Lab #1
organizational design
Theoretical justification
A business process is a stable, purposeful set of interrelated activities (in other words, a sequence of work), which, using a certain technology, transforms inputs into outputs that are of value to the consumer.
To solve various business problems, it is required to describe processes in detail and visually. That is, to build their models. Models are intended for a detailed description of operations performed sequentially in time using a certain technology.
Figure 1.1 - Model "process"
There are various possibilities for graphical, tabular, textual description of processes. Let's see how to create a graphical diagram of a business process using software tool Microsoft Vision. First of all, it is worth saying that the Visio product is not included in the standard Microsoft Office package.
Guidelines to work:
We launch the program using the "Start" button or through a shortcut on the desktop.
Figure 1.2 - The main window of the MS Visio 2010 program
Figure 1.3 - The main window of the MS Visio 2003 program
The first thing we will see after starting the program is a window prompting us to select the type of graphic construction we need from the proposed categories. For our purposes, we select the category "Business Processes". Here we will see various variants of diagrams used to describe both processes and flow diagrams. For example, the flow of data or work; interfunctional diagrams.
From the proposed options for describing processes in the menu, select the EPC Diagramm option.
A new file can also be created in the operating mode with other files open, through the main menu. Select File - New (New) - Business Process (Business Process) - and the type we need - ePC Diagram.
The menu on the left contains the objects that we will use when building the process diagram.
- Event
‒ Function
‒ Performer
And logical operators: and, exclusive or, non-exclusive or.
Figure 1.4 - Objects for building a process diagram
Using the Microsoft Visio software tool is convenient, simple and affordable to use for building graphical diagrams of business processes.
In the next exercise, we will analyze in detail the rules for constructing circuits in the so-called epC notation- that is, a graphical modeling language.
Exercise 1. Rules for constructing process diagrams in epC notation
We're in the Visio software suite and we're looking at a business process representation called Event - driven Process Chain - or EPC. Schemes of this type are convenient, easy to read and are currently actively used in practice. Let us analyze in detail how to properly build a process diagram. We will use the objects that are located in the menu on the left.
To do this, by right-clicking, we get to the menu, select "format", "Fill" - and change the color to a brighter one. Also in the properties of the object, you can change the hatching, type and thickness of the contour line, shadow.
They can be taken from the toolbox on the left or from the control panel. If necessary, you can also customize their properties. Most often, the connection line between objects is indicated in black and dotted. You can enlarge the arrow for better visibility.
Let's try to build a certain chain of actions. In order not to set the properties of the object each time, we will use the copy function. To do this, select the object with the right mouse button, click "copy" and then "paste". Extra objects can be deleted using the button on the toolbar or the Delete key on the keyboard.
In practice, each work is performed by some person, a performer. To designate the performer, select an object. For example, a yellow oval. And we place it necessarily to the right of the Function, not forgetting to indicate the organizational unit. It can be a department, group, department, or just the position of the performer. We connect our object with others by means of a communication line. In this case, the line should be straight - without start and end arrows.
Options
1. Booking tickets.
2. Purchase through an online store.
3. Buying an apartment.
4. Bank lending.
5. Cable TV connection.
6. Lease of retail space.
7. Appointment to the doctor.
8. Maintenance.
9. Hotel.
10. Insurance company.
11. Library.
12. Advanced training courses.
13. Freight transport.
14. Car rental.
15. Investment of free funds.
2. Using the variant of the enterprise presented in the first task, develop an organization chart on a new page:
- save and display information about employees, departments, divisions in organizational charts;
‒ customize the appearance of the organization chart.
Attachment 1
Checking the correctness of the diagram
TP1 Legal registration agreements
Rule 1: An EPC function diagram must begin with at least one start event (the start event may follow the process interface) and end with at least one end event (the end event may precede the process interface).
No errors found.
Rule 2: As the process progresses, events and functions must alternate (an event and a function can be linked through operators).
No errors found.
