Chapter 1 Basic principles

Oracle Process Modeller

uses the following components: process step, store, flow, organization unit and event: Process step

Oracle Process Modeller

produces diagrams of business processes, not the traditional workflow diagrams associated with organisation & methods approaches, or with traditional computer-aided systems engineering (CASE). A business process has been defined as "a collection of activities that creates value for a customer"[1]. It has a known start and end point, each associated with a customer, and has measurable performance standards, such as cycle time or cost. A process often spans several departments in a functionally organised, hierarchical organisation. Examples of processes might be: order fulfilment, new business administration, customer service, customer acquisition. Each of these key business processes is broken down or decomposed into a series of process steps or sub-processes. Each of these can be decomposed further. There is no restriction on the number of levels.

Store

A store is used to represent a collection of information or materials. For instance, you can use a store to represent a database containing client details, a filing cabinet holding proofs of delivery, or a warehouse containing finished goods inventory.

Flow

Flows describe the hand-over of materials or information between one process step and another, or between process steps and stores. In addition, when a process step is unable to start before the previous step has been completed, a temporal flow or dependency may be inserted.

Organization unit

Organisation units represent the structure of the modelled organisation and of the organisations with which it communicates. For example, three departments may be involved in a process flow. Each of these may be classified as an organization unit and link ed together within a hierarchy. There is no restriction on the number of levels of decomposition. But organisation units in Oracle Process Modeller can represent any level of categorisation within a business, not just the departments on the organisation chart. For instance, you might use an organisation unit to represent a role (such as account manager or customer service representative) or to model an aspect of the outside world (such as a customer, a supplier or a regulatory organization). Oracle Process Modeller lays out organisation units in a vertical column to the left of a diagramming area. The diagramming area is traversed by swim lanes, each lane corresponding to a different organisation unit.

Event
Events can be timed, or system-generated. They are shown on the process diagram as triggers or outcomes, with an appropriate symbol in each case. Events can be used to link different process diagrams

Process model diagram
Modelling a process involves identifying the organisation units through which the process flows, and setting out the process steps and stores in the diagramming area in the appropriate swim lanes, interconnected by flows. The process sequence is normally portrayed from left to right. The diagramming convention used is derived from Rummler & Brache, in Improving Performance[2].