, also known as process mapping, is a technique for visualizing a company's operations to facilitate understanding and refinement. It is a fundamental aspect of business process management (BPM) and commonly employs a standardized notation called business process modeling notation (BPMN), akin to a flowchart. Business managers utilize process modeling to refine business processes, starting with an 'as-is' model depicting the current state and progressing to a 'to-be' model representing an improved version of the original process. Despite its complexity, creating your own business process model is straightforward when you follow the correct steps.
Steps
Getting Ready to Develop the Model
Clarify the process you wish to model. Identify a process within your operations that can be logically divided into distinct components with clear relationships between them. This process might be straightforward, such as handling a customer complaint, or intricate, like managing the entire online order and shipping procedure. Additionally, it might pertain to a single department or encompass multiple levels of the organization.
- Ensure you select a process with a clearly defined starting point and desired outcome.
- For instance, you could model the sequence of events involved in processing an online order, including verifying payment and stock availability.
Pinpoint the starting point of the process. Every process kicks off with a first step, which can vary widely. However, in the realm of business processes, the starting point should initiate action. Essentially, it's the input that the business aims to transform into an output. Starting points typically fall into several categories:
- External triggers, such as the initiation of a transaction or an alert from another business system. For instance, a glitch in an automated system requiring human intervention qualifies as an external trigger.
- Content arrival, applicable to content management systems, where the starting point might be the arrival of a new document or piece of content.
- Human intervention, covering scenarios like customer complaints or other human actions within or outside the business.
- For the previous instance, the starting point would be the receipt of a customer order.
Distinguish the various steps in the process. Broadly speaking, the process comprises events (steps requiring no action by the business), activities (undertaken by the business in response to input), and decision gateways (splits in the process where the route is determined by specific criteria). Between these elements lie connectors.
- In traditional BPMN, steps are depicted by different shapes based on their function: events as circles, activities as rectangles, and decision gateways as diamonds.
- Connectors can either be solid arrows (representing activity flow) or dashed (indicating message or information flow).
- For the prior example, steps like 'customer order' (an event), 'process order' (an activity), 'Check credit' (an action), 'Credit?' (a decision gateway leading to other actions based on a 'yes' or 'no' outcome), and so forth would be used.
Specify who or what executes each step. Identify which individual or department within your business is accountable for each step in the process. In BPMN, the associated person or department for each activity is indicated either by a label adjacent to the step or by a 'pool,' a horizontal division in the flowchart denoting which part of the business performs each step.
- Pools may be subdivided into 'lanes,' offering more precise details about responsibility for that step.
- For the 'Check credit' step in the preceding example, you might indicate that the action is carried out by the business's online retail platform, for instance.
Select the modeling approach. BPMN can manifest in various forms, from sequential modeling to causation models. It can also be executed using specialized software, post-it notes, or a whiteboard. Choose the method that best suits your process modeling needs.
- These models typically thrive with group collaboration, so opt for a modeling approach conducive to group participation.
Crafting an As-Is Model
Ensure parts can be rearranged as needed. When crafting your model, ensure flexibility to reposition each step as required. Some parts of the model may benefit from consolidation, relocation, or reordering to enhance system flow. Also, ensure that associated labels, if any, can be easily relocated alongside the step.
Commence with the process inception and adhere to the sequence. Position the process's starting point at the top left of your model. Then, add subsequent steps, including decision points. Continue until you reach the business process output. For instance, your steps might unfold as follows:
- From customer order (event) to process order (activity) to check credit (activity) to credit? (decision gateway).
- If the customer's credit fails, proceed to contact the customer (activity), labeling the arrow between steps with a 'no' tag, and then cancel the order (activity).
- For a successful credit check ('yes' response), move to check stock (activity), connect steps with a 'yes' labeled arrow, and assess stock in the 'stock?' decision gateway.
- If stock is available, label the arrow 'yes' as before and proceed to send the order to shipping (activity).
- If stock is unavailable, proceed to contact the customer and cancel the order (both activities).
Review your model. Initially, scrutinize your model with a colleague or group for potential gaps or omissions. Then, compare it with the actual business process to identify discrepancies. Alternatively, present the model in a focus group or meeting to uncover any flow interruptions or omitted steps.
Pinpoint inefficiencies or issues. After validating your model, reassess it to pinpoint areas of inefficient resource utilization or incomplete communications or steps. Collaborating with colleagues enhances your ability to identify these concerns.
- In the previous example, you may discover the failure to inform customers about upcoming stock availability, resulting in unnecessary order cancellations.
Crafting the To-Be Model
Generate ideas for enhancing the current model. Common remedies may involve streamlining processes through automation, optimizing geographical coordination, or eliminating intermediaries. Automation can cut resource or time requirements, while geographical coordination may entail outsourcing steps for cost savings or improved efficiency. Removing middlemen reduces the risk of miscommunication or overhead costs. Other areas for improvement may encompass:
- Informational: gathering more data to identify issues.
- Sequential: reordering steps.
- Tracking: enabling process monitoring.
- Analytical: enhancing decision-making at decision gateways.
- For instance, consider implementing a system to track out-of-stock items and notify customers of estimated delivery times.
Evaluate how enhancements benefit the business or customer. Before implementing improvements, ensure they genuinely benefit either the customer, the business, or both. Making changes solely for the sake of change can lead to unnecessary costs or process errors.
Construct the future model. Translate proposed enhancements into actionable steps and integrate them into the existing model. For instance, this might involve adding a step to check stock availability before contacting the customer, with the output being to inform the customer of any delays in shipping.
Execute the updated model. Validate the model using previous methods and then deploy it within your business operations. Regular testing and ongoing assessment are crucial to identifying and addressing inefficiencies and issues.