Rule 3: Events and functions must contain exactly one incoming and one outgoing connection, which reflect the progress of the process.
No errors found.
Rule 4: The diagram should not contain unnamed links.
No errors found.
Rule 5: A single event must not be followed by an "OR" or "XOR" operator.
No errors found.
Rule 6: Each merge operator must have at least two incoming links and only one outgoing one, the branching operator must have only one incoming link and at least two outgoing ones. Operators cannot have multiple incoming and multiple outgoing connections at the same time.
No errors found.
Rule 7: Operators can only combine or branch elements of the same type. Merging or branching functions and events at the same time is not possible.
No errors found.
Rule 8: Each function must have a “performs” relationship with at least one and up to three subjects.
No errors found.
Rule 9: On the diagram, the same event should be present only once.
No errors found.
Lab #1
The task of describing business processes using MS Visio.
Process diagrams are visualizations of any kind of step-by-step process. Usually created as flowcharts with shapes representing the stages of a process with connected arrows that show the next step.
Visio contains many process diagram templates, but they can all be placed into one of two categories:
General Purpose Process Diagrams
If you want a process diagram and you don't have specific methodologies that you want to subscribe to, one of these three patterns must be implemented incorrectly:
Simple block diagram
Function block diagram
Workflow Diagram
To find these patterns:
Open a tab File.
Click the button Create.
Select block diagram.
Simple block diagram
The simple flowchart template is useful for a wide range of business processes, where all necessary activities can be represented using simple geometric shapes.
Function block diagram
Cross functional block diagrams, the same as simple flowcharts, but with an added structure element: containers called "lanes", represent the people or departments that are responsible for all the necessary activities. In fact, cross-functional block diagram uses a pattern of one set of figure elements uses a simple flowchart pattern; Main difference: there are some tracks added to the page from.
Workflow Diagram
Workflow Diagram - General purpose graphic diagram. It contains shapes for many common business departments, objects, and actions. It can be used instead of a simple flowchart to display in a more representative way how the process goes through the various stages.
Process diagrams for specific methodologies
Methodology-based process diagrams have additional structure than general-purpose diagrams, and they can convey more detailed information. They are often used symbols that have specific meanings or require that certain data types accompany certain shapes in order to complete the process. These rules or regulations are usually described by a formal name in the specification, most of which are available online.
To find these patterns:
Open a tab File.
Click the button Create.
Click the button block diagrams or business.
Here are some of the templates that come with Visio to support the methodology process diagrams:
-
Six Sigma
Quality Management Scheme
Business process modeling notation diagram
Error tree
Scheme IDEF0
Schema BPMN
You can create Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) flowcharts that comply with the BPMN 1.2 standard.
Error tree
Using error trees to document business processes, including Six Sigma and ISO 9000 processes.
Scheme IDEF0
The creation of hierarchical diagrams to manage model configurations, need and benefit analysis, requirements definition and continual improvement models using IDEF0 process diagram building models serve.
ITIL Scheme
Microsoft SharePoint Workflow
Create an annotated diagram workflow for SharePoint 2010 in Visio and export their configurations to SharePoint Designer.
Schema SDL
Object-oriented diagrams for communication and telecommunication systems and networks using description language and specification.
Six Sigma
Use this template to create a Six Sigma flowchart or house of quality diagram.
Quality Management Scheme
Creation of overall quality control schemes, including top-down cause-and-effect and functional technological schemes for business, a process of redesign and continuous improvement.
Value stream diagram
Illustrate materials and information in a lean manufacturing process with value stream diagrams.
The business process diagram reflects its essence and mechanism of work. Creating a circuit in itself is not very difficult. It is enough to understand what questions the scheme should answer, and then follow the creation algorithm. If you can't wait to start creating models or don't know where to start, this article is for you.
I want to remind you that before starting the description of business processes, it is necessary. companies is the platform to start with.
The algorithm that I present here will be useful to those who are just going to describe business processes. For those who have been trained by me, the article will be an excellent repetition of what has been passed))))
Business process diagram - instructions for the impatient
1 - Define process boundaries
Every business process starts and ends with an event. The first thing to do is to mark the start and end events.
