The company is increasingly borrowing foreign methods and technologies. And not because it is fashionable, but because it is convenient and effective. One of these techniques breaks down all the routine work into elementary components and then describes in detail each resulting business process. It takes a lot of time, but the derived scheme allows you to find weaknesses, overly inflated functional responsibilities, and unclear tasks. With a single investment of time, management can shift some of their responsibility down the hierarchy, freeing up time for strategic planning.

Living according to plan

Another thing is that the personnel of firms often do not understand the significance of this procedure and do not welcome the desire of the management to define the main business processes. Nevertheless, more and more often it is necessary to understand the modeling and description of the elementary operations of each department, and even an employee. It is even worse if the staff of the company includes employees who study the business processes of the company. They incessantly ask about something, distract and in every possible way interfere with the performance of direct functional duties of all personnel. What to do?

Let's start from afar. Every morning most of us face the challenge of getting to work. For its successful solution, it is necessary to wake up in time, get ready and take a seat in some kind of transport (it does not matter if it is a private car or a subway car). Further, each component can be broken down into even smaller procedures: in order to wake up on time, you can set an alarm, or you can ask someone to wake you up, etc. Regardless of the solution method, the result (timely awakening) will be achieved. But the rise, fees and the way to work differ in the method of solution and the end result. Actually, we have come to the first definition.

What is all this for?

So, a business process is a certain sequence of simple actions that transform resources into a useful final product. In our example from life, there are three different processes, each of which requires its own initial information and, after certain manipulations, gives the desired result. Let's go to the enterprise. Regardless of the field of activity in each company, the work is determined by the professional relationship of employees: the transfer of information, determination of the need for a product, analysis of production and resources, etc. And here it is important to note that all of the above matters only if three conditions are met:

The information has been transferred to the employee interested in it;

This was done at the right time;

The form in which the information is presented is quite simple and straightforward.

Summarizing all of the above, it can be argued that a business process is a flow of information that answers three questions: what, where and when. It is in order for the work to be performed smoothly and continuously, it is necessary to determine its components. In this case, there will be no duplication of tasks, no performer or downtime.

When a business process is clearly defined, every employee is no longer indispensable. Remember how many times you had to wait for one of your colleagues to leave sick leave (or return from vacation); in your absence from work, the phone literally does not stop ringing, and everyone is trying to figure out what and how you are doing. And if you have responded to the management's request and made a rather detailed description of business processes, then you can cheer calmly, relax, and sometimes just have lunch ...

Moving to the formal language of definitions, we will argue that when describing business processes, an enterprise sets the following goals:

• understand the general activity and determine the dynamics of its development;
• identify current problems and opportunities to overcome them;
• create a system of goals and objectives that is understandable for all participants (developers, users, customers, etc.);
• formulate the requirements for the required software.

Of course, the description of business processes itself is not of any interest. But for reengineering, this is the primary task. Only after understanding the structure, interconnections and ways of movement of information flows, we can talk about rethinking the semantic load of both the enterprise itself and its individual divisions. But the reorganization should also be carried out for the sake of achieving some goal: improving the quality of customer service; cost reduction; granting more freedom in decision-making to performers (reducing the time required to complete work), etc.

Simple classification

Most often, the need to describe information business processes appears in enterprises with a functionally oriented structure. The point is that different departments can contradict each other. And this will lead not only to a decrease in the company's profitability, but also to a drop in its competitiveness.

The modern approach to management is increasingly of a process nature. All work is considered as a specific set of processes (each of which consists of one or more of the simplest operations). To formalize and standardize this approach, the following categories of processes are adopted (the classification is in relation to the added value of the product):

• the main ones are those with the help of which the enterprise receives income: production, marketing, supplies;
• managers - those who set goals and objectives for departments and specific performers;
• supporting - those that provide production with resources, but at the same time do not add value to the final product: training and selection of personnel, financial support, legal protection, etc.

In addition to the already mentioned independence from the human factor and simplified adaptation of new employees, the description of business processes makes it possible to more effectively manage the operating costs of the company.

Properties

Now it becomes clear that for enterprise management it is necessary not only to identify interrelated flows of information, but also to clearly describe all types of activities. Since we already know that the business process is a part of the overall work, passing from one employee to another (within its functional unit or not, it does not matter), then we will move on to the fact that everything in the world can be unified. And professional activity is even more so.

Regardless of the field of activity, each business process can be described by the same characteristics.

A boundary is the beginning and end of a simple operation.

The owner is an employee of the company who not only owns the necessary resources for work, but also plans, analyzes, manages the process; and most importantly, it is responsible for the result obtained.

Input - an informational message received in any form accepted at the enterprise, which determines the need for information and marks the beginning of the process.

Output - information or materialized part of the product that is consumed by a client external to the performer.

Contractor - company personnel engaged in one process.

Resources are a material or informational part of an activity that does not change during the execution of an operation (but only contributes to the transformation of incoming information into the final product).

Quality control - industry or internal (adopted by the company's management) indicators that allow you to determine the effectiveness of the work.

Compulsory allocation of elementary processes

Of course, not every firm needs a description of business processes. Nevertheless, there are a number of cases in which this tedious activity cannot be avoided. Let's name the main ones:

• The activities of the enterprise are automated. In this case, the business process diagram translates the customer's needs into a language understandable to the programmer.
• Improving the company's activities. Not only the modernization of equipment and technology helps to improve the final product; optimization of business processes makes it possible to identify all the strengths and weaknesses of the work and make appropriate management decisions.
• Organization certification according to international standards (ISO). A uniform quality management system is being created for all employees.

How to present a description to a customer

Requires a description of each item. How can this be done painlessly for the organization? In world practice, there are three main methods: text, graphic and tabular.

The textual one involves a description of the entire course of work in a simple and understandable sequence. The form and content can be both free (if international or industry standards have not yet been developed), and regulated by documents. For example: the sales department transfers the accounting documentation for the period to the planning department; employees of the planning department carry out analytical work to determine the dynamics of sales and the need to make adjustments to production; the result obtained from the planning department is transferred to the marketing department, where an analysis of the reasons for the growth (fall) in sales is carried out, etc.

