Business processes matter. Above all else, they matter to the enterprise, because business processes are fundamentally how value is delivered, whether externally or internally. So, understanding how to work with business processes is a vital skill for a wide range of business and IT professionals – business analysts, process architects, application architects, functional area managers, and even corporate executives. But too often, the available courses and literature either float around in generalities and familiar case studies, or descend rapidly into technical details, arcane theories, or incomprehensible models. This workshop is different – in a practical way, it shows how to discover and scope a business process, clarify its context, assess it and establish initial improvement objectives, model its workflow with progressive detail, re-assess it in light of findings from modelling, and design a new process.
With initiatives like enterprise application implementation and e-commerce driving the redesign of business processes, these skills can make a real difference to a project’s success.
Everything is backed up with real-world examples, and clear, repeatable guidelines. Professionals around the world have benefited from this workshop and the methods it provides.
Participants will first learn exactly what a “business process” is, the key factors to consider when dealing with them, and the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them. On this foundation, the course moves on to specifying the scope and goals of a business process, modelling the current workflow, assessing it, and applying three critical process redesign techniques.
Objectives:
On workshop completion, participants will be able to:
– Identify a “true” business process, and specify its boundaries and goals
– Describe the key factors that differentiate process-oriented approaches from functionally-oriented (or organizationally-oriented) approaches
– Employ a variety of techniques to keep stakeholders involved, and promote “process orientation”
– Model process workflow at progressive levels of detail using Swimlane Diagrams
– Stop process modeling at the appropriate point, and move on to other techniques or phases
– Conduct a structured assessment of a business process
– Develop a process redesign while avoiding common (and serious!) pitfalls.
Key principles are illustrated throughout with workshop exercises and discussions. Business professionals with responsibility for improving their processes and business analysts needing solid techniques will both benefit from this workshop. The material complements the techniques covered in our Data Modelling workshops, which collectively provide the analyst with a powerful, integrated set of techniques.
Prerequisites:
None. However, business analysts who expect to do extensive workflow modelling will find that some understanding of information systems concepts may be helpful in establishing context.
Target Audience:
Business analysts who are responsible for requirements specification; process analysts involved in business process re-design or improvement; data management and business intelligence specialists who support business processes, business managers and content experts who will participate in process re-design or process-oriented application development efforts; process or application architects responsible for developing, coordinating, and promoting an enterprise-wide view of business processes.
Course Topics:
• Thinking in process terms – concepts, terminology, principles, and techniques
• A three-phase approach to completing a process-oriented project
• Framing the process – discovering a business process, and clarifying its purpose and scope
• Initial assessment of the “as-is” process and goal-setting for the “to-be” process
• Modelling process workflow – practical tips and techniques for using swimlane diagrams
• Controlling detail – three levels of workflow model
• When to stop modelling
• Applying workflow modelling to the as-is process – facilitating a workflow session
• Final assessment of the as-is process – a framework for assessment, relation to redesign
• Characterising the to-be process – generating creative improvements and assessing them
• Wrap-up – summary, tips, and resources.
At the top of this page you can download the PDF brochure of this workshop.
This event takes place at:
Hotel Lapershoek
Utrechtseweg 16
1213 TS Hilversum
The Netherlands
Telephone +31 (0) 35-6231341
For a full itinerary, please see the website of the Amrath Hotel.
The Hotel Lapershoek can also be reached by public transport. Be sure to take the train to ‘Station Hilversum Sportpark’ from which it is only a three minute walk.
Please consult www.9292.nl (door-to-door journey planner, also available in English) or call 0900-9292 (travel advice by phone, € 0.70 p/m).
For attendees interested in an overnight stay, we have made a special price agreement with the hotel. Please let us know if you wish to make use of this.
Taking part in this two-day workshop will only cost 1305 Euro when registering 30 days beforehand and 1450 Euro per person after the Early Bird period expires (excl. 21% Dutch VAT). This also covers documentation, lunch, tea/coffee.
Members of the IIBA Dutch Chapter are eligible for 10 percent discount on the registration fee.
In completing your registration form you declare that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.
Extra discounts
Discounts are available for group bookings of two or more delegates representing the same organization made at the same time. Ten percent off for the second and third delegate and fifteen percent off for all delegates when registering four or more delegates (all delegates must be listed on the same invoice).
This cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts.
Payment
Full payment is due prior to the event. An invoice will be sent to you containing our full bank details including BIC and IBAN. Your payment should always include the invoice number as well as the name of your company and the delegate name.
For Credit Card payment please contact our office by e-mail or through our contact form mentioning your phone number to obtain your credit card information. Never mention your credit card details in our registration form, contact form or in e-mail messages.
The course starts at 09.30 am and ends at 5 pm. Registration commences at 08.30 am.
1. Thinking in process terms – concepts, terminology, principles, and techniques
• Variations on what is meant by “process,” and the impact on process identification
• Three guidelines for well-formed processes
• What makes a process a “business process?”
• Real-world impacts of incorrectly identifying business processes
• A clear method for determining when one business process ends, and another begins
• Example – using this method in identifying “true” business processes
• Summary – five rules for business processes
• Impact of process identification for application and process architects
• A brief history of “business processes” – the rise, fall, and rise again of “BPx”
• Hammer’s legacy – understanding functional and process perspectives
• The good and the bad, part 1: Why functionally-based organizations are a good thing
• The good and the bad, part 2: Why functionally-based organizations introduce process difficulties
• Reconciling the two – philosophies and methods for helping functions and processes get along
• Introduction to modeling techniques – when to use decomposition, when to use flow diagrams
• Basic principles – what makes for an effective “swimlane diagram?”
