Presenter Name Title Here BPM Process Modeling Best Practices Highlights Based on over a decade of BPM Services Engagements
[email protected] Sr. Consulting BPM Solution Architect Open Group Master Certified SW IT Specialist http://IBMBPMDemos.com for more information and resources Software Group 1 Outline Introduction Definition of Terms Five Guidelines 1) Rule of Seven 2) Activity Granularity 3) Activity Description 4) Inputs/Outputs 5) The System Lane Conclusion Q&A 2 What makes a good process model for BPM with WebSphere Lombardi Edition? Are there specific characteristics that make one process model better than another? What does it mean if two analysts interview the same process owners yet produce two different process models? This article introduces five guidelines to better process modeling to help answer these questions. With these principles your models will better serve you. Let us first quantify the characteristics that make a business process model a good one.  A good process model is universally understood, is easily consumed by business people, and is directly implementable in a BPMS (i.e. WebSphere Lombardi Edition). For a process model to be universally understood by all parties means that the process owners and process participants (business) as well as analysts, authors, integration consultants, etc. (IT) easily understand each other and recognize the same concepts in the same context. There is no need by IT to re-draw a process model in order to provide additional clarity or a different point of view. A good process model provides views into a process that are clearly and easily communicated in 5 minutes or less at every level of granularity.  File Name Here.ppt 2 Definition of Terms Business Process Definition (BPD) Pool Swim Lane Milestone Participant Step/Activity Flow Line Business Event User Story 3 File Name Here.ppt 3 Business Process Definition (BPD) A diagram that illustrates a business process includes participants, steps, activities, and sub-processes Business Process Definition objectives: Universally understood by both business and technologists Clearly and easily communicated in 5 minutes or less at any level of granularity Executable in a Business Process Management System 4 For the purpose of todayâs discussion, a business process definition is a⦠diagram that illustrates a business process includes participants, steps, activities, and sub-processes We want to focus on the âexecutableâ aspect of a business process. Today we will explore how to define a business process that is executable in a BPMS. File Name Here.ppt 4 What is not a Business Process Definition? Entity State Diagrams Use Cases, Use Case Relationship Diagrams System Relationship Diagram Architectural Diagram Workflow Model (Application Development), Screen Flow 5 Need a few example artifacts. Explain how these are useful and how they do complement a BPD, but are not a substitute or the same as a BPD. File Name Here.ppt 5 Pool Component Default name Description 1 Lombardi pool The default pool to hold all lanes within the BPD. You can change the name by clicking the pool and editing its properties. 2 Participant lane A default lane for end user activities. You can change the name by clicking the lane and editing its properties. A container for all lanes within the BPD 6 When you create a process, Lombardi automatically creates a pool to hold all added lanes. The default name of the pool is Lombardi, which you can change by clicking the pool in the diagram and then editing its properties. File Name Here.ppt 6 (Swim) Lane Highlights role oriented activities versus the flow oriented activities A lane has a default set of participants 7 File Name Here.ppt 7 Milestones A milestone in a process⦠Represents A period of time Goal/transition in the process May be expressed as a single moment in time e.g. graduation A milestone end-marker May characterize period of time e.g. adolescence A milestone should be achieved just once in a BPD Looping back across a milestone is discouraged 8 File Name Here.ppt 8 Participant A participant is a user of the WLE environment Sets of users are Participant Groups 9 You need to expose a BPD to particular participant groups to establish who can: Start instances of the process in Lombardi Process Portal View data for instances of the process in reports in Lombardi Process Portal Participant groups represent the groups of users in your enterprise. File Name Here.ppt 9 Activity/Step A unit of granularity in a process that⦠Has a goal that can be expressed as a singular outcome Implemented as Task (human or system) Sub-process Can be a human task Single participant begins