1. Copyright © 2014 Pearson Canada Inc.
Part 1: MIS and You
Application Extension 2a
Introduction to Business Process Modeling with Microsoft Visio
This chapter extension covers basic skills in modelling business processes. We
have already provided an introduction to business processes in the previous
chapter, so this application extension will be used to introduce process modelling.
We will use MS Visio in this chapter to create the process models using data
flow diagramming technique.
Copyright © 2014 Pearson Canada Inc.

2. Study Questions
What is business process modelling, and why is it important?
What tools can be used to create business process models?
How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Study Questions:
Q1 What is business process modelling, and why is it important?
Q2 What tools can be used to create business process models?
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?

3. What is business process modelling, and why is it important?
Business process modelling refers to the creation of a diagram and/or text that provides an overview of the flow of events that occur in an organization as a result of an important stimulus
The primary goal of business process modelling is to create a description of a process that enables people from different parts of an organization to understand and communicate effectively about the entire business process
Q1 What is business process modelling, and why is it important?
Business process modelling can be seen as the creation of a diagram and/or text that provides an overview of the flow of events that occur in
an organization as a result of an important stimulus. The primary goal of business
process modelling is to create a description of a process that enables people from different
parts of an organization to understand and communicate effectively about the
entire business process. Other goals in process modelling might also include creating
documentation of the process, gaining a better personal understanding of the process
or identifying areas for potential improvements in a process.

4. Conceptual Modelling
Business process modelling is part of a larger area of modelling sometimes referred to as conceptual modelling
Understanding of how the complicated “real” world can be simplified into models that “facilitate our developing, implementing, using and maintaining more valuable information systems”
Q1 What is business process modelling, and why is it important?
Business process modelling is part of a larger area of modelling sometimes
referred to as conceptual modelling . People who are interested in conceptual modelling
are trying to understand how the complicated “real” world can be simplified into
models that “facilitate our developing, implementing, using and maintaining more
valuable information systems.” 2 It is the linkage between modelling and creating
value that is important to understand

5. Are You Process Aware?
Process aware
Creating new value requires improving process knowledge in people involved in the process
Process models create value when they help individuals develop an improved understanding of the process as a whole and become more process aware
Q1 What is business process modelling, and why is it important?
There are many ways models can help create value through improving products and
services, but each of these different ways comes from the same basic idea: Creating
new value requires improving process knowledge in people involved in the process.
This is the notion of making individuals “ process aware .” When people are process
aware, they view their actions in the light of the larger business process, and they think
about ways to improve the processes they are involved in. Developing this awareness
can be very difficult, particularly when the processes are complex. This is where the
value of process modelling becomes realized. Process models create value when they
help individuals develop an improved understanding of the process as a whole and
become more process aware

6. What Tools can be used to Create Process Models?
Modelling tools are applications that support the development of business process models
Examples: Commercial applications, such as Visio (Microsoft), Rational Rose (IBM), Together (Borland), and FlowCharter (iGrafx), and freeware applications, such as ARIS Express (IDS Scheer)
Each of these applications provides diagramming features that include shapes and templates that support the development of a number of process models
Q2 What tools can be used to create business process models?
There are many applications that support the development of business process
models. These applications are often referred to as “modelling tools.” These include
commercial applications, such as Visio (Microsoft), Rational Rose (IBM), Together
(Borland), and FlowCharter (iGrafx), and freeware applications, such as ARIS Express
(IDS Scheer). Each of these applications provides diagramming features that include
shapes and templates that support the development of a number of process models.
Most of the applications now provide the ability to import and export the graphic
models so that the models can be shared across different modelling applications and
platforms. For example, ARIS Express provides an import feature for MS Visio that
enables ARIS Express to read some process models created and in MS Visio format,
which normally has the file extension (.vsd).

7. Process Modelling Techniques
Techniques include data flow diagrams (DFDs), systems flowcharts, workflow diagrams, use cases from the Unified Modeling Language (UML), and business process diagrams from the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN)
An important first question to consider is which techniques are used most often by practitioners
Studies suggest that data flow diagramming remains a useful technique for process modelling
Focus is more on traditional data flow diagramming
Q2 What tools can be used to create business process models?
The first thing to learn is that there are many different diagramming techniques that
could be used to create a business process model. Each technique describes a set of
graphical elements and rules for combining these elements to create a readable diagram.
Some of the most common business process modelling techniques include
data flow diagrams (DFDs) , systems flowcharts, workflow diagrams, use cases from
the Unified Modeling Language (UML), and business process diagrams from the
Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). Some of these techniques, such as
data flow diagramming, have been around since the 1970s. Other techniques, such
as UML and BPMN, are more recent and have come into existence and use since
2000. An important first question to consider is which techniques are used most
often by practitioners.