A graphical diagram of a business process allows you to visualize the result of analytical work. Needless to say, visual perception of information is most effective. Therefore, all kinds of graphs and diagrams enable us to quickly understand what is happening and find the right solution.

In cases where the main task of reforming activities is the optimization of business processes, it is worth using a tabular form of their description. It makes it easier to understand the sequence of actions and the direction of information flows. A typical table contains not only a description of the function of a staff unit, but also columns about incoming and outgoing documents, the performer (you can specify both the whole department and a specific employee), etc.

How to describe a business process correctly

It is not enough to analyze business processes. The most important thing in this matter is correctness, but at the same time, simplicity of the description. To begin with, you should clearly articulate the name of the unit process. This will help to understand its main characteristics, logic of execution and place in the overall chain of production activities.

Then you should indicate what input information is required for the normal execution of the task, as well as list the resource support. The recorded sequence of simple operations that make up the process will help you not to miss or forget anything.

Modeling business processes cannot do without specifying the owner of the process and a system for monitoring its progress. To do this, in the description, it is necessary to mark the standard terms for the production of work and list the documents that are transferred to the next link. To simplify, the description should look like this: "... after conducting a sales analysis for the reporting period, an employee of the planning department fills out the established form (table), which he sends to the marketing department ..."

Simplified scheme for describing production processes

When writing a description, most often employees are faced with the fact that they do not know how to verbally convey the content of their work. To make the system of business processes clear and structured, you can draw up a memo. It reflects those questions to which it is necessary to give a clear and maximally detailed answer. So what are these questions?

• What? Describes what exactly is done in this operation.
• What for? Pass in the target of the operation.
• When? Determines who initiates execution.
• Who? Names specific performers.
• How? Lists the required resources.

Business process development assumes that all description methods can be used. Thus, you will get the most detailed scheme of work execution. The graphical version will reveal the relationship of functional units, and the tabular and textual versions will convey the content of each operation. Unfortunately, business process automation is impossible without this time-consuming up-front work.

How to collect information

In practice, there are many ways to get the information you need. First, you need to analyze the regulatory documents that are guided by the company's employees. Then you should conduct personal interviews with each direct performer in order to describe the content of his work. Further, to clarify and clarify controversial points, analytical consultants should use the monitoring of the progress of business processes.

If you take a comprehensive approach to solving the problem, the automation of business processes will not seem so tedious and useless.

Working group

And yet, if the main task of the enterprise is the automation of business processes, and the management does not intend to attract external consulting companies, the question must arise: "Where to start?" The first step is to create a working group of company employees. It is desirable that the members of the working group have excellent listening skills. Indeed, as already noted, most of the work consists in conducting personal interviews with the performers of business processes.

Next, you need to make a real picture of the functioning of the system. Since the enterprise was working and making a profit before the modernization, there is probably no need to talk about a complete restructuring. Therefore, it is necessary to fix the system and directions of information flows at the time of the start of optimization.

What the description consists of

In order to avoid confusion and discrepancies in the description of business processes, experts recommend using process maps. These are standardized documents that allow you to unify all actions, regardless of the performer's sphere of influence and the complexity of the described operation.

Any description can be divided into the following components:

• unified form of the process (most often a table);
• business process map (can be presented in any form - text description, graphic object or table);
• routes (incoming and outgoing flows of information, resources and finances);
• matrices of various business processes (table of interaction of different processes, which allows you to highlight the main and secondary flows and operations);
• block diagram (algorithm for executing a business process);
• extended text description;
• documentation (creation of documents confirming the implementation of the process);
• identification of business process indicators (search for characteristics and indicators by which you can control not only the progress of implementation, but also the quality);
• regulations (in other words, job description).

Indicators

As has already been noted many times, any process must be measured by something. This is necessary primarily to assess the effectiveness of the entire activities of the enterprise. Most often, experts recommend testing business processes according to four indicators: time, costs, quality and quantity.

But they are dynamic and varied. Therefore, it is often not enough to assess only the speed of work execution; working conditions must also be taken into account, and in addition, virtually all industries cannot exist without suppliers, finance, logistics and partners. These are also measurable indicators.

And, of course, we must not forget about information and the human factor. The higher the level of training of a specialist, the less time it will take for him to familiarize himself with the instructions and incoming information.

Most of the modeling methodologies are now based on the principles of structural analysis and design (SADT - Structured Analysis and Design Technique), as well as some We can talk about the existence of several basic models for analyzing business processes:

Business Process Modeling - in fact, modeling - reveals the functional side of the existence of the company.

Work Flow Modeling - Describes work flows and is similar to flowcharting.

Data Flow Modeling - unlike the previous one, it describes data flows (information); is intended for drawing up a sequence of operations.

Shewhart-Deming cycle

Large business processes (1C allows you to select them from the general list) are recommended to be described in a separate document called "Work Procedure". Everything that is of a less significant nature or consists of a small number of simple operations is usually described in job descriptions.

When drawing up the regulations, it is necessary to take into account the conditions of the continuous improvement cycle of the enterprise (the Shewhart-Deming model). Its provisions state that optimization and improvement are endless processes. That is, in the management of an enterprise there is a kind of closed cycle, consisting of such management decisions: planning, execution, control, adjustment.

When drawing up the regulations, one should take into account the principles that ensure compliance with the Shewhart-Deming model:

1. Calculation of planned indicators for the future period.
2. Analysis of the dynamics of deviations and documentation of the presumptive causes.
3. Determination of corrective operations and analysis of their effectiveness.

The development of the model must be carried out in accordance with the business rules. The generally accepted rules are the regulatory and legislative framework of the state on the territory of which the enterprise operates. The second basis of the model is the corporate policy of the company.

When introducing a quality management system, it is necessary to take care of the development and unification of business processes. As already noted at the beginning of the article, the company's personnel do not always understand the significance of the modernization that has begun. Communicating to each employee the importance of creating an effective business process model is the task of senior management.

