Some of the languages, notations, and tools designed for business process modeling are mentioned in this article. First, a brief description of the IDEF0, UML languages, the EPC diagram and the BPMN notation is made. A brief comparison is made between these. Then, four software tools used for business process modeling are briefly described: Microsoft Office Visio 2003, Active Modeler Advantage, MEGA eTOM Accelerator and ARIS Tool SET. Finally, a brief comparison is made between the tools described.
This paper mentions some languages, notations and software tools designed for Business Process Modeling. Firstly, it makes a brief description of IDEF0 and UML languages together with the EPC diagram and the BPMN notation. They are shortly compared. Later, it describes four software tools used for Business Process Modeling: Microsoft Office Visio 2003, Active Modeller Advantage, MEGA eTOM Accelerator and ARIS Tool SET. Lastly it makes a comparison between these tools.
Introduction
Through process modeling, a better understanding of businesses can be achieved, creating the opportunity to improve them. Modeling the organizational structure of the processes provides a global vision and allows understanding the dynamics of the organization's set of relationships, facilitating the alignment of activity and the management of the necessary changes to synergize and enjoy flexibility.
Business modeling is the quintessential technique to align developments with the goals and objectives of companies and institutions. If it is carried out in such a way that the model is agreed between the interested groups, the chances of success of the project will increase. Business modeling, and more specifically business process modeling, is the ideal way to communicate with users of all levels.
Process modeling constitutes the basis for the analysis, from which the aspects that have problems and therefore must be improved will be identified.
Currently there are a large number of languages, notations and software tools that have been designed for the modeling and analysis of business processes. Some of them are shown in this work.
A. Contributions of this work.
The analysis, based on the objectives, scope and limitations, of the languages, notations and tools designed for the modeling and analysis of business processes.
B. Specific results
The results of this work are:
- Characterization of languages and notations for business process modeling. The possibilities of specific tools for business process modeling and analysis.
C. Methods used
The research carried out is based on the method of analysis and synthesis.
D. Other results of the study
The wide bibliographic reference that allows consulting the sources used in the research.
1 - Languages and notations for process modeling.
1.1 - IDEF0 modeling language
IDEF0 constitutes a graphical modeling technique, specialized in the representation of the relationships and interdependencies existing between the different processes, as shown in the diagram in figure 1.1.
Its main characteristic is its ability to differentiate between three possible types of relationship between processes:
- relationships that establish the guidelines that the process must take into account relationships that provide the necessary resources to carry out the process linear linkage relationships between processes (input - output).
The ability to differentiate relationships allows you to model entire organizations.
Figure 1.1 - Graphic representation of a process in IDEF0
1.2 - Process chain guided by events. Event-driven Process Chain (EPC)
EPC is a dynamic model that represents together the business resources such as systems, organization, data and information and organizes them to provide a sequence of tasks or activities (the process) that add value to the business.
There are essentially four types of objects used in EPC:
- Events Functions Rules Resources (Data, organization, systems)
The basic philosophy in this type of model is to represent an event-function-event-function-event sequence…, specifying the rules and resources involved for each function.
1.3 - Unified Modeling Language (UML)
It is a graphical language for visualizing, specifying, building and documenting a software system. The UML provides a standard for describing a system "blueprint" (model), including conceptual aspects such as business processes and system functions, and specifics such as programming language expressions, database schemas, and reusable software components.
It is important to note that the UML is a "language" to specify and not to describe methods or processes. It is used to define a software system, to detail artifacts in the system, and to document and build. In other words, it is the language in which the model is described. It can be applied in a wide variety of ways to support a software development methodology, but it does not itself specify which methodology or process to use.
1.4 - Notation for Business Process Modeling. (BPMN)
BPMN is a notation for business process modeling developed by BPMI an organization includes companies such as: Intalio, SAP, Sun, and Versata, being a group that has within its main objectives to create a standard notation for process modeling of business. Provides a graphical notation for expressing business processes in a business process diagram.
Its main objective is to serve as a support for process management, as a notation that can be easily understood from the analysts who create the initial sketches of the process, the technical developers responsible for implementing the technology that will execute these processes, to the people who create them. execute and those that carry out the monitoring and supervision of the processes. In other words, this notation creates a link between the design and implementation stages.
Despite being intuitive for all business users, it is capable of representing complex process semantics. Another objective is to ensure that the XML languages designed for the execution of business processes can be viewed with a common notation, within these languages we find, for example, BPEL4WS, which is a business process execution language for web services.