8. Process Modelling Applications
When deciding on an application for creating process models, it is recommended that an application with transferable skills be selected
When investing in learning an application, it is usually a good idea to find the market leader and learn to use tools that other organizations are also using
Data flow diagrams drawn using MS Visio are our tool of choice to introduce business process modelling
Q2 What tools can be used to create business process models?
When there are many applications to accomplish the same basic task, it is important
to consider the application in which you want to develop skills. For example, if you
learn how to create process models with an application that only a few people use,
then you risk not being able to transfer your skills when either you move to a different
company that uses a different tool or the organization you work for changes the application
it is using. When you invest in learning an application, it is usually a good idea
to find the market leader and learn to use tools that other organizations are also using.

9. How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Microsoft Visio is an application that is built to help people create diagrams
It has a more sophisticated graphics engine compared with presentation software, such as MS PowerPoint
It comes loaded with shapes and diagram templates to help you create diagrams quickly
One of the templates provided in Visio is the “Data Flow Diagram (DFD)” template
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Microsoft Visio is an application that is built to help people create diagrams. It has a
more sophisticated graphics engine compared with presentation software, such as
MS PowerPoint, and it comes loaded with shapes and diagram templates to help you
create diagrams quickly. One of the templates that are provided in Visio is the “Data
Flow Diagram (DFD)” template. Figure AE0-1 shows how you can find the DFD drawing
template under the “Software and Database” category of diagram templates.
Double click on the icon to open the DFD template. This will give you a new blank
diagram and also provide you with the basic shapes for drawing a DFD on the lefthand
side of the screen. Click on “File/Save,” and give your new diagram a name.

10. Choosing a DFD Template in MS Visio
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Figure AE0-1 Choosing a DFD Template in MS Visio

11. DFD Shapes
Take a look on the top left-hand side of the screen, You will see the title “Gane-Sarson
It includes four simple shapes including:
1) process,
2) interface (entity)
3) data store
4) connector (or data flow)
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Take a look on the top left-hand side of the screen. You will see the title “Gane-Sarson
(Gane and Sarson are the original developers), which includes four simple shapes
including (1) process, 2) interface (entity), 3) data store, and 4) connector (or data
flow). The process symbolizes a set of related activities. The interface (often labelled
“ external entity ”) symbolizes a person or thing that exists outside of the process.
The data store symbolizes a place where data are either stored or retrieved and a
data flow connector represents the data that flow between processes, entities, and
data stores. One of the most appealing aspects of DFDs is the simple set of shapes
used to draw a business process. It takes a little time and experience to translate a
real system into a DFD, so do not get frustrated, as you should expect it to takes a bit
of time to get used to it.

12. Rules for Combining Shapes
Rule 1: Every process should have at least one data flow connector coming into it and at least one data flow connector out of it
Rule 2: An external entity cannot be directly connected to a data store
Rule 3: A data store cannot be directly connected to another data store
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Now that you are aware of the basic shapes, there are also a few rules you need to
observe when drawing a DFD. The first rule requires every process to have both inputs
and outputs.
Rule 1: Every process should have at least one data flow connector coming into it and
at least one data flow connector out of it.
The second rule is that a data store should be secure, and therefore, a data store
cannot be directly connected to an external entity. It must be connected through a
process.
Rule 2: An external entity cannot be directly connected to a data store.
The third rule recognizes that data stores do not work by themselves. Therefore,
data stores cannot be directly connected to each other. Instead, data stores must be
connected to a process that receives or sends data.
Rule 3: A data store cannot be directly connected to another data store. A data store
must be connected to a process.
These three basic rules provide the constraints for how you can combine the different
shapes. While the constraints might seem quite limiting, you will find that you
can describe a wide array of business processes with these four simple shapes and
three simple rules.

