Software Group

BPM Process Modeling Best Practices Highlights

Based on over a decade of BPM Services Engagements

Bill.Hahn@us.ibm.com
Sr. Consulting BPM Solution Architect
Open Group Master Certified SW IT Specialist

http://IBMBPMDemos.com for more information and resources

Outline

Introduction
Definition of Terms
Five Guidelines

1) Rule of Seven
2) Activity Granularity
3) Activity Description
4) Inputs/Outputs
5) The System Lane

Conclusion
Q&A

Definition of Terms

Business Process Definition (BPD)

Pool
Swim Lane
Milestone
Participant
Step/Activity
Flow Line
Business Event
User Story

Business Process Definition (BPD)

A diagram that illustrates a business process
includes participants, steps, activities, and sub-processes
Business Process Definition objectives:

Universally understood by both business and technologists

Clearly and easily communicated in 5 minutes or less
at any level of granularity

Executable in a Business Process Management System

What is not a Business Process Definition?

Final

Review

Entity State Diagrams

Use Cases, Use Case Relationship Diagrams
System Relationship Diagram
Architectural Diagram
Workflow Model (Application Development), Screen Flow

Draft

Pool

Com Default
pone name
nt

Description

Lombard The default pool to hold all lanes within the

i pool
BPD. You can change the name by clicking
the pool and editing its properties.

Participa A default lane for end user activities. You

nt lane can change the name by clicking the lane
and editing its properties.

A container for all lanes within the BPD

6

(Swim) Lane

Highlights role oriented activities versus the flow oriented activities

A lane has a default set of participants
7

Milestones
A milestone in a process
Represents
A period of time
Goal/transition in the process

May be expressed as a single

moment in time
e.g. graduation
A milestone end-marker

May characterize period of time

- e.g. adolescence
A milestone should be achieved just once in a BPD
- Looping back across a milestone is discouraged
8

Participant
A participant is a user of the WLE environment
Sets of users are Participant Groups

Activity/Step
A unit of granularity in a process that
Has a goal that can be expressed as a singular outcome
Implemented as
Task (human or system)
Sub-process

Can be a human task

Single participant begins the activity

Can contain multiple steps, (e.g. screens in a screen flow)

These steps are not process steps

Can be a sub-process
Implemented as another BPD

10

Sequence Flow Lines

A sequence flow line
Defines the transition from one step or event to another

11

Events
A business event
Is the occurrence of a condition that triggers an activity.
Can listen to catch a condition to trigger an activity or
throw a result upon occurrence.

throw

Types of events include the following:

12

Start /End
Timer
Message
Exception

listen

User Story
Short, high-level statement of requirements

Students can purchase monthly parking passes online

Parking passes can be paid via credit cards
Parking passes can be paid via PayPal
Professors can input student marks

Stakeholders and domain experts write user stories

Can include both functional and non-functional requirements
Indicate the estimated size/implementation effort
Indicate the priority
Optionally include a unique identifier
Improves traceability

See Agile Modeling at http://www.agilemodeling.com/artifacts/userStory.htm

13

Five Guidelines to Better Process Modeling

Introduction
Definition of Terms
Five Guidelines

1) Rule of Seven
2) Activity Granularity
3) Activity Description
4) Inputs/Outputs
5) The System Lane

Conclusion
Q& A

14

Example of a bad Process Model

Select
Company in
dropdown
Click button
to add a new
line item.

Click OK

15

Example of a bad Process Model

String of
Pearls
Pattern

Constellation
Pattern

16

No
Milestones
Defined

4 System
Lanes

(1) Rule of Seven

Limit any view to no more than 7 steps/activities for good fit.