the activity Can contain multiple steps, (e.g. screens in a screen flow) These steps are not process steps Can be a sub-process Implemented as another BPD 10 An activity is a singular unit of granularity (or step) in a process model that can be described as a goal with a particular outcome. While an activity may have multiple steps within it, these steps are not process steps. For example, âComplete Background Checkâ might be an example of a single activity in a Recruit To Hire process because it is performed by a single participant who begins this activity with the intent to finish. This activity has a singular outcome (pass/fail). Although performing this activity may include multiple steps and multiple screens to lookup the candidateâs name, address and SSN in order to submit to criminal background check and personal credit check via two 3rd party vendor-hosted systems, wait for results, compare to thresholds and complete the activity by making a pass/fail decision, this is a single activity. All of this âworkflowâ detail is part of the implementation (the application development layer) below the process model and need not be included in the process model/flowchart. These details can be captured in the textual description (or user story) for the activity. ---from BPMN 2.0 An Activity is work that is performed within a Business Process. An Activity can be atomic or non-atomic (compound). The types of Activities that are a part of a Process are: Task, Sub-Process, and Call Activity, which allows the inclusion of re-usable Tasks and Processes in the diagram. However, a Process is not a specific graphical object. Instead, it is a set of graphical objects. The following sections will focus on the graphical objects Sub-Process and Task. Activities represent points in a Process flow where work is performed. They are the executable elements of a BPMN Process. File Name Here.ppt 10 Sequence Flow Lines A sequence flow line⦠Defines the transition from one step or event to another 11 File Name Here.ppt 11 Events A business event⦠Is the occurrence of a condition that triggers an activity. Can listen to catch a condition to trigger an activity or⦠â¦throw a result upon occurrence. Types of events include the following: Start /End Timer Message Exception throw listen 12 File Name Here.ppt 12 User Story Short, high-level statement of requirements Students can purchase monthly parking passes online Parking passes can be paid via credit cards Parking passes can be paid via PayPal⢠Professors can input student marks Stakeholders and domain experts write user stories Can include both functional and non-functional requirements Indicate the estimated size/implementation effort Indicate the priority Optionally include a unique identifier Improves traceability See Agile Modeling at http://www.agilemodeling.com/artifacts/userStory.htm 13 File Name Here.ppt 13 Five Guidelines to Better Process Modeling Introduction Definition of Terms Five Guidelines 1) Rule of Seven 2) Activity Granularity 3) Activity Description 4) Inputs/Outputs 5) The System Lane Conclusion Q& A 14  File Name Here.ppt 14 Example of a bad Process Model Click button to add a new line item. Select Company in dropdown Click OK 15 Here is an example of a Process Model. This model is not executable in a BPMS. This model cannot be explained or consumed easily⦠takes 2 hours to present! The elements in the model are not consistently scoped (eg. âClick OKâ) File Name Here.ppt 15 Example of a bad Process Model 4 System Lanes âConstellationâ Pattern No Milestones Defined âString of Pearlsâ Pattern 16 Here is an example of a Process Model. This model is not executable in a BPMS. Constellation pattern illustrates a grouping of steps with a single flow line in, and a single flow line out. Without Milestones, we immediately âflattenâ the view of the process. The large number of system lanes leads us to believe there is âapplication logicâ in this diagram (vs. Process Flow/Logic). The âString of Pearlsâ patterns should be condensed into single steps/activities. File Name Here.ppt 16 (1) Rule of Seven Limit any view to no more than 7 steps/activities for good fit. Select Candidate Inform recruiter Establish compensation package Establish start date Background Check Criminal record check Drug screen Release Candidate from Process Review results Offer Create offer letter Transmit offer letter Accept offer Add Candidate To HR Records Input employee information into database Request equipment Request workspace Request access badge Set employee status to active Orientation New hire orientation class Benefits overview class Provide orientation cd Watch orientation