2 - Draw the main blocks of the process
Arrange the main blocks (subprocesses, operations) in the order in which they are performed.
Do not complicate the scheme at this stage. Display the blocks as if the process is running perfectly.
3 - Add forks and other events
And now it's time to complicate things a little. Add the main options for the development of the process and the main intermediate events. Complete the diagram with the missing operations.
4 - Designate the roles of participants in the process
There are no positions or specific employees in business processes. Instead, the concept of "role" is used. One employee can perform many roles. One role can be performed by many employees. A position is made up of a set of roles.
Add missing operations as needed.
5 - Place documents on the diagram
A document is not necessarily an official paper with seven signatures. From the point of view of business process management, a document is information on any information carrier. Email, report, presentation, SMS - all these are documents.
Sometimes it is necessary to display intermediate products. These are blanks, semi-finished products, or simply important parts of the work that pass from one process block to another. Add them at this stage. Of necessity.
6 - Add used programs and databases
The process should reflect which programs and databases it uses.
7 - Arrange tools and materials
If tools and/or materials are used in the process, this should also be displayed. The main points can be identified on the business process diagram. A detailed description is best given in the comments and special sections of the description. A great option is to draw up a diagram focused specifically on the use of tools and materials. In such a scheme, the emphasis is not on the flow of work, but on how, in what quantity and what materials are used in the business process.
8 - Define performance indicators in the business process
Place on the business process diagram the performance indicators that are taken into account in one way or another in the system.
9 - Associate the received scheme with other processes
Each business process is just a part of a larger system. All processes are interconnected. Essentially, a link is something that a process exchanges with other processes. Note that you must specify the processes that the current process is associated with, as well as what they exchange.
Linking a business process to other processes 10 - Check the resulting business process model
In principle, the scheme is ready. The business process diagram should answer the following questions:
- Where does the business process begin and end?
- What processes does it involve? What is exchanged?
- What operations are performed? In what order?
- Who performs the activities in the process?
- What documents are used and appear in the process? In what operations are these documents used/appeared?
- What tools, materials, software and databases are used in the process and in what operations?
- What performance indicators and where exactly are recorded in the business process?
A well-prepared scheme should be easy to understand and sufficiently informative.
The business process diagram should be understandable to the “man on the street”.
The business process diagram at the description stage should reflect how the process is performed in real life.
This algorithm will allow you to quite simply and quickly describe necessary business processes. Next, I will talk in detail about the description of business processes. Stay in touch.
I am often asked - what to read about business processes?
One of the best sites on the Runet is www.klubok.net. I myself "grew up" on the forum and articles on this site. Many articles have not lost their relevance even now. I recommend starting with him.
But if we talk about books, I can confidently say best book about business processes is a book written by Repin and Yeliferov: "Business processes of the company. Construction, analysis, regulation".
Description of business processes: striving for simplicity.
The article deals with the issues of choosing a notation for describing processes for the purpose of subsequent regulation. Frequently used Work Flow notations are compared with each other, such as: "Simple flowchart" in MS Visio, "Procedure" of Business Studio, ARIS eEPC notation and others.
When comparing notations, the focus is on creating simple and understandable process diagrams for employees of the organization.
For business analysts of companies, the theses discussed in the article are a serious reason to think about how effective the approaches they use to develop graphical diagrams of organizational processes are.
Introduction
One of the most important goals for the formation of graphic process diagrams is their subsequent use in the regulatory documents of the organization. As a rule, these schemes are used by employees who are not trained in complex notations, do not have system analysis skills, etc. For them, simplicity and clarity of schemes are very important. Complex, confusing schemes containing many different symbols are poorly perceived by people, which makes their practical use difficult. Therefore, for practical purposes, the correct choice and use of the notation (method) for describing processes is important. By what criteria should such a notation be chosen? How to compare different notations with each other? Let's look at some popular notations and try to answer these questions.