Among all these languages and notations, the most integrating one is BPMN, for its construction its creators, the members of the working group for the BPMI notation, reviewed and analyzed different existing notations taking from them the best ideas, consolidating them in a standard notation. Among the notations and methodologies reviewed are: UML Activity Diagram, IDEF, ebXML BPSS, ADF Diagram, RosettaNet, LOVeM and EPCs among others.
1.5 - General considerations on the languages and notations mentioned.
Later we will see that the event-guided process chain (EPC) is widely used in Integrated Information Systems Architecture (ARIS). For its part, UML, although it is used to model business processes, is more specific for software development.
The languages and notations used in the modeling of processes play an extremely important role since they are in charge of making it possible for this to be understood by all the people who intervene from the designers of the model, the specialists of information technology, the who run them and those who control and direct them.
In a project, the use of one or another language or notation can be chosen, or even several of them, but when one has been chosen to develop a model, its rules must be fully complied with.
2 - Software tools for business process modeling and analysis.
With the increase in the use of process management by companies, better tools are increasingly required for the analysis of the different processes that describe all the tasks and roles of employees and business partners, as well as the applications of software that support them and both internal and external workflows that are essential to achieve the business goals of a company.
Visio and other simple documentation and drawing tools continue to be used, but professionals are searching for a comprehensive modeling tool that adds value to analysis and takes into account aspects of business model management.
2.1 - Microsoft Office Visio 2003
Office Visio 2003 can help business and technical users document, design, and convey complex systems and processes in a clear manner to facilitate more effective decision-making and collaboration. In it, you can create diagrams by simply dragging the predesigned Microsoft SmartShapes® symbols and use powerful search methods to find the right shape either on the computer you are using or on the Internet. Included in Visio are tools created specifically to support entrepreneurs, project managers, marketing professionals, IT and operations management professionals, software developers, website and database administrators, facilities administrators, and engineers.
Organizations can take advantage of an interface as intuitive as Visio to create business process management solutions that increase employee efficiency. Visio offers the possibility of creating different types of diagrams within which are:
- Business Process Diagrams - Provide the templates and tools needed to create typical business diagrams to analyze and convey complex systems - Include concept diagrams, flowcharts, and procedural and time-activity charts. Marketing: Used to create drawings for modeling processes, benchmarks, simulations and improvements, time and expense analysis, activity-based costs, product portfolios, marketing focus, market and resource analysis, and pricing matrices. flowcharts - can be used to illustrate or show complex business processes. Basic flowcharts can be used for information tracking, process planning, and structure prediction.Project Scheduling: There are a number of charts in Visio, including calendars, Gantt charts, and PERT (Program Review and Evaluation Techniques) that can be used to plan and manage an organization's projects. Visio 2003 process engineering includes two templates: a piping and instrumentation diagram and a process flow diagram. These types of diagrams are commonly used by manufacturers, control engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers to document manufacturing processes and equipment. Software diagrams, including UML model diagrams.The standard notation for conveying design ideas by defining a series of human and program activities enables clearer communication of design principles within software development.
2.2 - Active Modeler Advantage
This is software developed by KAISHA-Tec which is a Japanese company that aims to be among the leaders in providing tools for process modeling and automation.
This system is based on the most advanced systems with a “plug-in” based architecture, where there is a main module for process modeling that is shared by all the components. The functionality can be expanded simply by adding new "plug-ins", these allow to use BPMN with Excel, MS Project, perform cost analysis, document processes and generate automated workflows, among others.
With this software you can create BPM projects, edit, print and share diagrams and models of BPMN processes
You can buy just the "plug-in" you need or even build custom "plug-ins". Some of the main features and additional plug-ins available today are:
- Process modeling 100% aligned with BPMN 1.0 An XML process database capable of supporting various standards Plug-in based.NET architecture Models hierarchical business structures Stores parts of processes in a repository, for future reuse. Available in multiple languages Supports simultaneous work with multiple projects, with a tree view of processes Environment to design workflows for process automation and automatic code generation.
It is easy to install, it runs on the Microsoft.NET framewok, so its installation is part of the prerequisites.
The main core of the system is free for evaluation for 28 days, whether registered or paid. After this period, commercial users must buy the software, some prices are shown in table 1.2 and non-commercial users can register for free and continue using the software.
Table 1.2 - Prices of some products and plug-in developed by Kaisha-Tec.
