Talk:Business process modeling

Business model category

Why is this article in the Business model category ?

Because it is related. If the category is intended only for 'models' and not 'modeling', then state that in the category description and we can create a separate category for 'business modeling' and move this article, and others like it - e.g. business process design. If there is a more appropriate modeling category, please suggest it, or update it.
RayGates 03:21, 18 January 2006 (UTC)

There is a difference between a Business Model and the concept of Business Modeling. The term Business Process Modeling (BPM) as currently used, centers around a set of simple techniques derived from traditional Process Modeling. Basic flowcharting symbols and tools such as PowerPoint, Visio and IBM Websphere Modeler are used to create Work Flow Diagrams and Process Models for analysis and reference. Organizations hope to use BPM to reveal areas of inefficiency within their current business processes and to document business knowledge that will be lost when the Baby Boomers begin to retire within the next 5 years. I agree that the current text on the BPM page needs to be reworked. Thadmanning 04:17, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

BPM

BPM seems to have 3 very similar meanings. Mathiastck 19:40, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

Business process and data modelling

The " Business process and data modelling" has recently been rewritten from:

example of the interaction between business process and data models.

Graphical representation of the current state of information provides a very effective means for presenting information to both users and system developers. A business model illustrates the functions associated with a process that are performance and the organizations that perform these functions. By depicting activities and information flows, a foundation is created to visualize, define, understand, and validate the nature of a process. A data model provides the details of information to be stored, and is of primary use when the final product is the generation of computer software code for an application or the preparation of a functional specification to aid a computer software make-or-buy decision. See the figure on the right for an example of the interaction between business process and data models.

Usually, a model is created after conducting an interview, referred to as business analysis. The interview consists of a facilitator asking a series of questions designed to extract required information that describes a process. The interviewer is called a facilitator to emphasize that it is the participants who provide the information. The facilitator should have some knowledge of the process of interest, but this is not as important as having a structured methodology by which the questions are asked of the process expert. The methodology is important because usually a team of facilitators is collecting information cross the facility and the results of the information from all the interviewers must fit together once completed.

The models are developed as defining either the current state of the process, in which case the final product is called the "as-is" snapshot model, or a collection of ideas of what the process should contain, resulting in a "what-can-be" model. Generation of process and data models can be used to determine if the existing processes and information systems are sound and only need minor modifications or enhancements, or if reengineering is required as corrective action. The creation of business models is more than a way to view or automate your information process analysis can be used to fundamentally reshape the way your business or organization conducts its operations.

To:

example of the interaction between business process and data models.

The graphical representation of business process information has proven effective for presenting it to business stakeholders, including business analysts and system developers. Visual modeling languages used to represent business processes include Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and the Unified Modeling Language (UML). A business model, which may be considered an elaboration of a business process model, typically shows business data and business organizations as well as business processes. By showing business processes and their information flows a business model allows business stakeholders to define, understand, and validate their business enterprise. The data model part of the business model shows how business information is stored, which is useful for developing software code. See the figure on the right for an example of the interaction between business process models and data models.

Usually a business model is created after conducting an interview, which is part of the business analysis process. The interview consists of a facilitator asking a series of questions to extract information about the subject business process. The interviewer is referred to as a facilitator to emphasize that it is the participants, not the facilitator, who provide the business process information. Although the facilitator should have some knowledge of the subject business process, but this is not as important as her mastery of a pragmatic and rigorous method interviewing business experts. The method is important because for most enterprises a team of facilitators is needed to collect information across the enterprise, and the findings of all the interviewers must be compliled and integrated once completed.

Business models are developed as defining either the current state of the process, in which case the final product is called the "as is" snapshot model, or a concept of what the process should become, resulting in a "to be" model. By comparing and contrasting "as is" and "to be" models the business analysts can determine if the existing business processes and information systems are sound and only need minor modifications, or if reengineering is required to correct problems or improve efficiency. Consequently, business process modeling and subsequent analysis can be used to fundamentally reshape the way an enterprise conducts its operations.

Now I question if this really was an improvement. In the new version the original intention, why I put this text here in the first place, got kind of lost. In the beginning text is added which was allready in the precious section of the article. Now I don't really want to turn this back yet. I will first explain.

• I my opinion the new text has been rewritten to explain the business model
• But the text was added to (only) explain process modelling and data modelling in software development process.

Now I do think this article should have a section focussing business models, but this should be a new section. This article is just beeing redeveloped and I only starting to realize right now that it is missing several sections. Now I am thinking about a new (expanded) lay out here:

• Overview
• History
• Business process modelling topics
  • Business
  • Business process
  • Business model
  • Businss process modelling
• Types of business process modelling
• Related types of modelling
  • Process modelling
  • Enterprise modelling
  • Data modelling
  • Meta-process modelling
• Related fields

Now the section above could be in the data modelling section on the end of the article. The article itselve should explain first about the elementary building blocks. If not, all is becoming to complex and a bad introduction.

So if you ask me, I think this article needes more work that just a rewrite to make more sense.

-- Marcel Douwe Dekker (talk) 16:26, 6 November 2008 (UTC)