Documenting the Business - Proforma UK Ltd UK...• The Enterprise Architecture Research Forum: The continuous practice of describing the essential elements of a socio-technical organisation,

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Documenting the BusinessEnterprise Architecture Modeling

Proforma UK Limited

Passionate About Process Improvement

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© Proforma UK Ltd 2019

Company

• Proforma UK …

– is an Enterprise Architecture and Process Improvement consultancy, providing business and IT transformation solutions as a service ...

• capture, model and analyse organisation structure, strategy, processes, systems, equipment, locations, goals, KPIs, risks, controls and data.

• re-use existing documentation (e.g. doc, xls, ppt, pdf, url) by attaching them to processes and systems etc., putting them in context and enabling their use.

– also provide training services for those who want to be more hands-on.

– apply a discipline and rigour to Enterprise Architecture modeling, ensuring consistency and clear, unambiguous, maintainable models.

– encourage and enable communication between IT and Business, thus prompting complementary system development and business change based on strategy.

– use standard frameworks, methodologies and languages, e.g. Zachman, TOGAF, UML, ITIL, Lean, Six Sigma, Sarbanes Oxley, SCOR and SOA.

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Enterprise Architecture Scope


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• MIT Center for Information Systems Research (MIT CISR):

Enterprise Architecture is the organizing logic for business processes and IT infrastructure reflecting the integration and standardization requirements of the company's operating model. The operating model is the desired state of business process integration and business process standardization for delivering goods and services to customers.

• The Enterprise Architecture Research Forum:

The continuous practice of describing the essential elements of a socio-technical organisation, their relationships to each other and to the environment, in order to understand complexity and manage change.

• Gartner:

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a discipline for proactively and holistically leading enterprise responses to disruptive forces by identifying and analyzing the execution of change toward desired business vision and outcomes. EA delivers value by presenting business and IT leaders with signature-ready recommendations for adjusting policies and projects to achieve target business outcomes that capitalize on relevant business disruptions. EA is used to steer decision making toward the evolution of the future state architecture.


Enterprise Architecture Definitions

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Why Model?

• Enterprise Architecture Modeling enables …

– standards compliance and accreditation, e.g. ITIL and SOX.

– proving the efficacy of a process (and/or system) improvement through process simulation (i.e. will it be cheaper, faster, better?) before actually changing the organization.

– alignment of Processes with Systems, Deliverables with Goals etc.

– discovery and elimination of process inconsistencies, restraints, redundancies and gaps.

– waste/cost identification and elimination – including system rationalisation.

– defining requirements for bespoke or off-the-shelf process automation software.

© Proforma UK Ltd 2015© Proforma UK Ltd 2019

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Why Model?


– application of change and transition management …

• BPM Programs - corporate transformation and sustainability

• BPM Projects - process and EA transformation

• Portfolio Management - buildings, equipment, applications

– avoidance of Corporate Memory Loss.

– development of best-practice models enabling continual process and system improvement, and nomenclature standardisation.

– outsourcing and training via the creation of use-case models and step-by-step user-guides (with screen-flows where applicable) for each process activity, actor and system.

– determination of the correct staff right-sizing strategy.

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Why Model?


– improved communication between IT and Business - currently, you may have …

• no common vocabulary.

• processes that are documented at too low a level.

• strategies and projects that are too variable.

• applications that are functionally isolated and too technical.

• the situation that business can’t relate technology costs to business value.

• resulting in …

– no common understanding of business and IT strategy.

– no common view of IT support.

– the IT and Business plans are not synchronized.


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EA Modeling Concerns

• There are many reasons why people are sceptical - they might think that …

– modeling tools are more expensive than drawing tools – but what is ‘expensive’?

– modeling tools are difficult to learn – but how much more difficult than drawing tools can it be? - and think of the benefits to be gained.

– modeling tools are restrictive (“we just need simple drawing tools that anyone can use”) – but what is ‘restrictive’, and is it a bad thing?

– they will be locked-in to the modeling tool, software vendor and services supplier, and they want to own their processes and models, not the consultancy – but one way or another you will have to make a commitment.

– they have tried modeling their processes before without success or benefit, so why should things be different this time around?


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Given that one of the objectives of Enterprise Architecture Modelling is to define and document the organisation clearly and unambiguously, it is very perplexing that the terminology used is frequently confusing and ambiguous, for example …

• Business Process Mapping (BPM)

A graphical representation defining exactly what a business does, who is responsible, and the standard by which success is measured. Clarifies roles and procedures.

