1. Purpose

A process model is a representation of the business on paper. It exists to help us answer the question: Is work done in the best possible way?

The model allows us to reason about how the business currently works and to envision how it should work in the future, all without having to see or change all the people and things that make up the business.

We capture the activities taking place. We then ask whether the right kind of work is done, in the right order, by the right people, with the right tools, and so on. We can subsequently reorganize the work into a more suitable pattern, first on paper, then in reality.

to top | to bottom

2. Illustrative Example

To show how process modeling works, we consider the activities of a restaurant. This is a first version of the model, an incomplete one, as most initial attempts at models will be.

to top | to bottom

3. Questions to Ask During Analysis and Design

Here are points to consider when analyzing existing operations or designing new ways of running a business.

• Should we add a step?

  For example, should someone speak to customers on the way out?

• Can we eliminate work?

  In the example: can the restaurant let customers seat themselves?

• Should we re-order the steps?

  Would it be more efficient to request payment before serving, for instance?

• What tools do we need to do the work?

  In a restaurant, this would include furniture, cooking utensils, menus, and much more.

• What roles should people play?

  Hosts, waiters, cooks, cashiers, managers, and others are needed in a restaurant.

• What can go wrong?

  A restaurant needs to be prepared to deal with spills and dissatisfied customers, for instance.

• What does the work cost and what does it produce?

  How much time and money do the activities consume? What do they yield, in tangible or intangible results? If the restaurant employs a greeter, does this increase the satisfaction of the patrons and, if so, is it worth the cost of the greeter?

• Can we do things the same way?

  Standardizing the way things work can help save costs and simplify training of staff, for example.

to top | to bottom

4. Criteria for Good Models

Note the importance of being careful with:

• Scoping

  Exclude an activity from the model only if it is not relevant to the current discussion. The procurement of the food was not modeled in the illustrative example. This decision is acceptable if the investigation is mainly about improving the activities directly in contact with customers.

• Perspective

  Exclude a point of view only if you're certain that it does not yield any insights. In the example, omitting the customers' actions (such as "eat") could be a critical mistake. It could be important to see the restaurant activities from their vantage point.

• Detail

  Exclude finer grained information only if it is trivial. The payment in the example could involve several sub-steps, such as making change. To discover efficiency gains, it may be necessary to look deeper and decompose the model further, which happens frequently in practice.

• Description

  Exclude additional information only if it is not critical to the operation. Improvements may lie in the means used to execute the process. Consider annotating each process with the equipment, people, and other specifics needed to perform it.

  The connections between processes may also be worth further description. For example, indicate what information or materials are passed from one step to the next.

• Language

  The model is a communication tool, in addition to being a thinking tool. Use consistent and precise wording.