Notation ComparisonThe following process description notations were chosen for comparison:
- "Simple flowchart" (with displaying the movement of documents, using the "Decision" block);
- "Simple block diagram" (without displaying the movement of documents, without using "Solution" blocks);
- "Procedure" of the Business Studio system (one of options representation);
- ARIS eEPC.
A simple and intuitive process was chosen as a test case. The results of the description of this process are presented in fig. 1-4.
Rice. 1. Process diagram in the notation "Simple flowchart" in MS Visio (with the movement of documents, using the "Solution" block).
On the diagram of Fig. 1. The sequence of process operations in time is shown with thick arrows, and the movement of documents is shown with thin dotted arrows. Blocks "Solution" are used in a classic way. They display information (questions) on which the subsequent course of the process “depends”. This approach to the use of "diamonds" is very common. But in fact, the entire logic of decision-making and the formation of certain outputs (documents) should be contained within the operations of the process. If you think about it, the value (meaning) of drawing these "diamonds" is not obvious. What are these objects: process operations, events? It seems to be neither one nor the other. These are rather statements for making a decision on some condition. But after all, we are developing a process diagram for people, and not writing a computer program in a special language. In a computer program, "diamond" would be a full-fledged operation for comparing conditions, and so on. But on the process diagram, you need to show real objects - processes performed by people, documents, information systems, etc. Think about it, is it correct to show “diamonds” separately from the process operation on the diagram? Instead, you can:
a) describe the decision-making logic in the form of a sequence of operations on the scheme of the process under consideration;
b) describe the logic in the form of a diagram of the steps of the corresponding sub-process, moving to the level below;
c) describe the logic in text (in the text attributes of the operation) and subsequently bring it into the process execution schedule.
Let us formulate the “pluses” and “minuses” of the above (Fig. 1.) method of using “diamonds”.
| "Simple flowchart" in MS Visio (with the movement of documents, using the "Solution" block) | |
| "Pros" | "Minuses" |
|
|
On fig. 2. shows an example of the same process, only described without the use of "Solution" blocks and documents. It is easy to check that there are 24 less graphic elements in this diagram than in the diagram in Fig. 1. Scheme fig. 2. looks much simpler. From the graphic elements it does not dazzle, but from the point of view of informativeness, this scheme is quite understandable and accessible to the end user. If for each operation of the process the requirements for its implementation are described in text, then by combining the tabular and graphical forms of presentation, it is possible to adequately describe the procedure for the execution of the process for company employees.
Rice. 2. Process diagram in the notation "Simple flowchart" in MS Visio (without the movement of documents, without using the "Decision" block).
"Pros" and "cons" of the graphical representation of the process in the form shown in fig. 2. are shown below.
In general, the use of schemes in a format similar to that shown in Fig. 2 is convenient for both developers and employees working according to these schemes.
On fig. 3. the process diagram is presented, formed in the "Procedure" notation of the Business Studio modeling environment. The scheme has several features. Firstly, the "Decision" blocks are not used in a standard way - not as a graphic element for displaying a question and branching, but as a full-fledged decision-making process operation. In Business Studio, a “diamond” has almost all the attributes of a full-fledged process, but cannot be decomposed (perhaps the system developers will make this possible in due course). Using a "rhombus" (instead of a quadrilateral) makes the diagram clearer. At the same time, any textual information can be entered into the diamond attributes: description, beginning, end, deadline requirement, etc.
The second feature of the process diagram shown in Fig. 3., is the use of arrows. To display the sequence of operations, you can use an arrow with a single tip - the "precedence" arrow. You can use an arrow with two tips to show the movement of documents. But it is in Business Studio that you can use only one type of arrow - the "precedence" arrows. At the same time, the required number of documents, which are defined in the directory of activity objects, can be attached to the named arrows. This approach makes it possible:
- significantly reduce the number of graphic elements on the process diagram, and at the same time:
- put in the process schedule necessary information about incoming and outgoing documents.
