How to Model, Analyze, and Improve Business Processes

Business processes are what organizations do. Whether documented or not, whether designed or not, whether understood or not, nothing gets done until someone (or "the system") does it – that is what business processes are all about. They are a combination of business operating procedures, business rules, business data, and supporting technology. Yet, many business processes are undocumented, misunderstood, not optimized, not followed, error-prone, and inefficient.

This training workshop presents business process analysis techniques, methods, and tricks to help Business Analysts model, analyze, and improve manual and automated business processes. You will learn how to model business processes using context, data flow, activity, and swimlane diagrams to show workflow, transformations, and scope. Creating the model increases your understanding of the business processes and business rules involved. This activity is often even more revealing to those who live with or in the process. With this foundation, you will learn how to analyze the models and extract requirements for business process improvement or information technology solutions. These techniques can be used to identify problems in the current (AS-IS) situation or to predict behaviors in a proposed (TO-BE) solution.

Note: This instructor-led course can be delivered in a series of virtual sessions via the Internet or live your site.

1. Introduction to Process Modeling

The Problem with Process

Analysis of Business Systems Analysis

The Fate Chart

A Question File

A Problem with Language

Process Definition

Benefits of High-Quality Models

2. Modeling Business Processes

Creating Context Diagrams

System Modeling - A Short History

Basic Process Modeling (The Symbols)

Exercise: Identify the Errors on this Diagram

The Simple Rigorous Business Process Model

“Rigorous Business” Process Model Example

Exercise: Order Entry Department Rigorous Business Model

Exercise: Rigorous Model to Level 1 Process Model, step 1

Top Level Functional (Process) Model

Case Study Part 1

Creating Process Models

Leveled Process Models

Second Level Process Model

Exercise: Second Level Process Model

Leveled Process Models (Review)

Completely Leveled Process Models

Case Study

Creating Event/Response Diagrams

Visual Tools

Event/Response Symbols and Conventions

Event/Response Example Diagram

Exercise: Creating Event/Response Models

Creating Wall Charts

Process Models Can Be Visually Confusing

The Main Line

Wall Chart

Enter Order

Check Credit

Fill Order

Wall Chart (page 1)

Introducing BPMN Symbols

Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN)

Business Process Modeling Connections

3. 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?

4. 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

• Draw business process models
• Apply 5 improvement methods based on business process models
• Model the AS IS business process
• Document existing business processes
• Draw data flow, activity, swimlane, and sequence diagrams
• Choose the most appropriate technique to document the details of each process
• 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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We do not currently have a public offering of this class scheduled. To add your name to the waiting list or request alternate offers, please contact us.
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