How to Analyze and Improve Business Processes

Business process analysis is one of the most critical business analyst skills. It is the activity that uses business process models for improving business processes without putting your project — or your organization — at risk.

This online business analyst workshop assumes you know how to create business process models (context, data flow, activity, and swimlane diagrams) and builds on that knowledge. It shows you how to use those business process models to analyze and understand your organization’s business processes and discover business requirements, stakeholder requirements, solution requirements, and transition requirements for changes to the underlying information technology.

Note: This instructor-led course delivered in two virtual sessions via the Internet covers the same content as the second day of our 2-day course, “How to Model, Analyze, and Improve Business Processes” which can be delivered live at your site.

1. Analyzing Business Processes

Analyzing Activity Diagrams and Process Models

Exercise: Functional Analysis of the Current Situation

Functional Analysis Diagram

Problem Definition

Exercise: Problem Analysis

Process Model for Problem Analysis

Timing Analysis

Exercise: How to Show Timings

Process Model for Timing Analysis

Exception Identification

Exercise: Exception Identification

Process Model for Exception Analysis

Exercise: Information Usage Analysis

Process Model for Information Usage Analysis

Business Rules

Finding Rules and Constraining Requirements

Rule and Constraint Components

Why Are Business Rules Hot?

Discussion: Where Do Business Rules Live?

Relationships between Business Rules

Creating Decision Trees and Tables

Analyzing Business Rules

Business Rule for Validation Example

Exercise: Decision Trees

Decision Tables

Exercise: Decision Tables

Decision Tables

Exercise: Decision Table Actions

Creating Activity Diagrams

Activity Diagramming Conventions

Example of an Activity Diagram

Exercise: Creating an Activity Diagram

Introducing Swimlanes

Example of a Swimlane Diagram

Exercise: Modeling Swimlanes

Concurrency and More

From Data Flow to Object Flow

Introducing Object Flow

Exercise: Modeling Object Flow

When To Use Swimlane Diagrams

What’s Wrong with this Diagram?

2. Improving Business Processes

Improving Business Processes

Improvement Opportunities

Process Model for Finding Improvements

Exercise: Suggesting Improvements

Exercise: Using Appropriate Controls

All Controls Share the Following:

Determining Functional Control Location

Locating Functional Controls

Exercise: Defining Functional Controls

Exercise: Implement This (Rule) Control Requirement

Short Term Improvements (“Quick Fixes“)

Process Model for Short Term Improvements

Exercise: Finding Short Term Improvements

Exercise: Long Term Suggestions

Process Model for Long Term Improvements

Improving Business Process Improvement

• Extract and analyze business rules embedded on the processes
• Devise process measurements to evaluate initial and continuous improvement
• Develop a list of process improvements and/or requirements
• Interpret the Process Models for the business community for review

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Web-based	Sep 16 - 17, 2010	Internet	$495	Register
Web-based	Nov 11 - 12, 2010	Internet	$495	Register
Web-based	Jan 13 - 14, 2011	Internet	$495	Register
Check All Scheduled Business Analysis Training Courses

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