Effective Software Project Management

Appendix K. Business Process Flow Diagramming

I am easily satisfied with the best.

—Winston Churchill British Prime Minister

Appendix Learning Objectives

After reading this appendix, you will be able to: Define a business process Define a business process improvement project Construct a business context diagram Construct a business process flow diagram Define “As Is” and “To Be” business process Identify the “As Is/To Be” gap

Often you will choose to start a software development project by mapping the current (“As Is” process) business process or processes that are going to be affected. You might also want to map the business process after the software products are installed (“To Be” process). Both of these are excellent artifacts to use as input to the requirements gathering process.

Business processes lie at the root of all efforts at software development and process improvement. In this appendix I will explore business process flow diagramming as an add-on to the other topics in this book.

From the systems development perspective the process of gathering requirements often begins with knowledge of the current or “As Is” business process and ends with the “To Be” business process. That gap is filled with a new or enhanced systems project. Having the “As Is” and the “To Be” business process flow diagrams is an invaluable aid in the ensuing systems development effort.

It is an ongoing dictum of today’s business that you must continuously improve you business processes. The old ...