• Business Process Modeling (BPM)

Builds on Business Process Mapping, including business and economic rules, to optimise processes. The use of process simulation is often used to ‘prove’ the benefit.

• Business Process Management (BPM)

The management of the process lifecycle, i.e. the design, modelling, execution, monitoring and optimisation of processes.


Terminology Ambiguity

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Business Process Management

• The five Business Process Management steps …

– Design• Identify existing processes and design future processes using a

representation (text and diagram) of domain structure, processes, process flow, actors, events, deliverables, equipment, systems and locations.

– Model• Modeling uses the design combined with cost and time properties, e.g.

changes in the cost of materials, to produce simulated process data.

– Execute• Usually achieved with a combination of automated systems and humans,

requiring thorough documentation to explain the man/machine interface.

– Monitor• Track individual processes, gathering information on their state and

producing statistics on the performance.

– Optimise• Use process performance information from the modeling or monitoring

phase, identify the potential or actual bottlenecks and the potential opportunities for cost savings or other improvements, and apply those enhancements in the design of the process.


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ProVision Modeling Environments

Methodology Models Hierarchy Models

These modeling environments cover the entire range of Enterprise Architecture, i.e.• Business Strategy• Business Architecture• Systems Architecture• Technology Architecture

Not every modeling project will use every modelingenvironment – only those required need be employed.

Examples of many of these modelingenvironments are shown further in this presentation.


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ProVision Modeling Scope


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ProVision Modeling Languages


ProVision- Supports many Languages- Supports many Frameworks- Supports many Methodologies- Does not enforce Methodologies

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ProVision Object Legend


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ProVision Object Associations


Example Metamodel

This example shows how process strategy can be expressed by linking appropriate objects.

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ProVision Object Associations


Systems IMPLEMENT Activities and Activities IMPLEMENTED BY Systems

On-Model Object Associations

Off-Model Object Associations

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The Number Seven

• The capacity of the human brain

• The number seven plays a significant role in our lives – the seven wonders of the world, the seven seas, the seven deadly sins, the seven daughters of Atlas, the seven ages of man, the seven (nine?) levels of hell, the seven primary colours, the seven notes of a musical scale and the seven days of the week.

• “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information” - a 1956 paper by the cognitive psychologist, George A. Miller.

• Take the 7 ± 2 rule with a pinch of salt but observe the principle when modeling.

• The modeling ‘award’ goes to the person who can tell the story in the clearest, simplest manner possible – not the person who can cram the most objects and lines onto a page.

• Simplify for understanding, communication and future maintenance - KISS.


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ProVision Hierarchy Models

SystemSystems


OrganizationMarketsOrganisationsRolesPeople

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LocationLocationsFacilitiesEquipment


Rule/ControlRules

Problem/RiskProblems

Event/TriggerEvents

DeliverableDeliverables

Goal/ObjectiveGoalsMeasurements/KPIs

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CapabilityCapabilities

OpportunityOpportunities

TechnologyTechnologies

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ProVision Methodology ModelsLevel 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 3

Level 1

Level 2

WorkflowMarketsOrganisationsRolesPeopleSystemsActivitiesDecisionsJunctionsSources/SinksStoresWorkflowsDeliverablesEvents

Process DecompositionDomainsProcessesActivities

Workflow Levelling


Use CaseMarketsOrganisationsRolesPeopleSystemsActivitiesCommunicationsExtensionsDeliverablesEvents

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ProVision Methodology Models

Business InteractionMarketsOrganisationsRolesPeopleSystemsBusiness InteractionsDeliverables

System InteractionDatabasesEquipmentFacilitiesLocationsMarketsOrganisationsNetworksSystemsSystem InteractionsDeliverables

User InterfaceUser InterfacesNavigationEvents

DeploymentComponentsEquipmentInterfacesCommunicationsImplementationsDependenciesDeliverablesEvents


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PlatformEquipmentPlatformsTechnologiesUtilizations



StrategyCapabilityEnvironmental InfluenceGoalImpactMeasurementOpportunityPlanProblemProjectRequirementRuleInfluences

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CommunicationActivitiesDomainsProcessesEquipmentFacilitiesLocationsMarketsOrganisationsRolesPeopleSystemsCommunicationsDeliverablesEvents



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PackagePackagesGeneralisationsDependencies

Business Class/ERBusiness Classes/EntitiesInterfacesConnectorsAssociationsGeneralisationsAggregationsDependencies

StatechartStatesPseudo StatesTransition ConnectorsTransitionsDeliverablesOperations


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OperationOperationsInvocationsInvocation Connectors

SequenceBusiness Classes/EntitiesOperationsInvocations

SubtypeBusiness Classes/EntitiesGeneralisations

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ProVision Text and Matrix Reports


Textual interpretation of an organisation diagram

Matrix interpretations

Text and matrix reports are generated from the same repository that generates the models, ensuring consistency.