Source:
2.3 - MEGA eTOM Accelerator
MEGA International is a world leader in process excellence and in enterprise architecture modeling solutions. MEGA provides methods, modeling software and consultations, provides a repository that allows executives to have the possibility to understand, discover, align and control information at the corporate level.
Founded in 1991, with offices in North America, Europe, and Japan, it has more than 35,000 licenses worldwide and provides more than 15,000 consulting services annually. Its clients include departments and administrations from the United States and Canada such as transportation, maritime, and agriculture, and companies such as DIRECTV, Morgan Stanley, Nissan Philop Morris USA and Michelin, among others.
The MEGA eTOM Accelerator is an eTOM library. Offers significant time savings in process analysis projects in the Telecommunications industry. It also provides a structure that benefits from model-driven methodologies. The value added by MEGA can be appreciated through its main characteristics:
- Provides a hierarchical organization of eTOM process elements from level 0 to 3 including process areas, vertical and horizontal groupings, as well as overview maps. Has a browser that provides access to process areas of eTOM, at the eTOM levels and implementation examples made in MEGA.It has a glossary with all the eTOM definitions.It has a website that allows a simple and intuitive navigation through the eTOM contents.Ability to design and represent (map) the business processes in accordance with the eTOM framework and manage the models in a business process repository.Alignment and easy representation of business process definitions across the entire enterprise Provides a clear understanding of the impacts on a potentially complex business structure and identifies these impacts before changes are made Visibility within the framework which promotes Easy to use.
The availability of access and its navigability to the eTOM definition framework creates a clearer transition towards the implementation phase of the project and reduces the learning curve and implementation time because the reference information needed is just a click away, and not after a long search. Furthermore, shared information increases the use of best practices within the organization. The ability to define eTOM processes enables managers to reduce costs by identifying overlaps and redundancies.
Integration with other MEGA products.
The MEGA eTOM Accelerator benefits from the flexibility and maturity of MEGA's model-oriented products, it is based on MEGA Process, a powerful process modeling tool, which provides a graphical process repository based on best practices and accelerates its propagation within of the company. With it it is possible to build a consistent graphical representation of the eTOM processes together with an effective navigation through them.
In addition, the projects prepared in MEGA eTOM Accelerator benefit from the automated documentation provided by MEGA Publisher, generating updated documentation in the form of Word documents or on Web sites.
The MEGA eTOM Accelerator is a good choice for eTOM-based process improvement and analysis projects in the telecommunications industry.
2.4 - ARIS Tool SET
It is a powerful process modeling tool, it is based on ARIS, the architecture proposed by Professor Scheer. In addition to processes, it is possible to model systems, organizations, information flows, resources, data, business objectives, materials, software, knowledge, products and costs. ARIS makes the interaction between all these elements possible, making possible the execution of a business modeling that complies with the definition proposed above.
ARIS was developed by Professor August-Wilhelm Scheer from the Institute for Business Informatics at the University of Saarlandes in Saarbrücken, Germany. The concept was to provide a framework that encompasses the gaps between business theory, information, and communication technology. In other words, to provide a way to express business concepts precisely enough to allow detailed analysis and to provide an unambiguous starting point for the development of computer-based information systems.
Scheer defines the concept of ARIS as follows:
- An architecture for the description of business processes A group of modeling methods with an associated meta-model The foundations of the ARIS Toolset software system A concept for computer-aided business process management.
The core or center of the ARIS concept is the representation of business processes in diagrammatic form as a chain of events and process tasks.
In business modeling, a single model from a single point of view means that it is too large and not very useful. So the trend is to build several smaller models, from more specific points of view, relating them to each other. The ARIS concept is based on this, thus defining models for four points of view (five in). It organizes them in what is called the "house of ARIS", as can be seen in figure 2 these views are:
- Organization View: Static models of the organization's structure. It includes human resources in a hierarchical organization diagram, technical resources (For example: equipment, transportation, etc.) and communications networks. Data View: Static models of business information. It includes data models, knowledge structure, information carriers, technical terms and database models. Functions View: Static models of process tasks. It includes hierarchies of functions, business objectives, support systems, and software applications. Process View: Dynamic models that show the behavior of processes and how they relate to resources, data, and functions. Includes event-driven process chains, information flows, communication diagrams, product definitions,flow charts and value-added diagrams.
The first three views focus on the structure of the organization while the Process View focuses on behavior.
A fifth view called the Products / Services View is displayed in.
