patterns for the enterprise process architecture

Session #Session # 19491949Patterns for the Enterprise Process Patterns for the Enterprise Process

ArchitectureArchitecture Dr. Sami Zahran, PMP, SEI

PartnerSenior Project Manager

Global Business Services, IBM UK Limited,

email (Business): [email protected]

email (Personal): [email protected]

JUNE 10 - 13, 2008Munich, Germany

Designing the FutureDesigning the Future

•The Power of Patterns1. Process Design pattern2. Process Flow pattern3. Process Architecture pattern

4. Process Capability pattern5 Process Enablement pattern• Use of the Process Patterns•Health Warning about process patterns•Summary & Conclusions•Questions & Answers

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.sei.cmu.edu/sepgeurope/2008/index.html

http://www.sei.cmu.edu/

Patterns for the Enterprise Process ArchitectureDr. Sami Zahran, PMP, SEI Partner

email: [email protected], or [email protected]

1. How to go about designing processes and their support environment in your enterprise.

2. How the process support environment is critical for enabling the process and turning it into an organizational capability.

3. How the process patterns can be used to develop, document, assess and improve your enterprise process architecture.

Learning Objectives of this session





The Power of Patterns

Patterns have beauty and attraction “A Google search on “Beauty of Patterns” returned 32,500 hits.Nature is full of Patterns “A Google search on “Patterns in Nature” returned 323,000 hits.

Patterns reflect a structure – Every pattern has an internal structure which reflects the inter-relationships between its components. A Google search on “Patterns and Structure” returned 116,000 hits

Patterns are repeatable and reusable – Patterns can be easily repeated and reused

Source 1: http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshopdownloads/ig/Photoshop-Patterns/scpatterns.htmSource2: http://math.uh.edu/~mike/PATTERNS/pdf2000/RayOgar/index.html

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshopdownloads/ig/Photoshop-Patterns/scpatterns.htm

http://math.uh.edu/~mike/PATTERNS/pdf2000/RayOgar/index.html





Process Design Pattern

Process Flow Pattern

Process Architecture Pattern

Process Capability Pattern

Process Enablement Pattern

Process Patterns Process

Environment Patterns

HowWhat

Coordination & support

Five patterns for the Enterprise Process Architecture (EPA)

Five Patterns for the Process and Process Environment

.

DFA

CE





Each of the five patterns is specified as follows:

Diagrammatic representation A diagram capturing the essence of the pattern (showing its components and relationships)

Definition / Description Brief definition & textual description of the pattern

Rationale & use Why the pattern is essential for developing the EPA

Example of applying the patternA practical example of elaborating and applying the pattern to a realistic example

Pattern Specification





1. Process Design pattern Diagrammatic Representation

Definition/Description:Process Design pattern: specifies the main components that need to be covered for designing a process. It can be used to assess the completeness of and identify the gaps in current enterprise processes, or to design of new enterprise processes.

Figure: 5.? Process Design Pattern

Process purpose & Goals

Abilities Activities Measurement VerificationCommitment

institutionalization

core

Tasks

Policy Statement

Procedures

Plans

Variability

Status measurements

Management oversight

Quality Assurance

TrainingLeadership

Resources

enablement





Process design teams need a generic process model to guide them when designing their processes. The Process Design pattern provides a template for designing & defining processes. Following a common model will ensure the consistency of the process designs and specifications across different parts of the enterprise. The Process Design pattern can also be used during the process assessment, e.g. for comparing the current process specification against the pattern design elements and identify any missing components in the current process specification.

Process Design patternRationale & Use





Core featuresPurpose & Goals Effective and efficient customer order fulfillment 99% of customer orders fulfilled on time and to customer satisfaction. 100% of customers are satisfied (level 9) with the services they received100% of fulfilled orders have been invoiced and payment received within one month Activities•Receiving and recording customer orders •Checking customer credit•Liaising with finance, warehousing and distributionProcess Enablement featuresCommitment•All roles and responsibilities and necessary tools for order fulfillment are sponsored by management

Process Design pattern

An example





D3Abilities•All those involved in the order fulfillment roles and responsibilities receive the appropriate training•All computer applications and other tools necessary for automating and performing order fulfillment are acquired and made available

Process Institutionalization features

Measurements•Percentage of customer orders fulfilled in time is measured and reported to management•Customer satisfaction is monitored and reported to management•Percentage of invoices not paid within a month is reported to management

Verification•Senior management to review the results of the order fulfillment process every quarter and in exceptional situations•Quality Assurance to perform quality audit of the order fulfillment process every six-months•Process Assessment to be performed every year by external process assessment consultants.

