Syntax
Use an active verb with an object, such as MAKE DELIVERY, INVOICE CUSTOMER, RECEIVE PAYMENT. The object is normally singular (e.g., CUSTOMER, not CUSTOMERS) because it expresses one execution of the process.
More than one object may sometimes be necessary to achieve clarity. For example, CHECK STOCK might be a check against reorder level or against order quantity. In this case, use COMPARE STOCK TO ORDER QUANTITY, to make the intention clear.
More than one verb, or conjunctions such as "and" or "or," normally means that there is more than one process. The hidden processes may even be unrelated.
Object
Make sure that the object in the process name is an entity type or an attribute (e.g., RECEIVE PAYMENT or CALCULATE ACCOUNT BALANCE).
Precise Verbs
Do not use verbs like "handle," "process" or "manage" as they are at best ambiguous and at worst meaningless.
What -- Not Who, How, Where or When
Processes should represent only what the enterprise does or wishes to do. Do not choose names that indicate who, how, where or when. If a name refers to individuals or jobs (who), places or departments (where), dates or times (when), or techniques (how), then look for a better name. In particular, do not think in terms of current or planned procedures.
Familiar Words
Use words and phrases that are familiar to the user. Do not use jargon or cryptic names.
Single Execution
Define a process by defining a single execution of it. For example, the process CHECK AVAILABILITY OF ORDER should be defined as "an order is examined to ensure that the items on it can be supplied," rather than "orders are examined..."
Short Definition
Keep the definition as short as possible without sacrificing rigor.
Purpose
Do not describe the purpose of a process (i.e., why it is required) as part of its definition. This is best recorded as a separate property.
What -- Not Who, How, Where or When
As with names, do not indicate who, how, where or when in a definition.
Definition, Not Description
For example, the definition "an order is examined by comparing item number and the quantity with stock on hand" is actually a description of process logic.
Find All Business Processes within the Business Area
These include processes that:
* Produce essential outputs and do essential work: These will have names like INVOICE CUSTOMER and ORDER STOCK. Include in this category national or local government legal requirements.
* Monitor and control the use of resources and activities
* Plan, especially major resources and assets
* Involve the making of decisions and the determining of strategies
Include Only Meaningful Transformations
Do not define processes that perform no transformation on the input other than to subset and lay out the input data in some visible form. This applies to many reports and inquiries.
If a report or inquiry is used by another business process, an information view is required to describe it. If this is the case, it may be that superior data-sharing in a new system will obviate the need for the production of a report.
If the use of a report or inquiry cannot be specified, ignore it. Such reports and inquiries are unpredictable and potentially infinite in number. A design objective will be to quickly create these on demand with fourth-generation languages.
Include Processes Only Inside the Business Area
Do not include processes that are outside the business area and that merely change attribute values (e.g., CUSTOMER MOVES LOCATION). The number of such possibilities is clearly vast. Assume that these are dealt with by the process that initially identifies the entity type (e.g., IDENTIFY CUSTOMER) or that a housekeeping procedure will be defined during Business System Design that maintains information about the entity type (e.g., MAINTAIN CUSTOMER DATA).
Exclude Error-Recovery Processes
Do not include processes for correcting wrongly recorded information. This is part of design and is of no concern in Business Area Analysis.
Exclude Processes That Only Delete Entities
Do not include processes that only delete entities. If entities reach some terminal state (e.g., Building Dismantled, or Vehicle Sold) no other deletion process is normally needed for these entities. Deletion-only is a procedure applicable to records in the designed system and is not the concern of Business Area Analysis.
Many processes can be found by considering the life cycle of an entity type. This subject is considered in greater depth in Entity Type Life Cycle Analysis technique.
For each entity type, and especially for each subject entity type, consider:
* How it is conceived (plan, develop)
* How it comes into being (manufacture, acquisition)
* How it changes (through use)
* How it is disposed of (sell, dismantle)
Each of these considerations defines a process.
In subject-area-based business areas (i.e., those whose scope focuses on a single subject area) this is an important method of finding processes.
Examples of Functions
¤ PURCHASING
¤ PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
¤ SELLING
Examples of Processes
¤ ANALYZE DEMAND
¤ IDENTIFY REORDER REQUIREMENT
¤ PREPARE ORDER
¤ MONITOR ORDER
¤ CHASE ORDER
¤ CHECK-IN DELIVERY
¤ RETURN DELIVERY ERROR
¤ STORE GOODS
¤ RECEIVE SUPPLIER INVOICE
¤ PAY SUPPLIER
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Section Overview : Analyzing Functions and Processes
Techniques Overview : Techniques
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