After all, it is precisely the well-established and carefully designed system that will not only simplify the receipt by the enterprise of certificates of compliance with international quality standards ISO 9001: 2008, but also significantly increase the efficiency of each employee.

Both of these factors lead the company to increase its competitiveness in the market, which, in turn, has a beneficial effect on both investors and customers.

In this article we will post a brief overview of programs for describing and modeling business processes.
As we receive information, we will add short descriptions of the programs to the article.
If you know a convenient program for modeling business processes that has not been included in our list, let us know in the comments or through the feedback form.

1. ARIS Express is a tool for modeling business processes that is simple enough to install and use, so that it can be used by both novice users and university students. This product belongs to the ARIS (ARchitecture of Integrated Information Systems) family of modeling tools by IDS Scheer (currently a part of Software AG), widely represented in the Russian market, localized a few years ago and even provided with Russian-language technical support. The ARIS family of products (ARchitecture of Integrated Information Systems), which is manufactured by IDS Scheer, includes not only tools for modeling business processes and publishing models, but also integrating tools for developing a balanced scorecard, assessing and optimizing the cost of business processes, their simulation. modeling, tools that simplify the implementation of ERP systems, the design of distributed applications and IT infrastructure, as well as tools for monitoring the implementation of business processes. Leading analytical companies Gartner Group and Forrester Research rank IDS Scheer among the leaders in the global market for modeling and analyzing business processes.

2. Bizagi Process Modeler - free software for creating process diagrams and documentation in the notation of the BPMN standard.

3. Business Studio is a business modeling system from a domestic manufacturer that allows companies to accelerate and simplify the development of their management system, the implementation of a quality management system. There is a free version. The main tasks to be solved:

• Formalization of the strategy and control of its achievement
• Design and optimization of business processes
• Organizational structure and staffing design
• Formation and distribution of regulatory documentation among employees
• Implementation of a quality management system in accordance with ISO standards
• Formation of Terms of Reference and support for the implementation of information systems

4. AllFusion Process Modeler - Allows for the description, analysis and modeling of the data model - the builder of meta-data models. It occupies one of the leading positions in its market segment.
Includes three standard methodologies: IDEF0 (functional modeling), DFD (data flow modeling), and IDEF3 (workflow modeling).

5. is a complex tool with a convenient user interface designed for modeling and organizing joint work of both production and IT personnel.

• Quickly and seamlessly integrate modeling, workflow building, and simulation.
• Warehouse-driven simulation, change reporting, and real-time performance evaluators.
• Monitor workflows over the Internet using a standard browser.

6.ELMA - Russian development. The business process management system is based on a simple idea: you are building a model of your company's business processes using visual diagrams (BPMN notation), load these descriptions into the ELMA computer system, and the program allows you to track the execution of processes in the real practice of the enterprise. There is a free version.
In addition to managing sequential tasks that are profitable to automate, there is a project management module. The existing control system (including through the KPI management module) and reports creates optimal conditions for teamwork, including remotely (especially valuable for branches).
Electronic document management is connected with all modules of the system and provides storage and classification of documents. This saves a lot of time and keeps the “irreplaceable worker” concept to a minimum.
Accounting for customers and access rights is solved in the CRM module: the function of integration with call centers has been added. For an ordinary user, ELMA can be useful as an alternative to corporate mail and a task management tool.

7. Fox Manager Business Processes Free. A program for building and analyzing business processes, as well as generating reports on the process model of an enterprise. The program allows you to build a single integral process model of the enterprise. The notation used is close to Basic Flow Chart, which is well known to many for its simplicity of building business processes. The program automatically builds top-level processes, displaying the interactions of categories and business processes in the form of a visual diagram. The analytical functions of the program allow you to notice and eliminate in time the mistakes made when building the constructed process model, namely, to highlight the processes for which no one is responsible, to find links to non-existent documents, positions, suppliers or business processes.

Project management ,

Development management

In this article, I want to talk about the basic principles of business modeling, about the approaches that are used in this area, and on the basis of which modeling and notation languages ​​are created.

I have already written about modeling using IDEF0 (Acquaintance with the IDEF0 notation and an example of use), about organizing the work of the warehouse and working with clients from lead to deal (CRM implementation. From registering a lead to closing a deal. Case and explanations), about the Bizagi system ( Bizagi. Description. Example). And everywhere I used business process notations when explaining examples and practical solutions.

On the one hand, the use of diagrams for clarity when describing business models does not raise questions for anyone. It is really very convenient. On the other hand, many businessmen and even my colleagues are perplexed why special notations and rules are needed for developing business processes, because you can simply draw an intuitive diagram in any graphical editor (visio) or using other convenient tools.

I want to talk about why standardization is so important, as well as about in which case this or that approach is applied.

Basic approaches

Today there are many different tools for developing business models, they use different modeling languages, both standard and some proprietary ones. But all of them can be combined according to the principle of work in three main approaches:

• Functional;
• Process;
• Mental (using mental maps).

In fact, of course, there are other approaches, there are many of them as well as modeling languages. But they are mostly hybrid solutions that combine the above approaches. In addition, it is the process and functional models that have already become standards, at least in the West. And here they are becoming more widespread. I want to talk about these main areas in more detail.

Functional modeling considers business as a function (Latin functio - accomplishment, execution), or in other words "black box". In a functional model, a function has no time sequence, but only an entry point and an exit point. Functional modeling helps to view the business model in terms of performance, i.e. when modeling, we proceed from what we have at the input and what we want to get at the output.

For example, a company is developing some kind of CRM system for its business. In the case of a functional approach to modeling, the chosen environment for work itself prompts where to start. The entry point is "incoming customer interest or lead", the exit point is the desired result: "buying and getting a loyal customer", "getting a regular customer", "getting as much information about a potential client as possible", etc.

Thus, in the functional model, the entry point and the desired result are initially known, and the sequence of actions is the object of development. At the same time, the use of functional models as "black boxes" allows each stage to be detailed as needed. And all modeling work is aimed at finding the optimal solution to achieve the goal.