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ProVision Process Simulation

• Modeling ‘what-if?’ situations

• Two variants, each used to assess multi-level processes with multiple degrees of freedom controlled by percentage likelihood …

– Monte Carlo

» The simpler of the two techniques.

» Individual passes – basic cost and time results.

– Discrete Event

» The more complex of the two techniques.

» Continuously queued passes – real life (e.g. bottlenecks) cost and time results.

• Simulation requires the input of values …– Activity

» time taken

» resource cost

» material cost

» recipe (Discrete Event simulation)

– Workflow lines

» time taken

– Junctions

» recipe (Discrete Event simulation)


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Cost Grid and Cost Chart output from Discrete Event Simulation

ProVision Process Simulation


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Successful Modeling Programs

• To ensure success, ensure …

• commitment from senior management and participants.

• availability of resources, e.g. time, access to knowledge-owners.

• the entire enterprise (e.g. company, department) is modelled at the highest level to define organisation structure, domain/function structure, system structure, and identify the constituent processes that require attention, e.g. …

– current-state proof of compliance.

– Future-state improvement.

• selection of the first process to be documented/improved is an easy-win …

– do not pick the biggest, most complex process as the guinea-pig.

– demonstrate speed of model design and implementation, and show immediate benefit.

• models are kept simple, consistent and structured …

– only document what’s necessary.

– only document it once.

– “Keep It Simple, Stupid” – KISS


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Considerations

• Enterprise Architecture Modeling …

• is not a panacea.

• should not be considered as just a tick-in-a-box or as a cost (it pays for itself).

• should be undertaken using a framework of (flexible) standards enabling ease of future maintenance and therefore a ‘living’, on-going reference business and system model and, perhaps, a training manual.

• should, ideally, be organised around the end-to-end process, not around the departments, locations, people or systems. This is not always possible.

• is a dark art – not only must the models be ‘correct’, they must also tell a clear story, be communicative and be maintainable. Requires object thinking abilities at high- and low-levels.

• when done properly, the business is provided with the vital, current, accurate information it needs in for transition and the ability to take advantage of new opportunities.


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Summary

• Project Deliverables

– models, matrices and reports in HTML and MS Word formats …

• Business models– e.g. Organisation, Business Interaction, Locations, Goals, Risks/Controls

• Process models– e.g. Process Decomposition, Workflow, Use Case

• Information/Data models– e.g. Business Class (ER), Package, State Change, Method

• Technology and System models– e.g. Platform, Technology, System Interaction, Storyboard

• Association matrices– e.g. Activity vs. Actor, Process vs. System, Risk vs. Control

• Simulation matrices and charts (Monte Carlo and Discrete Event)– e.g. Activity State, Commodity State, Cost Distribution, Cost, Entity State,

Resource State, Resource Utilisation, Staffing and Timing

– training and support …

• enabling customers to maintain their own models – they own the processes!

• providing ongoing post-completion maintenance service.


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Quotes

• Some thoughts on simplicity

• "The cheapest, fastest, and most reliable components are those that aren't there." Gordon Bell – b 1934, computer engineer and manager

• "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – b 1900, author, aviator, adventurer

• "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler."Albert Einstein - b 1879, scientist

• "All that is good is simple and all that is simple is good."Mikhail Kalashnikov – b 1919, army officer, small arms designer

• "There is always an easy solution to every human problem - neat, plausible, and wrong."H. L. Mencken – b 1880, journalist, satirist

• “If what you're designing doesn't turn out to be elegant or beautiful in some way, you're probably going down the wrong track.”R. Buckminster Fuller – b 1895, inventor and visionary


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Thank you for your time

Matthew Brown

Proforma UK LtdPassionate About Process


Documents

Documenting the Business - Proforma UK Ltd UK...• The Enterprise Architecture Research Forum: The continuous practice of describing the essential elements of a socio-technical organisation,