Project Requirements Process R068

R068 - Conduct Initial Process-Modelling Workshops

DEFINITION

Define new business processes in the context of needed business change and the possibilities the pre-selected package offers.

SUMMARY

The benefits of implementing an integrated package would normally be gained by improving the flow of information through the company and only secondarily by optimising the use of the package functionality. This implies a process-oriented design of business activities.

Changed or new business processes have been identified in the preceding processes. Based on the possibilities the package offers, business processes will be defined to respond to performance improvement needs within the client organisation.

The user participants in the workshop will be informed about the scope of the package and the demands put upon the new business processes.  By using BPR/BPI techniques, the workshop will investigate how the processes can be designed to meet performance targets (time, quality and cost) for the business.

In order to give a quick entry into the possible solutions, industry and package-specific base business templates should be used if available.

PATH PLANNING GUIDANCE

This process is optional.  It is normal practice in a Project Model approach. An implementation of an integrated package without looking at business processes is not recommended and should only be performed upon specific client request.

DEPENDENCIES

Prerequisites (Finish-Start):

• R010 - Foundation -  “as is” fact find
• R050 - Needs for business change and priorities
• R055 - Select package-specific base business model templates
• R065 - Create and maintain enterprise business model
• R067 - Schedule initial process modelling workshop

Dependent procedures (Finish-Start):

• R070 - System Vision: Outline design of the system and business processes

RECEIVABLES

• Current business processes, data and organisation
• Business vision, objectives and do-wells
• Constraints on the eventual solution
• Needs for business change and priorities. Definition of processes to design in the workshops.

DELIVERABLES

• Specification of business processes to be supported
• Design of how business processes will be performed in the package environment

TOOLS

• Consultant’s BPR/BPI methods and tools
• Industry and/or package-specific base business models
• Consultant’s business models
• Software process scripts

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TASKS

Process-oriented implementation

When a company selects an integrated package to support its business activities, expectations are normally high.  Most benefits will not, however, result from changing one technical platform for another.  If the implemen­tation just replaces current system functionality (perhaps with some additions) and leaves the flow of information as it is, the risk is that many of the possible benefits will not occur. Unnecessary activities will remain as they are, and might even demand functio­nality from the package, which is not available in the standard solution.  Reconciliation that was necessary when different systems provided the support might still be kept, even though an integrated package makes these activities useless.  Re-entering and cross ­checking of data could slow down business activities without exploiting the advantages of the new package.

Modern packages offer a wide range of integrated functionality that supports the streamlining of business processes.  Although the package will have a high level of functional coverage, the primary focus of the process modelling workshops should be directed at managing the flow of information through the company and not at the detailed specification of desired functionality.  Later in the design and construction work segment, the project will focus on delivering the needed functionality for each user group.

Aim of the initial process modelling workshops

The business processes identified in the preceding processes will be explored in a series of workshops, each workshop directed at designing the future business process. The aim of these process modelling workshops is to define how future business processes will be structured in order to fulfil desired needs and performance targets set up by the client.  In the preceding processes, current business processes and organisation, the business vision and do wells, external solutions, constraints and the needs for business change have been defined.  Normally the design of a new business process would make use of Consultant’s BPR/I (Business Process Redesign/Improvement) techniques.

To start the process modelling workshops, it is advantageous to use industry and package specific base business templates. These templates will lay out the major themes to cover in an implementation. They will certainly not cover all the detail and company-specifics, for a specific client situation, but they are a good starting point for discussion with the client about the critical areas in his business.

Though the process modelling workshops will not aim at defining the use of package functionality, it would not be efficient to model processes totally outside of the scope of the package.  Therefore the workshops would start out in giving the participants a very brief overview of the areas the package will cover.  This will direct the discussion to define which parts of the process will be within the scope of the package modules and which parts are outside.  Package specific templates also give an indication where support can be expected from the package and where other solutions (organisational / other packages / enhancements etc.) have to be found.

By using Screen Cam techniques, it is possible to show the workshop participants the major functionality for the selected business process.  This will give the participants an impression of which are the major steps of the process in the package environment and an idea about how specific demands could be solved.

The business process design will normally have a customer oriented focus. This means, the process will be designed to perform all the necessary activities to respond to an external trigger event, like a customer call, the delivery from a supplier or the reception of information from an external source. The business processes will be required to respond to these trigger events with a specific performance target. Performance targets for the business processes will normally aim at improving:

• The elapsed time required for running through the business process steps. Often the elapsed time in comparison to the actual time spent working on the business incident can be improved by looking at the process steps and the organisational units involved in performing the steps. Common questions to ask are:
• Is each step necessary, can steps be omitted, responsibilities be fusioned ?
• What is the elapsed time for performing the step and between steps ? Can time be gained be speeding up the transport of information ?
• Is it necessary to collect information for execution in a batch or could it be handled on a case to case basis ?
• Can steps be performed in parallel instead of in sequence ? What would be required to perform the steps in parallel ?
• The quality of the information produced, handed on and used.
• Is the level of detail right for performing the tasks?
• Are management decision based on the right information ?
• Could the required detail information be handled by people closer to the origin of the information ?
• The cost associated with performing the process steps.

How much resources are involved ? What is the alternative cost of providing slower or faster information or information of different quality ?

Proposed agenda for process modelling workshops

To work through a moderately complex business process one day should be set up. The following is an example of how the day could be structured.

Theme	Time	Referee
Presentation of the Application Software package System overview, major modules in the package Application components in the scope of the client project	15 minutes 1/2 hour
Scope of the process modelling workshop Current business process and the need for change. Business vision, objectives and do-wells. Performance improvement targets. Constraints on the desired solution.	1/2 hour
Base business model template and proposed features of a possible solution. Application presentation for selected process	1/2 hour
Design of future business process Triggering events Process steps, cycle times if a step can only be performed periodically Expected Application coverage, need for enhancements or external solutions Responsibilities for execution, affected organisational units (e.g. geographical distribution) Triggering of other business processes Expected performance Time Quality Cost	Rest of day
Summing up Major features of the new business process. Changes in the flow of information, and in the sequencing and number of steps Changes in responsibilities Performance of the process Expected Application coverage	15 Minutes