You can also use functional models to showcase your ideas and solutions. It is also very convenient, because during the demo, you can move from general to detail, as necessary, separate and decompose functions. But you will decompose exactly the functions, and by dividing one function into several, you will not get a description of the process.

Some people confuse the process description and the functional model. For example, in Business Studio, a function is called a process, although this is not entirely true. Still, the description of functions and the process approach are somewhat different things. And I personally believe that functional modeling is optimally implemented in IDEFO notation. I myself use it for this type of work, and I also recommend it to everyone.

You can learn more about the rules for working with IDEFO by reading my article on the IDEF0 notation and an example of use.

Process modeling (business process modeling)

I will talk about process modeling from the point of view of BPMN notation, as one of the most common standards for process modeling. That being said, I fully agree that there are many modeling languages ​​and different systems. And everyone can use what is more convenient for him. But nevertheless, BPMN is already an established standard of process modeling, and therefore I take it as a basis in the description.

A process from the point of view of a business model is a sequence of some events and actions that have a beginning and an end.

This is the main difference between process modeling and functional modeling. Functional Modeling looks at the business model in terms of input and output (available resources and desired outcome). And the process is based on a sequence of actions within certain boundaries, in the case of BPMN, this will be the beginning and end of an event.

All processes can be broken down (detailed) into subprocesses up to task level detailing, i.e. actions, further detailing of which is impossible. A process is a certain sequence of actions that must be performed in order to obtain a certain result. It should be noted that in the business model as a process, the result may not be explicit, unlike the functional model.

The fundamental difference between process modeling and functional modeling is that process modeling focuses not on what we want to get, but on what needs to be done to get the result, i.e. not the results of a particular activity, but the very sequence of actions.

For example, in BPWIN or Business Studio, in the process of detailing each function, there is a transition from a functional approach to a process approach. Those. in general, we consider the model from the point of view of the possibilities and the desired result, and when we move on to solutions for each function, an explicit process approach is already practiced here, i.e. step-by-step algorithm of actions to achieve the result.

Imagine that the functional model has a "black box" - the "Accept order" function. And when decomposing, we already consider it not as a function, but as a process, and the sequence of actions when accepting an order is already a process approach.

There is one more very important difference. The functional model cannot be used in the implementation of any system, only for design. And the process approach allows you to create executable models, i.e. descriptions of the sequence of actions that we can further translate into some kind of environment to create a system for enterprise collaboration based on a process approach.

When creating mental models, the specialist approaches modeling not as a process or a set of functions, but as a certain set of related concepts. For clarity, I will give an example - a mental map of the concept of "Supply Procedure" (see figure).

This variant of the approach is applied, first of all, for oneself. Drawing a diagram in free form helps to structure your knowledge, so to speak, to “sort through” the information received in free form. Also, such mind maps help to find a solution, which later, as necessary, will be implemented within the framework of strict rules of the process or functional approach.

You can use mental maps to demonstrate to clients: both the existing situation and the options for solving the problem. Mind maps will help to visually demonstrate what methods can be used, to show various ideas in a visual form.

The advantages of using such mind maps are obvious:

• You don't need to know any special languages;
• There are no strict frameworks and restrictions when creating a circuit;
• The mind map is intuitive in most cases;
• It is easy to create such schemes.

The disadvantage of this approach is the lack of a well-established approach and a standardized methodology. If there is some variation in functional and process notations, but still it is limited by the strict framework of modeling languages, then mind maps are created in an arbitrary form. And even specialized programs for their creation also almost do not restrict a person in the modeling process. Those. some rules may be introduced within the framework of a certain software product, but the standard does not exist.

As a result, to understand the model and the ideas embedded in it, the presence and comments of its developer (analyst) is required.

Of course, there are very simple cards that are intuitive to read and without additional comments. But in the absence of standards, there is always a possibility that even in this case the author had something else in mind or did not detail his scheme somewhere. Those. there is a possibility of different readings. And business is not a philosophy. With all the speculation and variety of approaches to describing business processes, unambiguous decisions are very important here.

Business Modeling Methodology and Languages

Very often, even in the professional literature, confusion arises when people confuse the concepts of business analysis methodology and description of business modeling languages.

A methodology is a system of principles and standards for describing business models and their subsequent analysis. While the business modeling language is nothing more than a tool for developing business models.

This begs a comparison with programming in general and the use of a specific programming language. Programming includes the construction of an algorithm, and the choice of a suitable programming language, and the implementation of the program algorithm within a particular language. And, for example, programming in the C ++ language is already a deliberate limitation to certain limits, since using a certain language only a clearly limited range of tasks can be solved, and, at the same time, even if a task can be solved using C ++, it is not at all necessary what exactly this language will be optimal in a particular case. In general, the difference between the concept of "programming" and "programming within a certain language", I think, most people understand even without such explanations.

The difference between languages ​​for developing business models in from systems design languages

There is a whole family of system design languages ​​that are outwardly similar to business modeling languages, for example, Ares Studios, a whole family of UML languages ​​and others that are used to design IT systems.

The main difference between these languages ​​and business process development languages ​​lies in their purpose. If the design languages ​​of IT systems consider business processes from the point of view of the possibility of their automation, implementation in IT systems, then the business modeling languages ​​consider the sequence of actions from the point of view of the business, including the operation of both IT systems and employees, the movement of goods etc.

Accordingly, in system design languages ​​there are no elements that will help to fully describe the actions of departments, employees, interaction between them, work with suppliers, communication with customers, and so on. The tools of this group of languages ​​will help to automate business processes that lend themselves to automation. And everything else will be left "behind the scenes", for example, as some "functions" without decoding.

At the same time, the languages ​​for developing business processes cover the work of the business as such as much as possible, but it is far from always possible to describe certain nuances of automation and algorithmic systems in them with a sufficient degree of detail.

Benefits of developing business models

Still, why use business modeling languages ​​that impose strong constraints and require hard-coded modeling rules? After all, you can always "draw a diagram" in a graphic editor or even on paper using a mental approach, while learning modeling languages ​​is not required at all.