Thus, without cluttering the diagram with unnecessary elements, we can nevertheless fully describe the process and upload all the necessary information to the regulations.
"Pros" and "cons" of the graphical representation of the process in the form shown in fig. 3. are shown below.
Rice. 3. “Procedure” of the Business Studio system (variant with non-traditional use of “Solution” blocks).
In the case of using Business Studio, the "Procedure" notation can be used in slightly different ways. The author of the article tends to the approach presented in Fig. 3.
On fig. Figure 4 shows a diagram of the process under consideration, developed in the ARIS eEPC notation. Note that some operations of the process did not fit on the diagram. This incomplete diagram of the simplest process, made in ARIS eEPC notation, contains four logic statements and eight events! The person reading the diagram must be able to correctly interpret all of these logical operators. Without special training and some skills in reading such diagrams, an ordinary employee is unlikely to be able to understand the logic of the process in question without a detailed textual description or the help of a qualified business analyst.
Note that the process diagram in the ARIS eEPC notation takes up significantly more space than the diagrams shown in Fig. 1-3. The complexity of the formation of such a scheme is also significantly higher.
| Process diagram in ARIS eEPC notation (built in Business Studio) | |
| "Pros" | "Minuses" |
|
|
In general, if you are not going to buy SAP R / 3, then the choice and use of the ARIS eEPC notation is not, from the point of view of the author of the article, the optimal solution. It is worth paying attention to more visual and intuitively understandable notation for process descriptions. However, for some, the ARIS eEPC notation may seem more clear and understandable. To a certain extent, it's a matter of taste.
Rice. 4. Process diagram in ARIS eEPC notation (built in Business Studio).
Description of the process for subsequent automation purposes
It is interesting to look at the process diagram in question if it is described in the BPMN 2.0 notation. This notation is intended to describe "executable" processes, i.e. processes supported by the BPM system.
Your opinion on using BPMN 2.0. shares A.A. Belaichuk - CEO"Business Console" company:
On fig. 5 shows the same process in BPMN notation. As we can see, this figure is similar to Fig. 1: in BPMN notation, tasks are represented by rectangles, forks - by diamonds, data - by an icon similar to a document. Control flows are solid lines, data flows are dashed. It should be noted that only a small part of the BPMN notation is involved in this diagram: only one type of fork out of 5 available in the palette, one type of tasks out of 8. In addition to a wider palette, this notation is distinguished by the ability to model not only an isolated workflow, but also several processes interacting with each other through messages or data. In addition, this notation is more strict: it defines not only icons, but also the rules by which they can be combined with each other. The need for such rules is dictated by the fact that the BPMN notation is focused not only on the fact that people will read it, but also on direct execution by special software - the "engine" of the BPM system. At the same time, as this example shows, when using a limited subset of the BPMN palette, it turns out to be no more complicated than a familiar flowchart. Well, for those who want to master BPMN professionally, we recommend specialized training www.bpmntraining.ru. |
Rice. 5. Process diagram in BPMN 2.0 notation.
Life practice
On fig. Figure 6 shows a fragment of a process diagram developed by business analysts quite specific company in their own notation. The scheme is built using the principles of the "Simple block diagram" - the "Solution" block is used in its classic version. In addition, the diagram shows many other symbols used in a non-standard way.
When forming the scheme of Fig. 6, business analysts obviously "fought" for visibility and maximum clarity for the average user. They sought to minimize, or even eliminate, textual commentary on process diagrams. The performers simply printed an A3 format diagram, when reading which everything immediately became clear: what to do, how, what documents to use, etc.
The scheme under consideration is, of course, not an example of simplicity and clarity. But it was formed in order to convey the maximum of useful information to the executors of the process.
conclusions
So, it is obvious that when describing processes, one should strive for simplicity and understandability for employees.
