Introduction

Automating workflows is becoming more and more popular (and I’m, of course, glad for that). Every workflow implementation project starts with documenting the underlying business process. (I am not going to elaborate on the definition of workflow and process here, that is a subject for a separate blog.) The big question is: how should I document my business process to provide the right input for the workflow project.

This blog entry is part of a series of blog entries on the basics of process modeling. In fact this post gives the overview of what was already published, or what is still to come. (Yes, I agree, this is nothing more than a list of subjects I could blog about, but maybe you can find some information in it too. In the mean time, subscribe to this blog … and wait for the rest to come.)

The Basics

Categories of processes: management, core, supporting

BPM (Business Process Management) traditionally makes the distinction between Management, Core and Supporting Processes. What are they, and is the distinction relevant to process modeling?

Levels of the Process Model

One of the most important rules for achieving readable, usable process diagrams is to model the right level of detail at the right place. This can be realized a.o. by defining different levels in your process model.

Two crucial definitions: what is an activity, what is a trigger?

Business processes are about information that is flowing between people (the process actors) and that is enriched in each process step. This blog post offers very clear definitions for the flows and for the process steps.

Process boundaries: where does it start, when does it end

You have probably also seen these wall covering process diagrams that try to describe everything in one diagram. Are they readable? Do they identify the business process correctly? Probably not. So how can you delimit process in a correct way?

Roles and functions

The actors in a process are people in a specific role. But people have also functions (by the look of their business cards). How do you deal with that in a process model?

Not just a picture: document it!

Many people only think of diagrams when they talk about a process model. And although a picture tells a 1000 words, they may be 200 words from 5 different people. One way to take away the ambiguity of the process diagram is to a text.

Yes you may bend the rules!

Every business process documentation project has its specific objectives. And although it is important to respect some rules when modeling processes, you must also see to it that the model serves the objectives. Bend it!

Extras

What are Management Processes??

Many people will argue that management cannot be captured in processes (mainly managers will say that). Maybe they are right. But that doesn’t mean that management processes don’t exist. Here are some examples of management processes that are useful to document.

2 Kinds of Supporting processes?

Although BPM only talks about Supporting Processes, I see at least 2 kinds: Core-supporting & Supporting-supporting (I couldn’t find a better name – every suggestion is welcome.) What are they?

Process modeling tools

My father-in-law used to say: the right tool is half the work done. Which tools are on the market to support the process modeler?

Process modeling with Visio and SharePoint

About a year ago I would have rejected Microsoft Office as an acceptable tool for processing modeling. But since the release of Visio 2010 and SharePoint 2010 I changed my mind: today they are my favorite tools for modeling processes.

What is a workflow, what is a process?

The words workflow and process are used as synonyms. But do they mean the same thing?

Advanced

Triggers: formalized communication versus informal

The glue of processes are the triggers: they make activities, and processes, stick together. They represent the information that flows between people. But which communication should be modeled and which not?

Triggers: time trigger!

When modeling processes, many people ignore the most common trigger to start a process: time!

Something on process flexibility

Process models give the impression that every process nicely follows the prescribed path that is described in the diagram. But in reality, processes need to be much more flexibility.

Process performance: measuring quantity and quality

Process modeling and process performance stich together like birds of a feather. How can implementing processes help to measure process performance?

From Process to Workflow

Business Process and Workflow: the same thing … or not?

The implementation of Digital Business Processes

Something on process engines

What is the role of a process engine when implementing Digital Business Processes?

Task Assignment

aka Role Resolvement: is the mechanism that assigns process steps (tasks) to the right user at run-time. If your process engine doesn’t support Role Resolvement, then you’re bound to include the assignment logic in you process model. And believe, you don’t want to do that. Read more about this topic here.

What does it mean for the user?

The whole picture: a process steps is a workflow step is a task on a task list

The relation between a digital archive and content management, not clear to everyone

Many organizations talk about digitalizing their (paper) archive. But how does that affect their content management?