In fact, standards and regulations are a huge plus:

1. Modeling languages ​​help to convey information with the highest quality. Standardization increases ease of perception.
2. The speed of model development is greatly increased. The languages ​​contain all the necessary tools and graphic blocks ready-made. You don't have to "paint" or come up with your own terminology. The toolkit is already ready, and work within its framework is significantly accelerated. Of course, the language needs to be learned. But learning once is much faster than coming up with and explaining your own set of notations each time.
3. The number of possible errors is reduced. The elements of the system themselves will already "prompt" a list of possible and necessary actions. And in the case of creating executable models or non-executable, but within the strict framework of the rules, you can always check the work of the business model in the executable environment and debug, as in programming.

Putting business models into practice

Personally, I believe that business modeling should be applied in solving any problems related to identifying problems and bottlenecks, optimizing and modernizing a business, etc. As a business consultant, I almost always build models for the work of the company or its divisions when working with my clients. This gives a clear understanding of all stages of work and avoids "white spots" in this matter.

In addition, visual diagrams of business models help me in the process of interacting with clients. My projects are often complex, and plain text or oral speech is not enough for understanding, while the use of visual business models reduces the client's time spent on reading and understanding my proposals, and practically eliminates the problems of mutual understanding in this matter. And if a few years ago I still faced bewilderment on the part of clients, now the option of describing "in words" without visual and convenient diagrams is rarely practiced.

And in the case of automation of any stage of work or the creation of an automated business management system based on a project-oriented approach, a high-quality business model, executed in one or another modeling language, will become a ready-made guide for technical specialists.

Convenience, versatility, ease of perception - these are the reasons why more and more people are moving from verbal descriptions in the business sphere to business modeling. And the use of ready-made languages ​​allows you to work with models quickly, avoid mistakes, and also make any changes without problems.

Also, I am currently preparing a book and an online course for publication, in which I will describe in detail my own vision of the process approach to business, as well as my own practical experience in the field of functional and process modeling. Anyone can subscribe to the notification of the release of a new book on and other news

Introduction

1. Modeling business processes

2. Classification of business processes

3. Standards for modeling business processes

Conclusion

List of sources used

INTRODUCTION

The concept of "modeling business processes" came into the everyday life of most analysts simultaneously with the appearance on the market of complex software products designed for complex automation of enterprise management.

Such systems always imply a deep pre-project survey of the company's activities. The result of this survey is an expert opinion, in which individual points are made recommendations to eliminate "bottlenecks" in the management of activities.

On the basis of this conclusion, immediately before the implementation of the automation system, the so-called reorganization of business processes is carried out, sometimes quite serious and painful for the company. It is natural that the team that has developed over the years is always difficult to force to “think in a new way”. Such complex surveys of enterprises are always complex and significantly different tasks from case to case.

There are well-tried methodologies and standards for solving such problems of modeling complex systems. These standards include the methodologies of the IDEF family. With their help, it is possible to effectively display and analyze the models of the activity of a wide range of complex systems in various sections. At the same time, the breadth and depth of examination of the processes in the system is determined by the developer himself, which allows not to overload the created model with unnecessary data.

Modeling business processes allows you to analyze not only how the enterprise as a whole works, how it interacts with external organizations, customers and suppliers, but also how the activities are organized at each individual workplace.

There are several approaches to defining the concept of "business process modeling":

- this is a description of the business processes of the enterprise that allows the manager to know how ordinary employees work, and ordinary employees - how their colleagues work and what end result is all their activity directed at;

business process modeling- it is an effective means of finding opportunities to improve the activities of the enterprise;

modeling business processes- this is a tool that allows you to anticipate and minimize the risks arising at various stages of the reorganization of the enterprise;

business process modeling is a method that allows you to give a cost estimate for each process taken separately, and all business processes in the enterprise, taken together.

Modern enterprises are forced to constantly improve their activities. This requires the development of new technologies and methods of doing business, improving the quality of the final results of activities and, of course, introducing new, more effective methods of managing and organizing the activities of enterprises.

Buisness process Is a logical, sequential, interconnected set of activities that consumes the manufacturer's resources, creates value and delivers the result to the consumer. Among the main reasons that induce an organization to optimize business processes, one can single out the need to reduce costs or the duration of the production cycle, the requirements imposed by consumers and the state, the introduction of quality management programs, the merger of companies, intra-organizational contradictions, etc.

Business process modeling Is an effective means of finding ways to optimize the company's activities, a means of predicting and minimizing risks arising at various stages of enterprise reorganization. This method allows you to provide a cost estimate for each individual process and all business processes of the organization in the aggregate.

Business process modeling decisions are usually made for the reasons presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1 - Reasons for making a decision on modeling business processes

Business process modeling affects many aspects of a company:

organizational change;

optimization of the functions of departments and employees;

redistribution of the rights and responsibilities of managers;

changes in internal regulations and technology of operations.

The purpose of the simulation is the systematization of knowledge about the company and its business processes in a visual graphical form more convenient for analytical processing of the information received. The model should reflect the structure of the organization's business processes, the details of their implementation and the sequence of workflow.

Modeling business processes of an organization includes two stages, structural and detailed.

Structural business process modeling of an organization can be performed in IDEF0 notation using BPwin tools or in UML using Rational Rose tools. Detailed modeling is performed in the UML language.

At the stage of structural modeling, the model should reflect:

existing organizational structure;

documents and other entities used in the execution of simulated business processes and necessary for modeling workflow, with descriptions of their main meaning;

the structure of business processes, reflecting their hierarchy from more general groups to private business processes;

interaction diagrams for final business processes, reflecting the sequence of creation and movement of documents (data, materials, resources, etc.) between the actors.

Detailed business process modeling is performed in the same model and should reflect the required detail and should provide an unambiguous view of the organization's activities.

A detailed business process model should include:

a set of precedents reflecting possible options for performing business processes "as is";

action diagrams that describe in detail the sequence of business processes;

interaction diagrams reflecting workflow schemes.

Business transaction- a set of actions, procedures that make up the content of one act of business activity.

A business transaction usually begins with the production or purchase of a batch of goods according to a pre-planned action plan and ends with the sale of the goods and making a profit. Business transactions are also called transactions.