ARIS provides the concept for the modeling of the different views necessary to represent a business, but it does not provide a method of how to carry out business reengineering or information systems design, based or not on information technology. necessary to support the business.
Figure 2 - Representation of the ARIS views according to
2.5 - General considerations on the mentioned tools.
Of the tools presented, Microsoft Office Visio 2003 is the most widely used, because it comes with the popular Microsoft Office package, which is available to most users of the Windows operating system. With Visio it is possible to model a large number of types of diagrams, but this same characteristic makes it a tool that is not very specialized in process modeling.
For its part, the ARIS Tool SET is also a widely known tool, which if designed with its focus on process modeling, is a professional tool. As a drawback, it can be noted that if you want to use it, you have to buy it, and being a professional product it has a high price.
Lesser known tools are the MEGA eTOM Accelerator and the Active Modeler Advantage. The first one is exclusively for modeling processes in telecommunications companies. It is based on the improved Telecommunications Operations Map (eTOM), making it a powerful tool for the sector.
On the other hand, Active Modeler Advatage is based on BPMN, which is the notation created to become the world standard for process modeling. It has a period of 28 days in which you can evaluate the software and just by registering you can continue using a reduced version of it, of course it has many more facilities in the other versions than if you have to pay for them, but even there it has an advantage only you must buy the modules or plug-in you need and not all the software. Also the prices are not very expensive.
Conclusions
There are a variety of languages, notations, and software tools for process modeling, and more specifically for business processes. Between them there are many similarities and at the same time notable differences.
For a particular project you can choose any language or notation, the important thing is to comply with the rules of the selected one.
Within the software tools for process modeling there are some more professional than others, but these are generally more expensive. Choosing one or the other will depend on the size of the project to be carried out.
Both the languages and notations, as well as the software tools for process modeling, have created the communication channel between the different business actors; serving as a common language with which they can be understood from those who analyze and model processes, through those who automate and implement them, to the people who execute, control and supervise them.
Bibliography
Davis, R. 2001, Business Process Modeling with ARIS: A Practical Guide, 4th Edition 2005, Springer, London. 531 p.
García, J. 2005, 'UML: UML Diagrams. What is UML? '
Garimella, KL, Michael; Williams, Bruce 2008, BPM Basics for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana. 78 p.
Howard, SF, Peter 2003, Business Process Management: The Third Wave.
Kaisha-Tec 2008, Confortable and Intuitive Process Modeling and BPM Design, (March 15, 2008).
MEGA 2006, 'New Features of MEGA 2005 Service Pack 3', p. 8. (April 1, 2008)
MEGA 2006, 'A BEST PRACTICES REPOSITORY FOR TELECOM GOVERNANCE'. (February 23, 2008)
Microsoft 2003, Basic Facts about Office Visio 2003,. (February 12, 2008)
Scheer, I. 2004, 'ARIS Method', p. 2109.
White, SA 2003, 'Business Process Modeling Notation', p. 189.
Wikipedia 2008, Unified Modeling Language, (March 25, 2008).
Winnik, R. 2008, 'Best Practices in Business Process Analysis for the Telecommunications Industry'. (March 5, 2008)
Glossary of terms
ADF: Activity-Decision Flow
(In Spanish) Activity-Decision Flow
ARIS: Architecture of Integrated Information Systems
(In Spanish) Architecture of Integrated Information Systems
BPEL4WS: Business Process Execution Language for Web Services
(In Spanish) Business Process Execution Language for Web Services
BPM: Business Process Management
(In Spanish) Business Process Management
BPMI: Business Process Management Initiative.
(In Spanish) Initiative for Business Process Management
BPMN: Business Process Modeling Notation
(In Spanish) Notation for Business Process Modeling
BPSS: Business Process Specification Schema
(In Spanish) Schema for the specification of Business Processes
ebXML: Electronic Business using eXtensible Markup Language
(In Spanish) Electronic Business using XML
EPC: Event-Driven Process Chain
(In Spanish) Event-Driven Process Chain
eTOM: enhanced Telecommunication Operation Map
(In Spanish) Enhanced Telecommunication Operation Map
IDEF: ICAM Definition Languages
(In Spanish) ICAM Definition Languages
ICAM: Integrated Computer-Aided Manufacturing
(In Spanish) Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing
LOVeM: Line of Visibility Enterprise Modeling
(In Spanish) Business Visibility Modeling Line.
UML: Unified Modeling Language
(In Spanish) Unified Modeling Language
XML: eXtensible Markup Language
(In Spanish) Extensible Markup Language.
