Method, system, and storage medium for performing business process modeling

• US 20060064335A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Joseph, Joshy, Goldszmidt, German Sergio, Walker, Lance, Massie, James G.
• Application Number:
  US10/919,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• 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

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments include a method for performing business process modeling. The method includes identifying capabilities, activities, and requirements associated with a business problem or an opportunity. The activities are operable for implementing the capabilities and the capabilities are operable for resolving the business problem or exploiting the opportunity. For each of the activities, the method includes selecting at least one corresponding process module that includes listings of attributes applicable to the activities, selecting at least one of the attributes from the listings, and defining transition artifacts for integrating selected process modules. The method also includes compiling the transition artifacts, selected attributes, and selected activities with corresponding process modules, and generating a business process model as a result of the compilation.

Claims

1. A method for performing business process modeling, comprising:

identifying capabilities, activities, and requirements associated with a business problem or an opportunity, the activities operable for implementing the capabilities, the capabilities operable for resolving the business problem or exploiting the opportunity;

for each of the activities, selecting at least one corresponding process module including listings of attributes applicable to the activities;

selecting at least one of the attributes from the listings;

defining transition artifacts operable for integrating selected process modules;

compiling the transition artifacts, selected attributes, and selected activities with corresponding process modules; and

as a result of the compiling, generating a business process model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the attributes are organized into categories including:

role;

application;

metrics;

data; and

rules.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the attributes associated with the application and the data are combined to define information technology attributes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a process module for activities selected and unaddressed by existing process modules; and

storing the generated process module in a repository.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the business problem or opportunity is associated with a business process scope, the business process scope including a general category applicable to a subject to be addressed in the business process model.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one process module includes pre-designed, reusable sub-processes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transforming the business process model into an executable operational workflow.

8. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program code for performing business process modeling, the program code including instructions for causing a processor to implement a method, comprising:

identifying capabilities, activities, and requirements associated with a business problem or an opportunity, the activities operable for implementing the capabilities, the capabilities operable for resolving the business problem or exploiting the opportunity;

for each of the activities, selecting at least one corresponding process module, the at least one corresponding process module including listings of attributes applicable to the activities;

selecting at least one of the attributes from the listings;

defining transition artifacts operable for integrating process modules;

compiling the transition artifacts, selected attributes, and selected activities with corresponding process modules; and

as a result of the compiling, generating a business process model.

9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the attributes are organized into categories including:

role;

application;

metrics;

data; and

rules.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the attributes associated with the application and the data are combined to define information technology attributes.

11. The storage medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to implement:

generating a process module for activities selected and unaddressed by existing process modules; and

storing the generated process module in a repository.

12. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the business problem or opportunity is associated with a business process scope, the business process scope including a general category applicable to a subject to be addressed in the business process model.

13. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one process module includes pre-designed, reusable sub-processes.

14. The storage medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to implement:

transforming the business process model into an executable operational workflow.

15. A system for performing business process modeling, comprising:

a user system including a processor, the user system in communication with a storage device, the storage device storing pre-defined process modules, attributes, and metadata accessible to a user system;

a process model configurator application executing on the user system, the process model configurator application prompting a user of the user system to provide inputs, the inputs including capabilities, activities, and requirements associated with a business problem or an opportunity, the activities operable for implementing the capabilities, the capabilities operable for resolving the business problem or exploiting the opportunity;

for each of the activities, the process model configurator application prompts the user to select at least one corresponding process module, the at least one corresponding process module including listings of attributes applicable to the activities;

in response to selecting at least one corresponding process module, the process module configurator application prompts the user to select at least one of the attributes from the listings and define transition artifacts operable for integrating process modules; and

in response to the inputs, the process module configurator application performs;

compiling the transition artifacts, selected attributes, and selected activities with corresponding process modules; and

as a result of the compiling, generating a business process model.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the attributes are organized into categories including:

role;

application;

metrics;

data; and

rules.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the attributes associated with the application and the data are combined to define information technology attributes.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the process module configurator application further performs:

generating a process module for activities selected and unaddressed by existing process modules; and

storing the generated process module in a repository.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the business problem or opportunity is associated with a business process scope, the business process scope including a general category applicable to a subject to be addressed in the business process model.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one process module includes pre-designed, reusable sub-processes.