Workflow Modeling: Tools for Process Improvement and Applications Development Second Edition -- Contents -- Preface -- Part I Background, Principles, Overview -- Chapter 1 Business Processes-More ImportantThan Ever -- Fosdick's Thesis -- And Now? -- The Need for Practical Guidance -- Building Methods to Meet the Need -- What to Expect -- Who Are "You"? -- References -- Chapter 2 A Brief History-How the EnterpriseCame to Be Process Oriented -- Learning from the Past -- The Multiskilled Craftsworker -- The Advent of the Specialist -- The Rise of Functional Specialties -- Function and Organization-What's the Difference? -- Losing the Process in the Functions -- Enter Reengineering: 1990-1993 -- Exit Reengineering: 1994-1995 -- The Wonder Years: 1996-2000 -- Business Process Rides Again!: 2000-Present -- A Predictable Complaint -- From Fad to Business as Usual -- Process-Oriented Products -- Process Frameworks -- Less Polarization -- Process Orientation-The Best of All Worlds? -- References -- Chapter 3 Business Processes-What Are They, Anyway? -- The Trouble with "Process"-Why We Need a Clear Definition -- No Definitions, but Lots of Opinions -- Is "Business Process" an Arbitrary Concept? -- Does It Matter? -- Frustration for Participants -- Trouble Controlling Scope and Producing Useful Deliverables -- Improvements That Make Things Worse -- Problems Caused by Improperly Defined Processes -- Your Scope Will Often Be Smaller Than a Business Process -- Hasn't This Problem Been Solved Already? -- What Do Books in the "Business Process" Field Say? -- What Does the Dictionary Say? -- What Do Information Systems Dictionaries Say? -- So What, Finally, Is a Business Process? -- The Approach We'll Take -- Defining "Process" in General -- Defining Business Process in Particular -- A Test for Business Processes Boundaries -- Applying the Guideline -- So What?.

Is Everything a Process? -- Can All Processes Be Modeled? -- Summary -- Criteria for Business Processes -- Other Business Process Characteristics -- Measurable -- Automation -- Levels of Detail -- Customers: Internal and External -- Closing Advice -- Processes Are Hidden -- They're Bigger Than You Think -- Hidden Issues -- What's Next? -- References -- Chapter 4 The Approach in a Nutshell -- This Chapter and Beyond… -- Why It Works -- Whom It's For -- Processes-Results, Not Work -- Frameworks in General -- A Framework for Process Enablers -- A Framework for Putting Processes and Systems in Context -- One Person's Mission Is Another Person's Objective -- Expanding the Framework -- A Closer Look at the Three-Tier Architecture -- Presentation Services -- Business Services -- Data Management -- Models in General -- The Modeling Techniques We Employ -- Business Process: Process Workflow Models -- Presentation Services: Use Cases and Use Case Scenarios -- Business Services: Service Specification and Supporting Techniques -- Data Management: Data Models -- Five-Tier Thinking -- A Workflow-Driven Methodology-The Process of Studying Processes -- Establish Process Context, Scope, and Goals -- Understand the As-Is Process -- Design the To-Be Process -- After the Three-Phase Method -- Applications of the Approach -- Part II Phase 1: Establish Process Context,Scope, and Goals -- Chapter 5 Discover Business Processes -- Process Discovery-What, Why, and How -- The Goal: An Overall Process Map -- The Approach -- Questions You'll Probably Have -- Step 1: Get Started -- Gathering Background Information -- Meeting with the Sponsor -- Step 2: Conduct Pre-Session Interviews -- Purpose -- Conducting the Interview -- Step 3: Prepare for First Session -- Purpose -- Terms, Activities, and Issues -- Participants and Agenda -- Facilities and Supplies.

Step 4: Initiate First Session -- Purpose -- Getting Started -- Explaining "Business Process" -- Venting -- Brainstorming in General -- Step 5: Analyze Terms and Find the Nouns -- Purpose -- The Steps -- Step 6: Identify Activities -- Purpose -- The Steps -- Step 7: Link the Activities and Determine Business Processes -- Purpose -- The Steps -- Patterns to Watch For -- Using a Top-Down Approach -- Naming the Business Processes -- Choose the First Process Project -- Divine Intervention -- Analytic Approach -- References -- Chapter 6 Establish Process Scope and Contents -- Goals -- Overview -- How Specifically Do Scope and Contents Help? -- Step 1: Identify Triggering Event(s) -- Step 2: Identify Result for Each Stakeholder -- Step 3: Identify Subprocesses -- Step 4: Identify Cases -- Step 5: Identify Participating Organizations -- Step 6: Identify Individual Actors and Main Responsibilities -- Step 7: Identify Supporting Mechanisms -- Step 8: Identify Process Measures (Optional) -- Chapter 7 Conduct Initial As-Is Process Assessment -- Establishing Rationale and Direction -- The Process Case for Action and Process Vision -- Why Bother? Doesn't Everyone Know This Already? -- The Case for Action -- Step 1: Stakeholder Assessment -- Step 2: Context -- Step 3: Consequences of Inaction -- A Note on the Simplified Framework -- The Vision -- An Example -- A Closer Look at Assessment by Stakeholder -- Everyone's a Critic… -- Don't Guess-Ask! -- The Customer -- The Performers -- Owners and Managers -- Suppliers -- Other Groups -- Process Differentiator -- What Is a Differentiator, Improvement Dimension, or Strategic Discipline? -- A Common Misconception -- Differentiators in Action -- The Relevance of the Concept -- Faster, Cheaper, Better, or What? -- Common Questions -- Look at the Process in Terms of Enablers -- Workflow Design -- Information Systems.