The use of complex, formalized notations when describing processes leads to:
- difficulties in the use (interpretation) of schemes by ordinary employees;
- the impossibility (difficulty) of organizing work on describing processes by employees of departments who have not undergone special training;
- a significant increase in the labor costs of business analysts for the formation of schemes;
- additional difficulties in documenting circuits (large volume, etc.);
Therefore, do not clutter up the process diagram with various graphic elements. But even if they are used, it is better that they carry useful information for employees, and are not simply a consequence of the formal application of modeling notations.
V.V. Repin, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Executive Director of BPM Consulting Group LLC, Head. Department of Business Process Management NOU HPE "IEF "Synergy", founder of the portal www.FineXpert.ru
It is these simple principles that I am trying to convey to business leaders who, fascinated by beautiful presentations of software products, often forget that a simple checklist is often better than 10 pages of regulations.
This article continues the series of publications devoted to tools that Russian companies can be used to solve problems of modeling and improving business processes without significant risks. Recall that in the previous article of this series, we talked about the products of IDS Scheer, which occupies the highest positions in the ratings of analytical companies. Today we will talk about a product of a different price range, not so functional in terms of business process modeling, but very popular and massive - Microsoft Visio.
And again, the opinion of analysts ...
The low cost of Visio, along with factors such as belonging to the leading family of office products produced by the industry leader software, led to a very significant market share for business process modeling tools (according to Gartner - 34%) and high ratings in the reports of analytical companies. Thus, the analytical company Gartner classifies this product as a market leader (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Leading manufacturers of business process analysis tools
(source: Blechar M. Magic Quadrant for Business Process Analysis Tools,
2H07-1H08 - Gartner research note G00161090, 23 September 2008)
According to Gartner, Visio is one of the best tools for those companies that are just starting to model and analyze their business processes and are primarily focused on visualizing them. However, in the process of developing this direction in a company, this product is usually replaced by a more functional tool.
Visio in the Russian market
On the Russian market Visio is presented in the same way as other Microsoft office products - that is, it is available in all regions through a highly developed partner network. Through it, services are provided for maintenance, technical support and training in Russian. The Russian version of this tool has existed for a long time. There are books about the product and solutions based on it (including business process modeling tools; however, these tools are the subject of a separate discussion, since their availability, capabilities and prices differ significantly from the availability and capabilities of the original product and prices for it).
Product features
Technical features. Data storage
Technically, Visio is a desktop application that manipulates individual files (documents). A Visio drawing includes one or more diagrams arranged on one or more pages. Each document contains a set of symbols (corresponding to model objects) and connectors (corresponding to links), while symbols, in addition to names, may have additional attributes defined by the user during modeling.
If necessary, the character set included with the product can be extended with user-created characters. There are no global restrictions on the rules and the ability to create links between certain types of symbols in the product, however, the mechanism of the so-called diagram templates is available in it, the use of which allows you to limit the set of symbols available directly on the corresponding toolbar during the modeling process. Templates can be created by users, and the product comes with a set of ready-made templates(Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Diagram templates included with Visio
As a rule, the set of models describing the company's activities is a set of separate files, and in the case of sufficient large companies and a comprehensive description of the activity, the number of such files can be several thousand. There are no technical means for providing relationships between models stored in different files at the product level, although the product provides the means for independently implementing such relationships (we will talk about them a little later). Therefore, the use of Visio in such cases, especially in conditions of constantly changing processes, requires a considerable amount of maintenance for such an impressive set of models.
Supported Methodologies and Notations
As long as the set of symbols and templates of Visio can be arbitrarily extended and the product itself does not imply global restrictions on the possibilities of using symbols and relationships between them, the description of business processes using Visio can formally be carried out within the framework of almost any methodology. At the same time, the product package in any edition (Standard, Professional) has a set of model templates for the most common notations, such as data flow diagrams, quality-added chain diagrams, Event-driven Process Chain, IDEF0, SwimLane diagrams, as well as templates for modeling of organizational structures of companies (Fig. 3 and 4).
