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Business Process Mapping

University of Colorado

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Why Model Processes?

• Understand and analyze current way of working• Redesign and improve• Use model as a way to implement a standard way

of working • Train new employees• Communicate with other groups and external

entities

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Process Modeling Standards

The Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) has developed a standard Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN).

• The primary goal:– provide a notation that is readily understandable by all

business users, • from the business analysts that create the initial drafts of

the processes, • to the technical developers responsible for implementing

the technology that will perform those processes, and finally,

• to the business people who will manage and monitor those processes.

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Basic Process Components

ParticipantsPeople or systems that

provide input to, or perform work steps

within a process

Processes are: A set of Activities and Tasks, which are performed by Participants in Roles, organized in a particular Sequence, directed and measured by Time and Events / Triggers

Activities / TasksA single unit of work,

can be performed by a person or system

RolesA layer of abstraction that creates the link between participants and activities / tasks

Events / TriggersOccurrences that cause a process to start, direct a process sequence, or cause a process to end

TimeAverage or desired

durations for work items

SequenceThe logical order in

which work steps are performed

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Basic Process Components

• In order to prevent the need for a VERY large sheet of paper, we create a process hierarchy that allows us to compartmentalize and focus on specific process segments

• Our process hierarchy will be the following: • Cycle • Process • Subprocess • Activity • Task

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Basic Process Components

• A basic set of symbols have been built into the Visio template– These symbols are compliant with the Business Process

Modeling Notation (BPMN) standard, managed and supported by the Object Management Group

This is an annotation

symbol.

Sub-Process Activity / Task Conditional Split / Join

Unconditional Split / JoinSub-Process

Start Event Intermediate Event (Label outside

symbol)

Time Event (Label outside symbol)

Message Event (Label outside

symbol)

End Event

Data Object (Invoice, Order,

etc.)Off-page connector

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Swimlanes

• Swimlanes provide a means to show who is responsible for specific work

• Events and controls may appear in any swimlane

Cycle - Process

Func

tion

/ R

ole

Func

tion

/ R

ole

Func

tion

/ R

ole

Func

tion

/ R

ole

Func

tion

/ R

ole

Condition

Start

Join

End

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Visio Template Overview

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Example Quoting Process

Quoting Process

Cus

tom

er

Quo

ter

Cus

tom

er

Quo

ter

Sal

es

Team

Sal

es

Team

Cus

tom

erC

usto

mer

Customer calls main switchboard

to place order

Sales team documents

standard orderDistributor?

Use Distributor PricingYes

Use end user pricingNo

Customer Order?

Yes

Collect data and create quote

Custom Quote

Email quoteto

customer

Standard QuoteNo

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Questions?