Business function- this is a task that a company solves for its own survival and to achieve its goals. The function answers the question what to do... Of course, there are many functions within a company. So any business system should have such functions as financial management, production, sales.

Business model - this is what the company does and how it makes money (Tom Malone)

Business strategy there is a theory, a business model is a hypothesis (Nicholas Carr)

Business model is a representation of a set of related model elements that define the internal and external environment of a company within a single system.

2. CLASSIFICATION OF BUSINESS PROCESSES

The following classification is distinguished:

Depending on the place of business processes in the organizational structure of the company, the following business processes are distinguished:

horizontal processes - processes that reflect horizontal interaction;

individual horizontal processes - processes performed by individual employees (organizational units);

cross-functional horizontal processes - processes performed by many employees (organizational units);

vertical processes - processes that reflect the interaction of employees (organizational units) vertically;

integrated processes - processes that reflect the interaction of process participants vertically and horizontally.

Depending on the degree of their complexity, there are:

monoprocesses - monosyllabic processes;

nested processes - monoprocesses that are part of a more complex process (macroprocess);

related processes - monoprocesses isolated and sequentially implemented according to a certain algorithm.

Depending on their purpose:

main business processes - horizontal business processes that ensure the implementation of real operational tasks related to the creation of a product and its implementation to the client; - these are processes whose operations are directly related to the product of the enterprise and thereby affect the creation of added value;

supporting business processes - horizontal business processes that ensure the execution of the main processes, they are not directly related to the goods and services produced, however, without them, it is impossible to perform operations to create added value;

business management processes - vertical business processes that provide management of the company's activities, the main and supporting business processes. These are the processes of strategy formation, business planning and control.

Depending on their place in the hierarchy of organizational goals:

top-level business processes - processes aimed at the implementation of the company's strategic goals, the most significant for the company;

mid-level business processes - business processes aimed at the implementation of tactical goals;

lower-level business processes business processes aimed at achieving operational goals.

Depending on the degree of their detail:

macroprocesses - enlarged business processes with the degree of detail required to describe the top-level business processes;

subprocesses - business processes with a degree of detail required to describe middle-level business processes;

microprocesses - business processes with the maximum maximum degree of detail are used to describe the business processes of the lower level.

Within the framework of the main components of the balanced scorecard:

financial business processes;

client business processes;

business - production processes;

business processes of development, learning and growth.

Functional Modeling Standard IDEF0

The IDEF0 standard is considered a classic method of the process approach to management. The main principle of the process approach is to structure the organization's activities in accordance with its business processes, and not the organizational and staff structure. It is the business processes that form the result that are significant for the consumer that are of value, and it is precisely their improvement that is to be dealt with in the future.

StandardIDEF0 is a set of rules and procedures designed to build a functional model of an object of any subject area.

ModelIDEF0 is a series of diagrams with accompanying documentation that break down a complex object into its component parts, which are shown in the form of blocks. The details of each of the main blocks are shown as blocks in the other diagrams. Each detailed diagram is a block decomposition from the diagram of the previous level. At each step of the decomposition, the diagram of the previous level is called the parent diagram for a more detailed diagram. The total number of levels in the model (including the contextual one) should not exceed 5-6. Practice shows that this is quite enough to build a complete functional model of a modern enterprise in any industry.

Information Modeling Standard IDEF1

The IDEF1 standard was developed as a tool for analyzing and studying the relationships between information flows in the business of an enterprise. Application of the IDEF1 methodology as a tool for constructing a visual model of the information structure of an enterprise according to the principle “as it should be”. An example of building a model is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 - An example of building an IDEF1 model

The main components of the information model are:

diagrams - structural images of the information model, representing, in accordance with a set of rules, the composition and logical connections of the data used;

dictionary - the value of each element of the model is described by a text fragment.

The basic concept in the IDEF1 methodology is the concept of an entity. The essence is defined as a real or abstract object, the set of distinctive properties of which, called attributes, are known. Each entity has a name and attributes.

The subsystem number is used to identify it. In the name field, the name of the subsystem is entered in the form of a sentence with the subject and the corresponding definitions and additions.

The process is the transformation of input data streams into output in accordance with a certain algorithm. Physically, the process can be implemented in various ways: it can be a subdivision of an organization (department) that processes input documents and issues reports, a program, a hardware-implemented logical device, etc.

The process is depicted in a data flow diagram as shown in Figure 4.

The process number is used to identify it. In the name field, enter the name of the process in the form of a sentence with an active unambiguous verb in an indefinite form (calculate, calculate, check, define, create, get), followed by nouns in the accusative case, for example: "Enter information about taxpayers", "Issue information about current expenses "," Check the receipt of money ".

The information in the physical implementation field indicates which organizational unit, program, or hardware device is performing the process.

A data drive is an abstract device for storing information that can be put into a drive at any time and after a while can be retrieved, and there can be any way of placing and retrieving it.

The data storage device can be realized physically in the form of a microfiche, a box in a filing cabinet, a table in RAM, a file on a magnetic medium, etc.

The data storage device is identified by the letter "D" and an arbitrary number. The name of the drive is chosen for the most informative reasons for the designer.

In general, the data store is a prototype of the future database, and the description of the data stored in it must correspond to the data model.

Data flow defines the information transmitted over a connection from a source to a sink. The flow of data in the diagram is represented by a line ending with an arrow that indicates the direction of the flow. Each data stream has a name that reflects its content.

The main purpose of building a DFD hierarchy is to make the description of the system clear and understandable at every level of detail, as well as to break it down into parts with well-defined relationships between them.

CONCLUSION

In recent years, interest in the methodologies of the IDEF family has been steadily growing in Russia. At the same time, the interest in standards such as IDEF3–5 is theoretical, and in IDEF0 it is quite practically justified.

Nevertheless, most executives still regard the practical application of modeling in IDEF standards as a fashion statement rather than an effective way to optimize the existing business management system. This is most likely due to a pronounced lack of information on the practical application of these methodologies and the inevitable software bias of the vast majority of publications.

