Modeling
Models based on graphical notation are essential to the detailed representation of business processes, as with the BPMNp standard.
Figure 12.10 presents a simple example of a business process described with BPMN. The “Order reception” trigger event starts up the process, which begins with validation of the order. Two parallel branches are then run: dispatch and delivery confirmation on the one hand, and invoicing and payment on the other. The process only ends when both these branches have been completed.
Models have long been used in many sectors to understand, develop, simulate, and communicate (see Chapter 5). Modeling requires particular skills and knowledge: choice of level of detail, gathering and consolidation of information, and communication of results. The type of modeling carried out will vary depending on the goal (general description, detailed information on the process, or support for automation).
Using this principle, Bruce Silverq identifies three levels of business process model: the descriptive
level, the analytical level, and the executable level. The descriptive level provides the fundamental structure of the process, with its main activities, but without taking exceptions into account. The analytical level establishes the sequence of the process in detail, with all its activities and exchanges. The executable level is used in the context of process automation by integrating links to software elements and technical constraints. Once again, we observe the need to separate viewpoints applied to modeling.