• A five tier framework for relating business objectives, processes, applications, and data
• Modeling techniques for each perspective
• Achieving progressive levels of detail – working through scope, concept, and specification levels
• Understanding the six enablers of a business process
• A three-phase approach to completing a process-oriented project
• A reading list
2. Discovering your enterprise’s business processes
• “Process areas” – families of related business processes
• Depicting process areas with an “overall process map” or “process landscape”
• The role of standard process areas such as “Customer Relationship Management”
• Why top-down process identification often leads to incorrect results
• A bottom-up method for process discovery
• Beginning your analysis by clarifying terminology – a structured approach
• Introduction to the major case study
• Hands-on practice with process discovery – team work and group debrief
3. Framing the process – scope, issues, and goals
• A critical concept in all business analysis – separating the “what” from the “who and how”
• Four components of the “what” scope definition – the essence of the process
• Three components of the “who and how” scope definition – the current implementation
• Tips for ensuring you haven’t defined the process smaller than it really is
• Case study – hands on practice with documenting process scope
• Initial assessment of the “as-is” process and goal-setting for the “to-be” process
• A compelling and blame-free format for the case for action, and methods for communicating it
• Clarifying strategic direction – the process “differentiator”
• Case study – hands on practice with process assessment and goal specification
4. Workflow models – the basics
• Components and terminology in workflow models (“swimlane diagrams”)
• Three key factors for useful workflow models
• The most common errors in workflow modeling – missing the point, “deception by sanitization,” and a rapid descent into detail
• Two real-life examples illustrating why detail and complexity must be managed
• Avoiding errors with three questions to drive the development of your initial swimlane diagram
• A real-life example of applying the three questions
• Controlling detail – three levels of workflow model (handoff, service, and task)
• Definition, use, and example of each of the three levels
• When to stop – how to know when you’ve crossed the line and aren’t modeling workflow anymore
• Making the transition to use cases, procedures, and task specifications
5. Workflow models – the finer points
• Recap of the three basic components – actors, steps, and flow – and terminology variations
• Guidelines for actors – who (or what) can (or cannot) be an actor on a swimlane diagram?
• Which actors should be shown? Can systems be actors? Can other processes be actors?
• Guidelines for steps – naming, multi-actor, and sequential, parallel, and collaborative steps
• A simple translation guide to ensure appropriate step naming
• Guidelines for flow – what that arrow really means, common errors, parallel vs. exclusive flows
• Representing the basic concepts in BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation)
• Business modeling vs. specification modeling, and the problems with confusing them
• Additional symbols, keeping it simple
6. Techniques for facilitating an as-is workflow modeling session
• The basics – participants, resources, and tools
• Facilitated session ground rules – specifics for “process” sessions
• Tips and guidelines to ensure you’ll actually get through the process
• A reminder – the three questions to drive your initial “handoff level” workflow model
• After the initial pass – five questions to validate and extend the model
• Case study – hands on practice with developing the initial workflow model
• Progressing to further levels of detail
7. Looking ahead – tips for designing the to-be process
• Two common redesign problems, two techniques to avoid them
• Final assessment of the as-is process – a framework for assessment and its role in redesign
• Characterizing the to-be process – generating creative improvements
• Uncovering unanticipated consequences – using an enabler-based assessment to avoid problems and understand the requirements for process change
• Factors to make the new process sustainable
• Creating the new workflow – turning the to-be characteristics into a workflow model
“Alec has a lot of experience in the field, he employs this to recommend models that actually work. Very inspiring!”
“Clear, concise and so logical. Why have we been doing it wrong for so long.”
“Business process workshop by Alec Sharp is an eye opener to simplify complex processes to success.”
“Alec is a fabulous teacher whose explanations are a powerful mix of knowledge, experience and entertainment.”
“Working with Business Processes gives a hands-on methodology for capturing business processes. It makes it fun and achievable.”
“Alec is able to take his audience on a unique trip in the wonderful world of Business Processes. During the two-day course he continuously capture your attention in a positive way. I've heard many best practices and found it two valuable days.”
“Excellent course! Highly recommendable.”
“I can really recommend this training (hands on, interactive) and I'm taking away enough knowledge to start applying at my own job.”
“Even complicated content can be explained simple.”
“Alec has a lot of experience in the field, he employs this to recommend models that actually work. Very inspiring!”
“Clear, concise and so logical. Why have we been doing it wrong for so long.”
“Business process workshop by Alec Sharp is an eye opener to simplify complex processes to success.”
“Alec is a fabulous teacher whose explanations are a powerful mix of knowledge, experience and entertainment.”
“Working with Business Processes gives a hands-on methodology for capturing business processes. It makes it fun and achievable.”
“Alec is able to take his audience on a unique trip in the wonderful world of Business Processes. During the two-day course he continuously capture your attention in a positive way. I've heard many best practices and found it two valuable days.”
“Excellent course! Highly recommendable.”
“I can really recommend this training (hands on, interactive) and I'm taking away enough knowledge to start applying at my own job.”
“Even complicated content can be explained simple.”
“Alec has a lot of experience in the field, he employs this to recommend models that actually work. Very inspiring!”
Practically all of our seminars and workshops can be offered as an In-house course for your company exclusively. We can tailor with extra focus on specific topics that apply to your organization. Also available in online format or in face-to-face format with live video stream.
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