It is no secret that almost all projects for the survey and analysis of the financial and economic activities of enterprises now in Russia, in one way or another, are associated with the construction of automated control systems. Thanks to this, the IDEF standards, in the understanding of the majority, have become conditionally inseparable from the implementation of information technologies, although with their help it is sometimes possible to effectively solve even small local problems, literally with the help of a pencil and paper.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the main advantage of the idea of ​​analyzing the business processes of an enterprise by creating its model is its versatility. Firstly, business process modeling is the answer to almost all questions related to improving the company's activities and increasing its competitiveness. Secondly, the head or management of the enterprise, who have implemented this methodology, will have information that will allow them to independently improve their enterprise and predict its future.

1. Voinov I.V. Modeling of economic systems and processes. Experience of building ARIS-models [Text]: monograph / I.V. Voinov - M .: SUSU, 2002 .-- 392 p.

2. Volkov ON Standards and methodologies for modeling business processes [Text]: textbook. manual for universities / ON. Volkov. - M .: ASV, 2000 .-- 145 p.

3. Grigoriev D.I. Modeling business processes of the enterprise [Text]: textbook. allowance / D.I. Grigoriev. - M .: IRTs, 2006 .-- 214 p.

4. Kalyanov G.N. Modeling, analysis, reorganization and automation of business processes [Text]: textbook. allowance / G.N. Kalyanov. - M .: Finance and statistics, 2006 .-- 319 p.

5. Pinaev D.K. Modeling business processes: available about the complex [Text]: ref. allowance / D.K. Pinaev. - M .: RGAS, 2003 .-- 247 p.

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When we talk about creating business processes, many mean building block diagrams of business processes. In this regard, one of the most frequent questions is which tools are better to use? Indeed, without good tools, business process modeling becomes not an easy task.

I have prepared for you a selection and a brief description of tools for managing and modeling business processes.

Of course, there are many different modeling and process control tools out there. My task was to tell you about those that do not require huge integration projects and can be used with minimal costs. By the way, for this reason, I did not consider the ARIS, IBM, etc. platforms.

The heading of each section, with the name of the tool, is a link to the manufacturer's page. You can immediately get acquainted with the details.

Business process management tools

BizAgi Suite

If you want to get not only models and descriptions of business processes, but also create executable applications based on them, then this is exactly what you need. BizAgi Suite consists, in fact, of two modules - BizAgi Modeler, which is used to model and describe business processes and BizAgi Studio, which allows you to turn models into executable applications. The cool thing is that it doesn't require any programming skills, i.e. everyone can make applications.

ELMA BPM

The highlight of the program lies in the possibility of integration with the 1C platform, which, of course, is very attractive for Russian companies. What does it mean? This means that what happens in 1C will be reflected in ELMA. And vice versa)

ELMA allows you to execute and track the execution of processes in real time. BPMN 2.0 notation is used to build models. By the way, thanks to the ELMA staff, the notation was translated into Russian. For which they are very much, human thanks.

The workflow system in the system works very powerfully. All documents are classified by type, sorted into folders, have rules for creating and working, etc. Of course, it will take time to bring your documents into the required form and conformity to the system, but it will be worth it. If everything is done correctly, then you can easily track the life cycle of any document.

There are additional modules - Projects, CRM, etc. But I haven't tried them, so I can't say anything.

Integration and training on working with ELMA, the company is engaged in independently. Judging by the implemented projects, we can say that they know their business.

Functionality and features

• Building business process models
• Assigning business process roles to employees
• Execution and tracking of processes in real time
• Systematic work with document flow
• Convenient "help"
• Excellent support
• Integration with 1C

Price

• 77,000 rubles, for 10 ELMA Standart licenses. This is the minimum amount. In my opinion, the cost is quite adequate to the functionality.

Summary

Are you firmly committed to business process management, automation and improvement? Are you tied to 1C? Then ELMA is what you need.

Business Studio

Also, like ELMA, Russian development. Probably the most popular tool for managing business processes in the domestic market. The first version was released in 2004. For the first time, I came across this program in 2006. At that time, it was the best solution.

In principle, everything in the program is pretty standard - we define the goals of the company, we model the processes that make it possible to achieve the goals, we assign responsible persons from the tree of the organizational structure, we note which resources are used in the processes.

It is very noteworthy that for setting goals, the concept of the Balanced Scorecard is used. This is one of the most successful techniques for translating a company's strategy into a tangible and understandable form.

The construction of business processes, as often happens, is done from top to bottom. The program supports several modeling notations: IDEF, eEPC, BPMN and several others.

There is the possibility of simulation, functional cost analysis and automatic generation of documents, for example, job descriptions. The documents comply with the legal requirements, which greatly facilitate the work. Execution and monitoring of processes occurs through integration with other systems, for example, ELMA.

Functionality and features

• Modeling processes in different notations
• Setting the goals of the company according to the Balanced Scorecard
• Integration with third-party systems.
• Process control
• Knowledge base

Price

• Pricing is flexible, so you need to contact the company's consultants to determine the cost. Because I have not come across a purchase of this software in the last couple of years, then the order of the numbers is unknown to me.

Summary

The system is powerful. But difficult. Serious expenses, primarily temporary, will be required to debug and integrate the system. It's best if you have a department or just a few business analysts to take over the job. Working with the program requires a deep understanding of the methods and specifics of the program.

Business process modeling

Visual paradigm

Frankly, this is the best program for modeling and describing business processes. I have never seen a more convenient, functional and flexible tool for modeling.

For starters, VP supports a wide variety of notations, flowcharts, and models. From standard notations to database schemas, interaction diagrams and matrices.

Directly modeling, done very conveniently. The program completely lacks the drawbacks inherent in others, for example: the overflow of diagram elements on top of each other, intersection of arrows, crashes when dragging objects, pools, etc. The interface is convenient, understandable and user-configurable.

All models can be linked to each other, so modeling the entire business system is not a problem. In addition, it is possible to carry out simulation and verification of diagrams.

VP allows you to fine-tune element attributes, which in turn allows you to automatically generate great descriptions. Because the program is initially aimed at developers of information systems, each element can be set the conditions of behavior in the system, business rules, etc. By the way, document templates are also customizable.

