Modelling Business Processes - Course description

We examine some definitions of a business process and consider the purpose of business process modelling.

A framework for business process modelling is introduced.

The session looks at various forms of business process model and explains how to create a hierarchical structure of business processes.

A traditional functionally oriented view of an organisation is contrasted with a more customer focused, process oriented view.

We describe how to create an ‘organisational model’ that demonstrates an organisation’s top level processes in a strategic context.

The session explains how to:

• Identify the processes at the centre of the organisational model.
• Represent these processes as a ‘process map’, demonstrating the processes and the relationships between them.

The module concludes with the all-important topic of delivering value to customers and establishing a value proposition.

Having now identified the end to end business processes, this session demonstrates how to model the structure and workflow of an individual process in terms of its component tasks.

We look particularly at modelling the current implementation of an organisation’s processes; this is the so called, ‘As-Is’ model.

The modelling technique used in the course is UML Activity Diagramming, as mentioned in the BCS syllabus for their Certificate in Modelling Business Processes.

Having identified the component tasks of a process and their relationships within that process, this session describes ways of documenting the detail of the tasks in terms of their steps.

We also look at some ways of documenting business rules.

This session explains how to measure the performance of processes and their tasks.

Measurements form the basis for identifying problems in the processes. Process improvements are, at least in part, based on the problems.

We also consider innovations that are possible through the combination of re-thinking the process and exploiting today’s technologies.

The session closes by showing how to create a model of the improved process; this is the so called, ‘To-Be’ model.

The final lecture session proposes approaches to transition from the modelling phase to the implementation of the newly designed improved process.

We consider some strategies for implementation and examine how our new processes provide a context for discovering requirements for IT support.

This module closes with a brief look at continuous improvement.

Practice exam in the multi-choice with mini scenario style of syllabus 5.1.

The practice exam has 40 questions, as does the real exam.

It also has annotated answers.