Process Design patternAn example (cont'd)





2. Process Flow patternDiagrammatic

Representation

Definition/Description:Process Flow pattern: specifies a documentation style for documenting a process interactions and interfaces with other processes. In can also be used to identify the different stakeholders of the team process and defines the interfaces and interactions with those stakeholder processes.





This pattern is used to design, document and/or assess the flow of information amongst the process tasks and between the process tasks and the tasks of other processes. The pattern is useful in defining and assessing the interfaces and interactions among the process tasks and also among different processes. This also helps in identifying any weak links in the chain of inter-related tasks or processes. A process flow; can be internal flow between the process tasks themselves and also can be flows between the process tasks and the tasks of other processes (to reflect the interdependencies between the different processes) For example: Process-X Flow has two dimensions: Flow across the process-X tasks , and flow from a process-X task to another task in process-Y.

Process Flow patternRationale & Use





Process Flow pattern

An example Order Fulfilment Intra-process Flow (Example)

Dist

ribut

ion

Proc

ess

Fina

ncia

l Pro

cess

Cu

stom

er

Rela

tions

hip

Proc

ess

War

ehou

sing

Proc

ess

Ord

er F

ulfilm

ent P

roce

ss

Yes

No

(1) Initial Recording of customer & order

details

Products Pick complete

(3)Customer Credit OK?

Distribute the product to the

customer

Customer Information

(5) Close the Order

Customer credit details

(2) Validate Customer credit

status

Update Customer Details

(4) Record details in CRM

Yes

Yes

Close





3. Process Architecture patternDiagrammatic Representation

Definition/Description:Process Architecture pattern: suggests the common types of processes that should exist in an enterprise. It is an elaboration of the model suggested in my early book on software process improvement[*]. It can be used to a starting point to develop comprehensive process architecture for an enterprise. [*] http://www.amazon.com/Software-Process-Improvement-Guidelines-engineering/dp/020117782X/ref=sr_1_1/002-9782429-

Core Processes

Management & coordination processes

Support processes

Process manage-

ment processes Target products,

services, or deliverables

Process Architecture pattern





Any enterprise contains several types of processes. The Process Architecture pattern identifies the most common types of processes in an enterpriseProcess Architecture pattern identifies four core process types: business management, core, process support and process management processes. This pattern should help process designers and architects in ensuring that an enterprise’s process architecture covers all of these types as a minimum. This architecture can be used to document, design or assess the process architecture for the enterprise. A process will be of a certain type.

Process Architecture patternRationale & Use





Process Architecture pattern

An example

1) Order Fulfilment Core Processes

2) Order Fulfilment Management processes

3) Order Fulfilment Support processes

4) Order Fulfilment

Process manage-

ment processes

Successful Delivery to Customer

Figure ? Order Fulfilment Process Architecture pattern

Order Fulfillment Process Architecture pattern





Order Fulfilment Core ProcessesCapture customer & order detailsCheck customer credit statusCoordinate with warehousing, distribution & finance

Order Fulfilment Management ProcessesManage interactions with customer Manage interactions with warehousing, distribution & finance Prepare periodical management reports

Order Fulfilment Support ProcessesOrder processing IT application Customer information databaseWarehousing and product information application

Order Fulfilment Process Management Definition of the order fulfilment process and its interactions Monitoring the process performance and feedbackProcessing feedback and improvement requests

Process Architecture patternAn example (cont'd)





4. Process Capability PatternDiagrammatic Representation

Definition/Description:Process Capability pattern: suggests the components required to turn the process into an organizational capability. This is an elaboration of the PTOP model outlined in my earlier book on software process improvement [*]. It can be used to ensure/build an effective organizational environment around the process to turn it into an effective organizational capability.[*] http://www.amazon.com/Software-Process-Improvement-Guidelines-engineering/dp/020117782X/ref=sr_1_1/002-9782429-

Process Capability Pattern (PTOP)

Process Goals

People

Organization

Tools Tools

Organization

PProcessrocess

People





• To be effective the process must operate within a

supporting organizational environment. A process on its own is not effective.