And finally, the program allows you to unload the resulting models in the form of program code. And in different languages! Of course, this function is of great value in the development of information systems and automation of business processes.

Functionality and features

• Modeling business processes in different notations
• Building other models
• Model validation
• Automatic document generation
• Creating and assigning rules of behavior for models
• Model relationship
• Unloading models as program code
• Mac OS X version

Price

• By subscription - $ 35 per month
• Full license - 800 $

Summary

The best program for modeling and describing business processes.

BizAgi Modeler

This is part of the aforementioned BizAgi Suite. The program is independent of the complete set and can be supplied separately.

Very simple, concise and user-friendly interface.

A good, working tool for modeling, which, moreover, is often updated and improved. Models built in BizAgi Modeler are fully compatible with the full version - Suite. There are certain limitations in modeling, which are not in BPMN notation and are unique to this program, but they are in principle bypassed.

Working with models is very convenient. True, sometimes annoying displacements of model elements can occur. Especially when dragging a lot of items. In my opinion, the optimization of the arrangement of arrows and elements has not been sufficiently worked out. This leads to the fact that sometimes you have to tinker a little for the harmonious arrangement of the elements.

The relationship of the diagrams is not well developed. Those. you can link, but not directly. You can assign any attributes to elements - you yourself define the name and properties of the attribute.

It is possible to check models and generate a description from a template.

Despite some drawbacks, this tool deserves a solid top five and is suitable for small companies. Especially since the tool is completely free.

Functionality and features

• BPMN notation
• Model validation
• Automatic document generation
• Managing Model Element Attributes
• The ability to add your own elements to the model
• Unloading a model graphically
• Convenient interface
• In Russian
• Collaboration on models possible

Price

• Completely free

Summary

Suitable for both beginners and companies already engaged in modeling and describing processes. Easy to learn. Highly recommend.

In April, in Moscow, I am giving a course on Business Process Management in an Organization, which deals with modeling business processes in BizAgi Modeler. ...

ARIS Express

Free and simple process drawing from a monster named ARIS. More precisely, Software AG.

It has several model options at its disposal, in particular: business process models in eEPC and BPMN notation, organizational models, process maps, etc. It is notable for the presence of the Smart Design function, which allows you to quickly fill in the necessary data into a table and the program will independently create a diagram. Very handy for quick sketches.

Unfortunately Express is only a graphical tool. Models cannot be linked to each other, attributes cannot be assigned, and the like. The composition of diagram elements is very limited, so it will not be possible to create a model in Express and export to ARIS BA. By the way, under no circumstances use this software to work with BPMN notation. Despite the fact that such models can be created here, their limitations create a fundamentally wrong impression of the BPMN functionality.

However, I know of some very serious companies that use this tool. And some argue that it is more convenient than MS Visio. This is not true. Visio is a powerful tool that allows you to actually create your own process management environment. But more about that some other time.

Functionality and features

• EEPC and BPMN notation
• Process map
• Organizational structure
• Smart Design function
• Unloading a model graphically
• Simple interface

Price

• Completely free

Summary

Choose ARIS Express if all of the above limitations don't bother you. Well, if you prefer the eEPC notation.

At the end of March, in Moscow, business process modeling based on ARIS Express will take place. The entry is open.

Online services for modeling business processes

Gliffy

Excellent service with diverse functionality. Allows you to create not only models in BPMN notation, but also workflows, design user interface, create UML diagrams, organization charts, sitemaps, etc.

What is very important, the service allows for collective work on diagrams, while all versions of the model are saved. Alternatively, you can embed a shortcode diagram into your site. By the way, my article map was made in this service.

When modeling processes, it is possible to link diagrams to each other using hyperlinks, because one diagram is, in fact, one page.

All elements of BPMN notation are already present in the service. It is also possible to independently change the appearance of elements and add your own. In the free version, diagrams can only be exported as graphic files.

Functionality and features

• Full BPMN support
• Model relationships via hyperlinks
• Convenient model building
• Flexible customization of the appearance of elements

Price

• Free with few restrictions
• $ 4.95 per month for the standard version and $ 9.95 for the business version

Summary

A convenient and functional service for creating business process diagrams and more.

BPsimulator

Well, a very interesting service in which the emphasis is not on the model, but on the simulation and evaluation of the model.

It works as follows: simulate the process -> set the properties of flows, cost, duration and employment of employees -> run the simulation -> see the process indicators based on the simulation results.

What does it do? In fact, a lot. Simulation allows you to easily identify process bottlenecks, calculate the cost of resources in the process, estimate resource utilization, etc.

The simulator is simple, more precisely, it has certain limitations, but you can derive benefit from it. And with skill and considerable.

Management is quite convenient. Arrows have tunnels (I always pay attention to this point). The resulting reports and models can be saved to a computer, Google Drive or One Drive.

Functionality and features

• Process simulation
• Estimation of the cost / duration of the process
• Simulation
• Convenient model building
• Reports
• Saving models to Google Drive or One Drive

Price

• Free with ads
• 300 rubles / month without ads and with small buns

Summary

I strongly advise you to try it.

Draw io

The service allows you to build a huge number of diagrams and has a large set of elements. Including sets for building BPMN and eEPC diagrams.

It is possible to link models via hyperlinks. In addition, you can attach files from cloud storage to items.

Working with models is relatively convenient. You can customize the appearance of the elements in every possible way. However, and this is inconvenient, there is no tunneling arrows, as well as the repulsion of objects. Those. one element can be placed on top of another. Which leads to the fact that it is necessary to spend time on manual arrangement of diagram elements.

The service allows you to save models to Google Drive, Dropbox, One Drive or to your computer. It is possible to export models in graphic file formats, PDF, HTML, XLS.

Functionality and features

• Construction of various diagrams
• Saving models to Google Drive, Dropbox or One Drive
• There is no possibility of teamwork

Price

• Is free

Summary

Simple and free drawing game. Thanks to the integration with cloud storage, it can be used within a group of employees.

That's all.