Motivation and Measurement -- Human Resources -- Policies and Rules -- Facilities -- All Enablers Matter -- The Environment in Which the Process Operates -- An Example -- Topics in "the Environment" -- Beliefs, Culture, and Management Style -- Everything Stems from Beliefs -- Other Cultural Traits -- Core Competencies -- What Are We Really Good At? -- Measures -- How Many? -- Got the Time? -- Who's Involved? -- Efficiency -- Cost -- Summary of Measures -- Potential Improvements -- One Poster Is Worth a Thousand Words -- Summarizing Findings -- It Matters! -- References -- Part III Phase 2: Understand the As-Is Process -- Chapter 8 Process Workflow Models: The Essentials -- Overview -- The Real Purpose of This Section -- The Practical Side -- Swimlane Diagrams-What and Why -- What's the Attraction? -- What Are They? -- Example 1: The Essence of Workflow Modeling -- Example 2: Getting to the Essence Without Diving into Detail -- Question 1: "Who Gets the Work Next?" -- Question 2: "How Does It Get There?" -- Question 3: "Who Really Gets the Work Next?" -- What Did We Learn from This Example? -- Example 3: "How Do I Depict…?" -- Customer Service… -- Repair Service… -- Service Analysis… -- Telemarketing… -- Market Database Research… -- RB Tel-Questions Raised -- Essential Elements of a Swimlane Diagram -- The Details -- Actors and Roles -- Steps and Decisions -- Flow -- What's Next? -- Chapter 9 Process Workflow Models-Managing Progressive Detail -- The Curse of Detail -- What's the Problem? -- Achieving a Controlled Descent -- Three Levels of Workflow Diagrams -- Level 1: The Handoff Diagram -- Issues and Observations with the Handoff Diagram -- Recap -- Level 2: The Service Diagram -- Level 3: The Task Diagram -- Closing Thoughts -- Chapter 10 Process Workflow Models-The FinerPoints -- Introduction -- Actors and Other Characters -- Every Actor? Really?.

Jobs, Roles, and Committees -- Systems as Actors -- Passive Actors -- Processes as Actors -- Steps and Types of Steps -- What Makes It Go? Flow! -- Dealing with Complexity -- Flowing On -- Chapter 11 Develop As-Is Process Workflow Model -- Introduction -- Dealing with Resistance to As-Is Modeling -- Assembling the Team -- Management and Front-Line Participants? -- Front-Line Workers or Representatives? -- IT and Other Supporting Players? -- External Participants -- Preparing for the Modeling Session -- Scheduling -- The Kickoff -- Approach -- Question 1: What Are We Doing? -- Question 2: Which Process Are We Modeling? -- Building the Handoff-Level Diagram -- The Mechanics and the Methods -- Option 1-Trace the Flow (The Three Questions Approach) -- Option 2-Bottom Up (Gather Activities, Then Assemble) -- Refining the Initial Model-The Five Key Questions -- "Can We Stop Now?" -- Producing the Service Diagram -- Issues During As-Is Modeling -- Misapplying Workflow Modeling -- Modeling Different Versions of the Same Process -- Inability to Model a Particular Situation -- Facilitation Issues -- Dealing with Disagreement -- Conclusion -- Part IV Phase 3: Design the To-Be Process -- Chapter 12 Conduct Final As-Is Process Assessment -- Introduction -- Getting Ready -- Confirm Initial Assessment and Goals -- Capture First Impressions -- Identify Leverage Points -- Assessment by Enablers -- Workflow Design -- Information Systems -- Motivation and Measurement -- Human Resources -- Policies and Rules -- Facilities -- Other Factors -- Assess Individual Steps -- Consolidate Improvement Ideas -- Decide on Approach -- References -- Chapter 13 Determine To-Be Process Characteristicsand Workflow -- Look Before You Leap! -- Goals -- Philosophy/Approach -- Post and Review Key Materials from Previous Phases -- Collect Ideas-Getting Started.

Build on Ideas Generated During Assessment.