IS Alternative process modeling methods and notations  The notation used in the 788 textbook (Harmon) – BPMN – is rapidly becoming a standard – in the US  The methodology presented in Harmon is well regarded.  However: Every BPM consultant and tool vendor has their own methodology Many tool vendors still use proprietary notation Different standards exist outside the US

IS Alternative notations  Northern Europeans, including Germany, have a fondness for UML  The most highly developed alternative notation to BPMN and – arguably – the most refined methodology for process analysis– is SPRINT from the UK

IS SPRINT  Was developed in the UK as a local initiative for government process improvement  It has since been widely adopted throughout the UK and is illustrated in a number of published studies  SPRINT is valuable as an integrated technique  AND – it illustrates some of the differences between European (and sometimes Japanese) and US approaches to process change

IS Socio-technical (‘soft’) approaches to system analysis and design  Originated in Europe (Enid Mumford in the UK in the 1970’s)  Views the organization as an organism rather than a machine  Includes as constraints on a system or process design humans and their social systems: Organizational culture Political and psychological needs

IS SPRINT combines ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ models  “Hard” techniques typically address “objective” (usually physical) aspects of the system: objects, events, physical flows  “Soft” techniques analyze and document context = ‘why’ as well as ‘what’  In addition to social and political issues, soft concerns (soft goals) include Product quality and QOS issues Broad organizational goals (how are these addressed in Harmon’s methodology) (discuss MBTI, self selection and ‘ST’ biases)

IS SPRINT overall method  Phase 1: Understand Process Context Who’s doing this and why – what are their perspectives (SSM) Goal Analysis Informal observation of AS-IS processes Formal AS-IS process modeling Benchmarking (as an integral part of the method!)

IS Phase 2  [Radical] Process Redesign Develop business vision in terms of key goals Re-think process Develop re-engineering proposals based on vision Articulate measurable business benefits

IS Phase 3  Implement Proposals Specify new process designs and relevant ICT in detail Devise change management strategy Implement new structures and ICT Evaluate and continuously improve

IS Draws from SSM  SPRINT is heavily influenced by Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology  Part of the SPRINT toolkit for understanding process context is the notion of ‘rich pictures’  A rich picture is an informal notation for defining “soft” information – including participant attitudes - about the processes  Discuss handout:

IS Context, context and more context  From SPRINT Phase 1: two steps almost certainly missing from a US process assessment  Identify stakeholders and process settings Where does the process take place? What impact does the setting have? Don’t assume its ideal, fixed or doesn’t have an impact

IS Also from SPRINT, Phase 1  Identify stakeholder perspectives  What does this mean? How the stakeholder thinks about his or her part in the process and the process overall. This may be very different from other stakeholders  Why is it significant? It reveals commonalities to be leveraged and differences to be bridged: goal misalignment - cultural, economic, power, informational, etc.

IS SPRINT Notation: Role Activity Diagrams (RAD)  On a reasonably close reading, RAD notation and BPMN are nearly “informationally equivalent”  Any process can be described in either notation  Minor differences first (besides iconography) RAD explicitly includes cardinality

IS RAD explicitly includes triggers  Arrow indicates trigger condition – must occur before process can proceed

IS The major difference between SPRINT and BPMN is?  Department focus vs. role focus  What difference does this make i.e. are some processes best described in one or the other? (Hint – in what environment did each originate?)  In all likelihood governmental/bureaucratic processes are best modeled in SPRINT  However, the focus on soft information is invaluable in any modeling effort.