• This pattern guides process management professionals to the main components required in the enterprise environment to turn the process into a fully effective organizational capability.

• A process turns into capability if all these conditions are

satisfied: The Process is defined and documented, and The Process is supported by Tools, and Techniques The Process Organizational roles and responsibilities

necessary for performing the process activities are defined, and

The People with appropriate skills are assigned the roles and responsibilities.

Process Capability patternRationale & Use





Process Capability pattern An example

The order fulfillment Process will require the following:

Tools and technology support such as the computer systems including:

Order process applicationsWarehousing applicationCustomer information application

Organizational roles and responsibilities associated with order fulfillment, for example:

Customer interaction roleOrder recording roleCredit check roleLiaison with the Warehousing and Distribution

People with the right skills to take up the roles identified above.





5. Process Enablement PatternDiagrammatic Representation

Definition/Description:Process Enablement pattern: identifies the main organizational mechanisms necessary for ensuring that the process is working properly, producing the target results as defined by management and in line with the enterprise strategic objectives. Also it suggests the feedback mechanisms necessary continuously improving the process.

Effective Process Environment Effective Process Environment

Process improvement actionsProcess

Definition

Business &Technology changes

MeasurementsMeasurementsof Results of Results

& Feedback& Feedback

Process ResultsProcess Results

Activities

TrainingTraining

FeedbackFeedbackby Process Usersby Process Users

Tools





The process on its own is no more than “helpless” set of documented procedures. For the process to be effective, it needs to transform into a full organizational capability. To turn this procedure into a full organizational capability, there is a need to introduce the following:

Tools to automate the process activities, Organizational roles and responsibilities of those who will perform the process activities using the tools, and The people with the appropriate skills who undertake the process tasks.

Process Enablement patternRationale & Use





D3

Process Enablement pattern

An example

A scenario, to illustrate how this pattern can be applied. Steps for creating an organizational capability for order

fulfillment. 1) Use the Process Design pattern to define and design the processes

necessary for order fulfillment.2) Use the Process Flow pattern to determine and document the process

flow (flow between the process activities) and across other processes.

3) Use the Process Architecture pattern to define the management & coordination processes, the core processes, the supporting processes and the process management processes necessary for order fulfillment.

4) Use the Process Capability pattern to determined the tools necessary to automate/support the processes, the organizational roles and responsibilities for performing the order fulfillment processes, and skills required to perform the roles and responsibilities.

5) Use the Process Enablement pattern to define the organizational mechanisms necessary to integrate and enable the order fulfillment processes and its supporting environment (process, tools, organizational roles & responsibilities, and people) and turn them into an effective organizational capability, and turn the above components into a dynamic capability within the enterprise that can effectively perform any order fulfillment request.





Use of the Process Patterns

Pattern ----------------User

Process Design Pattern

Process Flow Pattern

Process Architecture Pattern

Process Capability Pattern

Process Enablement Pattern

Process Designers / Architects

PD PD PD PD PD

Process Improvement Teams

PI PI PI PI PI

Process Assessors / Appraisers

PA PA PA PA PA

Process Managers

PM PM PM PM PM

Business managers

DM DM DM DM DM

Mode of Usage: PD=use in process design activities, AD=Use for Architecture design activities, PA=Use for process assessment activities, PI=Use for process improvement activities, PM= Use for process management, DM=Use for decision making activities.





Health Warning about process patterns

As well as all the benefits associated with using patterns, there are a number of warnings that you must be aware of:

• Process patterns are not a silver bullet

• Patterns are not ready-made solutions (are not alternatives to hard work)

• Using patterns as the basis for process design need serious effort and commitment to apply them.

• Patterns need highly skilled and process-literate staff in order to ensure effective process implement

• These patterns not only address the process design, but also cover the organizational environment surrounding the process.

• Beware of the resistance to change when it comes to proposing new roles or new reporting needs.





Summary & Conclusions

Using the 5 process patterns for the enterprise process design & modeling has several benefits including: Accelerating the development of the enterprise process architectureIncreased productivity of process teams in performing process work, including: process design, process assessment, and process improvementFacilitating standardization and comparability of the processes across organizational boundariesEnsuring consistency of process design across the various organizational units in the enterprise.Standard interface design and definition across different processes of teams and organizational units Increasing the awareness of the need for organizational enablers to make the process effective





Questions & Discussion