cd Complete forms Begin Work Meet manager Obtain access badge Obtain equipment Go to workspace 17 Try to model your business process for âgood fitâ and follow the âRule of Sevenâ at each level (level 1, 2, 3, etc.). We should be able to comprehend and communicate each level in 5 minutes or less. Each activity should be able to summarize âwork performedâ as a goal with an outcome. In Discovery Map view, this means the width of any row and depth of any column should be seven or less. A âgood fitâ also means the process is roughly square in this view. A process that does not have good fit is characteristic of one of the following: The granularity is not parallel. The activities across any level should be similar in scope. The details are unknown. A milestone with fewer activities (1 or 2) than the others may be a good indicator that we have not yet explored that milestone, or experts for that area have not been available. 17 (2) Activity Granularity Activities should be Similar in Scope at each level Look for the String of Pearls pattern. Look for the Constellation pattern. Look for Flow Line Patterns Remember that an Activity Is a step in a process that can be implemented as a sub-process or a task. Definition in a Process Model should stop at task granularity. A task activity is a unit of work that a single participant (human or system) starts with the intent to complete. Purchase Groceries 18 This is perhaps the most difficult concept for most modelers. Patterns to watch out forâ¦. Series of activities in the same lane. Tightly grouped activities across 1-2 lanes (constellation)⦠might follow Rule of Seven and push to a sub-flow⦠might recognize the pack as sub-process (app layer). An activity is unit of granularity (step) in a process that⦠Has a goal that can be expressed as a singular outcome or output. Can be implemented as a task (human or system) or sub-process. Can be a human task whereby a single participant begins the activity with intent to finish. Can contain multiple steps, (i.e. screens in a workflow) these steps are not process steps. Can be a sub-process that is implemented as another BPD (one level lower) and follows all the same guidelines as a parent BPD. File Name Here.ppt 18 (2) Activity Granularity â Scope Overloaded Milestone (Rule of Seven) Dissimilar in Scope Too Granular in Detail Plan Party Invite Guests Prepare Menu Get Veggies Get Cake Get Ice Cream Get Chips & Dip Checkout Pay with AMEX Drive Home Put Veggies in Fridge Put Ice Cream in Freezer Host Party Welcome Guests Serve Snacks Serve Cake & Ice Cream Play Games Open Gifts Play Games Clean Up Clean the House Send Thank You Cards Get Veggies Get Cake Get Ice Cream Get Chips & Dip Checkout Pay with AMEX Drive Home Put Veggies in Fridge Put Ice Cream in Freezer Open Door Set Ice Cream on Shelf Close Door Where do we stop? 19 19 (2) Activity Granularity â Scope Activities should be similar in scope at each level. Plan Party Invite Guests Prepare Menu Host Party Welcome Guests Serve Snacks Serve Cake & Ice Cream Play Games Open Gifts Play Games Clean Up Clean the House Send Thank You Cards Purchase Groceries Will a single person complete the activity? Will the activity be started with the intent to finish? Is the duration similar to others at this level? Is the goal or outcome an input for the next activity? 20 This is perhaps the most difficult concept for most modelers. Might need to add 2-3 slides with both Good and Bad examples here. Patterns to watch out forâ¦. Series of activities in the same lane. Tightly grouped activities across 1-2 lanes (constellation)⦠might follow Rule of Seven and push to a sub-flow⦠might recognize the pack as sub-process (app layer). An activity is unit of granularity (step) in a process that⦠Has a goal that can be expressed as a singular outcome or output. Can be implemented as a task (human or system) or sub-process. Can be a human task whereby a single participant begins the activity with intent to finish. Can contain multiple steps, (i.e. screens in a workflow) these steps are not process steps. Can be a sub-process that is implemented as another BPD (one level lower) and follows all the same guidelines as a parent BPD. File Name Here.ppt 20 (2) Activity Granularity â String of Pearls Pattern Series of two or more activities in the same swim lane May indicate missing participant details May indicate too much detail at a low level of granularity May indicate misalignment in scope 21 File Name Here.ppt 21 (2) Activity Granularity â String of Pearls Pattern Combine into a single Activity: Send Offer Letter Before 3 serial activities for Hiring Manager Review Results Create Offer Letter Transmit Offer Letter After 1 activity for Hiring Manger 22 File Name Here.ppt 22 (2) Activity Granularity â Constellation Pattern Factor constellations to a sub-process. Look for⦠Tight groups of activities across 2-3 swim lanes Single flow line in & out of the group Lane participant may be limited to activities in the group 23 File Name Here.ppt 23 (2) Activity Granularity â Flow Line Patterns Generally should not flow backward to a previous milestone. Generally should not skip a Milestone. Should avoid looping back to a previous step to repeat an activity (or sub-process) later in the processârepeat/re-use the activity instead. 