Business Intelligence Applied: Implementing an Effective Information and Communications Technology Infrastructure

Business Process Modeling

Business process modeling (BPM) is started by creating a business process map. The business analyst needs to carry out the following key processes before embarking on the creation of a process map and/or a business process model:

• Identify the objective or mission of a modeling project. The business analyst should meet with the appropriate stakeholders (e.g., users, managers, customers) and understand the current business processes, whether business process changes are needed, and if so, why. If changes are needed, they should be specifically documented and agreed to by all parties, and a project team should be identified.
• Set measurable goals. ICT projects can be measured in two ways: (1) organizational measurements like ROI or (2) process measurements like a change in process output. The business analyst should create measurement instruments and set measurable goals for any new processes or change projects. The analyst must collect baseline data on these goals before any change initiative is undertaken in order to later ascertain the impact of any implemented change.
• Identify strategies to meet the goals. The business analyst should identify various strategies that make sense for the organization. Such strategies might include process automation, outsourcing, or process improvement or innovation.
• Identify related business processes. Business processes hardly ever stand alone. They have inputs and outputs that affect other processes, especially considering ...