Select
Candidate

Background
Check

Offer

Add Candidate To
HR Records

Orientation

Begin Work

Inform
recruiter

Criminal
record check

Create offer
letter

Input employee
information into
database

New hire orientation

class

Meet
manager

Establish
compensation
package

Drug screen

Transmit
offer letter

Request
equipment

Benefits overview
class

Obtain access
badge

Establish
start date

Release Candidate
from Process

Accept offer

Request
workspace

Provide orientation
cd

Obtain
equipment

Request access
badge

Watch orientation cd

Go to
workspace

Set employee status

to active

Complete
forms

Review
results

17

(2) Activity Granularity

Activities should be Similar in Scope at
each level
Look for the String of Pearls pattern.
Look for the Constellation pattern.
Look for Flow Line Patterns

Remember that an Activity

Is a step in a process that can be
implemented as a sub-process or a task.
Definition in a Process Model should stop at
task granularity.
A task activity is a unit of work that a single
participant (human or system) starts with
the intent to complete.

18

Purchase
Groceries

(2) Activity Granularity Scope

Plan Party

Host Party

Clean Up

Invite Guests

Welcome
Guests

Clean the
House

Prepare
Menu

Serve
Snacks

Send Thank
You Cards

Get Veggies

Serve Cake
& Ice Cream

Get Cake

Get Ice
Cream
Get Chips &
Dip

Pay with
AMEX

Overloaded Milestone
(Rule of Seven)
Dissimilar in Scope
Too Granular in Detail

Play Games

Where do we stop?
Open Gifts

Drive Home

Put Veggies
in Fridge

Checkout
Put Ice Cream
in Freezer

Play Games

Open Door
Set Ice
Cream on
Shelf
Close Door

19

(2) Activity Granularity Scope

Activities should be similar in scope at each level.
Plan Party

Host Party

Clean Up

Invite Guests

Welcome
Guests

Clean the
House

Prepare
Menu

Serve
Snacks

Send Thank
You Cards

Will a single person complete the activity?

Is the goal or outcome an input for the next activity?

Purchase
Groceries

Serve Cake
& Ice Cream

Play Games

Is the duration similar to others at this level?

Open Gifts

Will the activity be started with the intent to finish?

Play Games

20

(2) Activity Granularity String of Pearls Pattern

Series of two or more activities in the same swim lane

May indicate missing participant details

May indicate too much detail at a low level of granularity
May indicate misalignment in scope

21

(2) Activity Granularity String of Pearls Pattern

Combine into a single Activity: Send Offer Letter
Before
3 serial activities for Hiring Manager
Review Results
Create Offer Letter
Transmit Offer Letter

After
1 activity for Hiring Manger

22

(2) Activity Granularity Constellation Pattern

Factor constellations to a sub-process. Look for

Tight groups of activities across 2-3 swim lanes

Single flow line in & out of the group
Lane participant may be limited to activities in the group
23

(2) Activity Granularity Flow Line Patterns

Generally should not flow backward to a previous milestone.
Generally should not skip a Milestone.
Should avoid looping back to a previous step to repeat an
activity (or sub-process) later in the processrepeat/re-use the
activity instead.

24

(3) Activity Description Activity Naming

Activity Name = Action + Entity
[action verb] + [business object]
Avoid vague action verbs such as Process and Perform [Step]
Use action verbs that indicate a result/output
Use specific terms recognizable by the business users (even if
they might be vague to others) and describe/define the terms in
the description if necessary.

Perform
Review

25

Approve
Contract
Terms

(3) Activity Description User Story

Capture a 2-5 sentence description for each activity.
As a [participant] I need to [do something] so that I can [create
business value].

26

(4) Inputs/Outputs
Define with business entities from the business object model
Avoid specifying state for the entity (eg. signed contract)
Avoid specifying other qualifiers that are properties of the entity
Candidate
Job Description
Comp. Details
Offer Letter

27

(5) The System Lane

Define only one system lane.

Contains activities performed by the BPMS or orchestrated by
the BPMS to be performed by an external system.
Should not contain human activities.
Avoid the string of pearls pattern.
28

Conclusion
Introduction
Definition of Terms
Five Guidelines

1) Rule of Seven
2) Activity Granularity
3) Activity Description
4) Inputs/Outputs
5) The System Lane

Q&A

29

QA
&

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Links to Your Next Steps

IBM BPM Delivery Capabilities
Including Education and Enablement Services
BPM Process Discovery & Modeling in the Cloud
Blueprint Process Modeling for inventory & mapping
http://BlueworksLive.com

Knowledge sharing & collaboration

Process analysis & prioritization

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