24 When there are flow lines going backwards through the process, try the following: Is the activity misplaced? Does it belong in a different milestone? Can the activity be brought forward? Does the activity represent detail that belongs as a part of (or sub-step) in the activity to which the flow line goes back to? If your diagram has more than 3 decision gateways in any layer⦠or more then 1 decision gateway in a series, perhaps your model is capturing âapplication logicâ that belongs in the workflow or screen flow for the activity. Try capturing these details in a few sentences in the activity description. File Name Here.ppt 24 (3) Activity Description â Activity Naming Activity Name = Action + Entity [action verb] + [business object] Avoid vague action verbs such as Process and Perform [Step] Use action verbs that indicate a result/output Use specific terms recognizable by the business users (even if they might be vague to others) and describe/define the terms in the description if necessary. Perform Review Approve Contract Terms 25 Use of vague action verbs often indicates the SME is unfamiliar with the content of that activity. Replace text examples with activities from BlueWorks Live. When to model and when to document that is the question? - Do not model workflow (i.e. the flows within an activity) - Modelling is time consuming and can get too detailed where a simple paragraph will do. File Name Here.ppt 25 (3) Activity Description â User Story Capture a 2-5 sentence description for each activity. As a [participant] I need to [do something] so that I can [create business value]. 26 File Name Here.ppt 26 (4) Inputs/Outputs Define with business entities from the business object model Avoid specifying state for the entity (eg. signed contract) Avoid specifying other qualifiers that are properties of the entity Candidate Job Description Comp. Details Offer Letter 27 Keep the inputs & outputs defined in the process model to specific business entities (eg. Invoice, Purchase Order, Customer, etc.). When inclined to be more granular then the entity and define properties of those entities (eg. First Name, SSN, Order Number, Customer State, etc.) it is likely we are defining a particular function/method that is sub-process (application development layer) and important to the implementation of a step within the activity, but far too detailed to describe the activity itself. Avoid describing the entities in a specific state (New Purchase Order, Approved Purchase Order) and simply call attention to the entity itself. Use the description to describe the work completed within the activity that might take a ânewâ purchase order and âapproveâ it thereby maturing the business entity itself and make reference to the entity state diagram. Add examples from BWLive File Name Here.ppt 27 (5) The System Lane Define only one system lane. Contains activities performed by the BPMS or orchestrated by the BPMS to be performed by an external system. Should not contain human activities. Avoid the string of pearls pattern. 28 The system lane is meant to represent the BPMS and all of the external systems with which the BPMS will interact. The lane can include activities performed by external systems, but orchestrated by the BPMS. The system lane should never include Human Activities or any activity that contains human interaction (screens). Avoid the string of pearls pattern in the system lane. If there is a lot of activity between the system lane and a participant lane, there might be low-level granularity (workflow, screen flow) being captured where a few sentences in the description might do. File Name Here.ppt 28 Conclusion Introduction Definition of Terms Five Guidelines 1) Rule of Seven 2) Activity Granularity 3) Activity Description 4) Inputs/Outputs 5) The System Lane Q&A Q A & 29  Conclude by looping back to the introduction. The importance of these guidelines is to bring clarity to process models for improved communication. 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