Editing Business process modeling (section)

== Objectives of business process modeling ==
[[File:Influencing-factors-on-the-business-process-model.png|thumb|Influencing factors on the business process model]]

The objective of business process modeling is a – usually graphical – representation of end-to-end processes, whereby complex facts of reality are documented using a uniform (systematized) representation and reduced to the substantial (qualities). Regulatory requirements for the documentation of processes often also play a role here (e.g. [[document control]], [[Requirements traceability|traceability]], or [[integrity]]), for example from [[quality management]], [[information security management system|information security management]] or [[Information privacy|data protection]].

Business process modeling typically begins with determining the environmental requirements: First, the [[goal]] of the modeling ([[#Applications of business process modeling|applications of business process modeling]]) must be determined. Business process models are now often used in a multifunctional way (see above). Second the model addressees must be determined, as the properties of the model to be created must meet their requirements. This is followed by the determination of the business processes to be modeled.

The qualities of the business process that are to be represented in the model are specified in accordance with the goal of the modeling. As a rule, these are not only the functions constituting the process, including the [[Relations (philosophy)|relationships]] between them, but also a number of other qualities, such as formal organization, input, output, [[resources]], [[information]], [[Data storage|media]], [[Database transaction|transactions]], [[Event (philosophy)|event]]s, [[State pattern|states]], [[Necessity and sufficiency|conditions]], [[Operation (mathematics)|operations]] and [[Philosophical methodology|methods]].

The objectives of business process modeling may include (compare: Association of Business Process Management Professionals (ABPMP)<ref name="EABPM"/> <sup>(Chapter 3.1.2 Process characteristics and properties) ← automatic translation from German</sup>):
* Documentation of the company's business processes
** to gain knowledge of the business processes
** to map business unit(s) with the applicable regulations
** to transfer business processes to other locations
** to determine the requirements of new business activities
** to provide an external framework for the set of rules from procedures and work instructions
** to meet the requirements of business partners or associations (e.g. certifications)
** to gain advantages over competitors (e.g. in tenders)
** to comply with legal regulations (e.g. for operators of critical infrastructures, banks or producers of armaments)
** to check the fulfillment of standards and compliance requirements
** to create the basis for communication and discussion
** to train or familiarize employees
** to avoid loss of knowledge (e.g. due to staff leaving)
** to support quality and environmental management
* Definition of process performance indicators and monitoring of process performance
** to increase process speed
** to reduce cycle time
** to increase quality
** to reduce costs, such as labor, materials, scrap, or capital costs
* Preparation/Implementation of a ''business process optimization'' (which usually begins with an analysis of the current situation)
** to support the analysis of the current situation
** to develop alternative processes
** to introduce new organizational structures
** to outsource company tasks
** to redesign, streamline, or improve company processes (e.g. with the help of the [[Capability Maturity Model|CMM]])
* Preparation of an [[information technology]] project
** to support a ''software evaluation''/''software selection''
** to support the customizing of [[commercial off-the-shelf]] software
** to introduce automation or IT support with a [[workflow management]] system
* Definition of interfaces and [[Service-level agreement|SLAs]]
* [[Modularity|Modularization]] of company processes
* [[Benchmarking]] between parts of the company, partners and competitors
* Performing [[activity-based costing]] and [[simulation]]s
** to understand how the process reacts to different stress rituals or expected changes
** to evaluate the effectiveness of measures for ''business process optimization'' and compare alternatives
* Finding the [[best practice]]
* Accompanying organizational changes
** such as the sale or partial sale
** such as the acquisition and integration of companies or parts of companies
** such as the introduction or change of IT systems or organizational structures
* Participation in competitions (such as [[European Foundation for Quality Management|EFQM]]).