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The first step to process efficiency is identifying where you are today.
In the past I have presented several articles on business process management and the tools that make up business process management (BPM) suites. The purpose of these tools is to develop applications that solve business problems. The first step in the creation of a BPM-based application is the development of business process models. These models will be used to diagram how the work is performed today, what opportunities for improvement exist, and how the work should be improved and automated. This article is focused on walking you through the development of a business process diagram (BPD) that will ultimately be used to support the development of an application.
This article will discuss the modeling of business processes using the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). The Business Process Modeling Notation is a standard set of symbols and rules for describing business processes. The Object Management Group (OMG) maintains the standard and the specification is available on their website, www.omg.org. BPMN is a good example to use since many tool vendors in the industry support it. Additionally, BPMN, allows mapping to a complementary set of standards called the Business Process Execution Language (BPEL). This execution language allows a process server to execute code that is generated directly from the BPMN. The use of open standards for development is a long-term strategic benefit to an organization that is making a significant investment in BPM. Over time, such an approach allows you to model in one toolset and execute in another, assuming that both vendors support the standards.
In addition, this article will describe the modeling of a business process from the perspective that a process analyst is going to capture (model) the "AS-IS" process. After the BPD is complete, it will be used to analyze that process, make improvements, and then develop a "TO-BE" process that will include some automation steps. The specifics of the application to be built will not be reviewed here; instead, the focus will be on the modeling of the "AS-IS" process for illustration purposes. This article will also discuss modeling the "Apply to College" process as an example to describe what steps take place by providing a simplified view of...