Rice. 3. Swim Lane Process Model
Rice. 4. Model type EPC (Event-driven Process Chain)
Document processes and create solutions based on Visio
Microsoft Visio includes the Visual Basic for Applications code runtime, which allows you to both write code while the user is working, and create it using the development environment (Figure 5).
Rice. 5. VBA Development Environment in Microsoft Visio
To access model data, Visio provides an appropriate object model that is accessible through COM interfaces both from the VBA code runtime within the application itself and from external applications. Note that both the programming language and the object models of all Microsoft Office applications, including Visio, are well documented. This means that with a certain VBA programming skill, the user can generate reports of any complexity, and create means for transferring data between Visio and other modeling tools, and generating models by creating solutions based on applications of this family, and expanding the functionality of the modeling tool itself, and creation of various solutions (for example, for simulation modeling, automated publication of models on the Internet, and other tasks).
In addition to VBA, to document processes, you can use Visio integration tools with Microsoft Office applications, such as inserting Office Visio 2007 diagrams into Microsoft Office documents as illustrations and creating Visio 2007 diagrams directly in these applications, calendaring tools in Visio 2007 using Office Outlook data 2007, tools to connect Visio 2007 diagrams to Excel 2007 spreadsheets or Access 2007 databases to integrate data sources and charting components, graphing and Gantt charting tools into Visio 2007 by importing relevant data from Project 2007, Gantt charting and graphing information exporter Visio 2007 in Office Project 2007, organization charting tools based on the Exchange global address book.
Also interesting for documenting processes are the tools to save work as web pages provided by the latest version of Visio, as well as the tools to dynamically exchange process data with other applications using standardized XML-based exchange formats such as ODX and BPEL.
Limitations and possible problems
The phrase “within almost any methodology” used in one of the previous sections of the article does not mean that Visio is the best tool for modeling and analyzing business processes. So, unlike the products of the ARIS family, Visio does not explicitly solve the problem "what is the same object" - the rules by which it is decided whether two symbols on the same model display the same object, Users must work out and observe independently, while the product does not provide technical means that support the developed rule - they will have to be created independently using the available programming interfaces.
In addition, as soon as the number of business process models required to solve enterprise problems exceeds a dozen, and there are several model authors, the issue of delimiting the access of model authors to data becomes very relevant. When using Visio, you can implement such a distinction by using the file access control tools provided by the operating system of the corresponding file server, or by using a document management system like EMC Documentum. In this case, the model access controls are administrative tools. operating system or document management systems, and this means that the task of restricting access to models is assigned, in fact, to the system administrator.
The mechanism of methodological filters (tools for restricting the types of models, objects, links available to a specific user or group of users for a specific project), similar to that available in a number of other tools (for example, in products of the ARIS family), Visio also does not provide.
As for the means of maintaining the integrity and consistency of data, there are no ready-made mechanisms in the product either, but you can create them yourself using the above-mentioned programming interfaces. However, the development of functionality missing in the product is an additional cost, and it is not a fact that the use of Visio in such conditions will be economically justified.
Comparison with other products
Let's try to compare Visio with other modeling tools.
The main advantage of Visio over the products of the mentioned families is its low cost and ease of use, which makes it a good starter tool for companies that have just begun to describe their business processes and are still interested mainly in their visual representation. Another advantage of this product is its perfect integration with other Microsoft Office applications - the office suite, by far the leader in the market. An important advantage of this product is well-documented programming interfaces - thanks to them, many solutions have been created on the basis of Visio, including more expensive tools for modeling and analyzing business processes developed by Microsoft partner companies.
The disadvantages of Visio as a business process modeling tool are, in fact, a continuation of its merits. Ease of use turns into a lack of functionality that is usually expected from such tools, for example, the lack of means to restrict access to data, analyze and validate models, maintain data integrity and consistency. This means that, having decided to use Visio at the stage of process management and business process analysis, in the future, most likely, you will have to pay attention to other, more functional modeling tools, for example, products from IDS Scheer.
We will continue the discussion of business process modeling tools in the next articles of this series.