13. Levelling
The DFD model uses the concept of levelling to slowly reveal increasing amounts of detail
The lowest amount of detail is provided by what is called a “ Level 0 Diagram ” or a “Top Process”
To draw the Level 0 DFD, find the “Interface” shape at the top left of the screen, drag the shape, and drop it near the top left corner of the drawing area
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Business processes can be quite complex. The DFD model uses the concept of
levelling to slowly reveal increasing amounts of detail. The lowest amount of detail
is provided by what is called a “ Level 0 Diagram ” or a “Top Process.” Note that the
label in the bottom left of the screen of the current diagram is called “Top Process.”
This top process simply shows a large single process (often named the business process)
and the external entities involved in the process. To show you a Level 0 DFD, we
will need an example of a business process. The example we will use is the process
of “Organizing an Entertainment Event.” In this process, we have two external entities—
Promoter and Employee. We will provide more detail about this process in the
coming pages, but for now, this is all we need to draw the Level 0 DFD.
To draw the Level 0 DFD, find the “Interface” shape at the top left of the screen, drag
the shape, and drop it near the top left corner of the drawing area. Double-click on the
shape, and you will be able to enter a name. Type the label “Promoter” into this Entity.
Next, drag another “Interface” shape to the bottom right corner of the drawing area.
Label this entity “Employee.” Now drag a “Process” shape into the middle of the drawing
area. Grab onto the corners of the process shape once it has been dropped in the drawing
area, and you will be able to manipulate it to change its size. We are going to make only a
single process in this Top Process diagram, so we will make the process larger. Once you
have the right size, double-click on the process, and label it “Organizing an Entertainment
Event.” Refer to Figure AE0-2 to show the size and location of the shapes.

14. Connecting between Two Shapes
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Figure AE0-2 Making a Connection between Two Shapes

15. Creating a Level 1 DFD
The Top Process or Level 0 diagram does not provide us with much detail about the process
Our next step is to create a Level 1 diagram
To do this, we first have to insert a new diagram into the Visio file
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
The Top Process or Level 0 diagram does not provide us with much detail about the
process. Our next step is to create a Level 1 diagram. To do this, we first have to insert
a new diagram into the Visio file. We do this by selecting the “Insert/New Page” option
on the Visio menu. When you make this selection, a pop-up window, such as the one
shown in AE0-3, will appear, and you can name your new page “Level-1.”
An easy way to start your Level 1 Diagram is to copy and paste the shapes you made
for the Top Process diagram into the page now labelled “Level-1.” To do this, click on
the tab at the bottom left-hand side of the screen labelled “Top Process.” Next, click
“Edit/Select All” to select all of the shapes. Select “Edit/Copy” to copy the shapes to the
clipboard. Next, click on the page tab labelled “Level 1,” and then select “Edit/Paste.” All
of the shapes have now been pasted from the “Top Process” to the Level-1 page.

16. Adding and Naming a New Page in an Existing Visio file
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Figure AE0-3 Adding and Naming a New Page in an Existing Visio File

17. Drawing the Event Application Process
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Figure AE0-4 Drawing the Event Application Process

18. Drawing the Employee Scheduling Process
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Figure AE0-5 Drawing the Employee Scheduling Process

19. Level 2 Anyone?
Now that you have created a Level 1 diagram, you are probably aware that you can go into even more detail in a Level 2 diagram
Each of the processes in the Level1 diagram could be opened up and examined in more detail in a level 2 diagram
The main goal is always to improve our knowledge of processes and provide a wider perspective
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
Now that you have created a Level 1 diagram, you are probably aware that you can
go into even more detail in a Level 2 diagram. Each of the processes in the Level
1 diagram shown in Figure AE0-5 could themselves be opened up and examined in
more detail in a level 2 diagram. We will not do this in this short introduction. But
the potential to go into ever-increasing detail does exist. Where does it stop? Here is
where you have to go back to the objective of creating process models. The main goal
is always to improve our knowledge of processes and provide a wider perspective.

20. Active Review
1. What is business process modelling, and why is it important?
Explain what is meant by business process modelling? How does process modelling add value to an organization? What does it mean to be process aware? Describe how being process aware can make you more valuable to an organization.
2. What tools can be used to create business process models?
Explain what is meant by the term process modelling technique ? Can you name three different process modelling techniques?
Q1 What is business process modelling, and why is it important?
Explain what is meant by business process modelling? How does process modelling add value to an organization?
What does it mean to be process aware? Describe how being process aware can make you more valuable to an organization.
Q2 What tools can be used to create business process models?
Explain what is meant by the term process modelling technique ? Can you name three different process modelling
techniques? Which techniques are most popular among practitioners? What process modelling applications are most popular?
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
What are the four main shapes used in a DFD? What are the three rules for combining DFD shapes? What is meant
by the term levelling ? What does a Level 0 diagram contain?

21. Active Review
2. contd
Which techniques are most popular among practitioners? What process modelling applications are most popular?
3. How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
What are the four main shapes used in a DFD? What are the three rules for combining DFD shapes? What is meant by the term levelling? What does a Level 0 diagram contain?
Q2 What tools can be used to create business process models?
Explain what is meant by the term process modelling technique ? Can you name three different process modelling
techniques? Which techniques are most popular among practitioners? What process modelling applications are most popular?
Q3 How do you create a data flow diagram in MS Visio?
What are the four main shapes used in a DFD? What are the three rules for combining DFD shapes? What is meant
by the term levelling ? What does a Level 0 diagram contain?