Business process analysis tool

• US 20030187707A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hack, Stefan, Elliott, Shaun
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/925 Business

Abstract

A strategic management tool that derives relevant business processes. The tool provides a set of business processes based on information from at least one of a market force and an industry trend and applies a method to identify a subset of the business processes. The method is selected from at least one of transformational strategy method, a business goals and objectives method and a program solutions method.

Claims

1. A method of deriving relevant business processes comprising:

providing a set of business processes based on a selected industry and market participant; and

filtering the set of business processes to identify a subset of the business processes, wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting at least one a business goal and objective, a transformational strategy and factors affecting a program solution.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising prompting a user to select at least one of a business goal and objective, a transformational strategy and factors affecting a program solution.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving the business process from a database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting a business goal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting a business objective.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting a transformational strategy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting the factors affecting a program solution.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the business goals include at least one of increase revenue, reduce operating costs, improve customer service, lower working capital and manage fixed assets.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the business objectives include at least one of reduce administration, reduce inventory levels, reduce order processing costs, improve procurement processes, reduce transaction costs, reduce product returns, lower communications expenses, improve asset and maintenance management, improve vendor visibility, improve recruiting and hiring processes, improve delivery of training and education and reduce travel related expense.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the transformational strategies include at least one of customer self-service, one-to-one customer interaction, employee self-service, supplier and partner self-service, community empowerment and innovation and collaborative design.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the program solution includes at least one of collaborative promotion planning, customer relations management, key account management, collaborative sales process and collaborative internet customer self-service.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a map that associates and identifies the market participants and relevant business processes.

15. The article of claim 1 further comprising storing computer-executable instructions that when applied to one or more computers cause the computers to retrieve the business process from a database.

16. The article of claim 1 further comprising storing computer-executable instructions that when applied to one or more computers cause the computers to generate a map that associates and identifies the market participants and relevant business processes.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting the factors affecting a program solution.

24. The system of claim 4 wherein the business goals include at least one of increase revenue, reduce operating costs, improve customer service, lower working capital and manage fixed assets.

25. The system of claim 5 wherein the business objectives include at least one of reduce administration, reduce inventory levels, reduce order processing costs, improve procurement processes, reduce transaction costs, reduce product returns, lower communications expenses, improve asset and maintenance management, improve vendor visibility, improve recruiting and hiring processes, improve delivery of training and education and reduce travel related expense.

26. The system of claim 6 wherein the transformational strategies include at least one of customer self-service, one-to-one customer interaction, employee self-service, supplier and partner self-service, community empowerment and innovation and collaborative design.

27. The system of claim 7 wherein the program solution includes at least one of collaborative promotion planning, customer relations management, key account management, collaborative sales process and collaborative internet customer self-service.

13. An article comprising a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when applied to one or more computers cause the computers to:

provide a set of business processes based on a selected industry and market participant; and

filter the set of business processes to identify a subset of the business processes, wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting at least one a business goal and objective, a transformational strategy and factors affecting a program solution.

14. The article of claim 13 further comprising storing computer-executable instructions that when applied to one or more computers cause the computers to prompt a user to select at least one of a business goal and objective, a transformational strategy and factors affecting a program solution.

17. A system for deriving a relevant business process, the system comprising one or more computers configured to:

provide a set of business processes based on a selected industry and market participant; and

filter he set of business processes to identify a subset of the business processes, wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting at least one a business goal and objective, a transformational strategy and factors affecting a program solution.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising one or more computers configured to prompt a user to select at least one of a business goal and objective, a transformational strategy and factors affecting a program solution.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising one or more computers configured to retrieve the business process from a database.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting a business goal.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting a business objective.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the filtering includes the step of selecting a transformational strategy.

28. The system of claim 17 further comprising one or more computers configured to generate a map that associates and identifies the market participants and relevant business processes.