This document discusses business process mapping and modeling. It explains that process mapping is used to understand current workflows, redesign and improve processes, implement standard workflows, train employees, and communicate processes. It describes the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) standard for process modeling and its goals of being understandable by all business roles. The basic components of a process model are described as activities, tasks, participants, roles, events, time, and sequence. Process hierarchy and basic symbols used in process mapping are also outlined, including swimlanes to show task responsibilities. An example quoting process map is provided.

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Business Process Mapping
University of Colorado

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Why Model Processes?
• Understand and analyze current way of working
• Redesign and improve
• Use model as a way to implement a standard way
of working
• Train new employees
• Communicate with other groups and external
entities

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Process Modeling Standards
The Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) has
developed a standard Business Process Modeling Notation
(BPMN).
• The primary goal:
– provide a notation that is readily understandable by all
business users,
• from the business analysts that create the initial drafts of
the processes,
• to the technical developers responsible for implementing
the technology that will perform those processes, and
finally,
• to the business people who will manage and monitor
those processes.

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Basic Process Components
Participants
People or systems that
provide input to, or
perform work steps
within a process
Processes are:
A set of Activities and Tasks, which are performed by
Participants in Roles, organized in a particular Sequence,
directed and measured by Time and Events / Triggers
Activities / Tasks
A single unit of work,
can be performed by a
person or system
Roles
A layer of abstraction
that creates the link
between participants
and activities / tasks
Events / Triggers
Occurrences that cause
a process to start, direct
a process sequence, or
cause a process to end
Time
Average or desired
durations for work items
Sequence
The logical order in
which work steps are
performed

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Basic Process Components
• In order to prevent the need for a VERY large sheet of
paper, we create a process hierarchy that allows us to
compartmentalize and focus on specific process segments
• Our process hierarchy will be the following:
• Cycle
• Process
• Subprocess
• Activity
• Task

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Basic Process Components
• A basic set of symbols have been built into the Visio template
– These symbols are compliant with the Business Process
Modeling Notation (BPMN) standard, managed and
supported by the Object Management Group
This is an
annotation
symbol.
Sub-Process Activity / Task
Conditional Split /
Join
Unconditional
Split / Join
Sub-Process
Start Event Intermediate Event
(Label outside
symbol)
Time Event (Label
outside symbol)
Message Event
(Label outside
symbol)
End Event
Data Object
(Invoice, Order,
etc.)
Off-page
connector

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Swimlanes
• Swimlanes provide a means to show who is
responsible for specific work
• Events and controls may appear in any
swimlane
Cycle - Process
Function
/
Role
Function
/
Role
Function
/
Role
Function
/
Role
Function
/
Role
Condition
Start
Join
End

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Visio Template Overview

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Example Quoting Process
Quoting Process
Customer
Quoter
Customer
Quoter
Sales
Team
Sales
Team
Customer
Customer
Customer calls
main switchboard
to place order
Sales team
documents
standard order
Distributor?
Use Distributor
Pricing
Yes
Use end user
pricing
No
Customer
Order?
Yes
Collect data and
create
quote
Custom Quote
Email quote
to
customer
Standard
Quote
No

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Questions?