Dina Neiger

Goal-Oriented Business Process Modeling with EPCs and Value-Focused Thinking

Goal-oriented business process modeling is driven by the need to ensure congruence of business processes and decisions with the values and vision of the business while meeting continuous demands for increased business productivity. However, existing business process modeling tools fail to address effectiveness and efficiency concerns in an integrated manner. Building upon the previous research by the authors aimed at addressing this gap through integration of process and decision modeling, in this paper, the links between process and decision modeling domains are formalized using a common semantic model that provides the bridge for future development of integrated tools.

Formalizing process-based risk with Value-Focused Process Engineering

Following calls to advance the integration of risk and business process modeling paradigms, this paper formalizes the process of incorporating risk into business process models through the principles of Value-Focused Process Engineering (VFPE). In doing so, the paper aims to extend the existing VFPE modeling notation to reflect a set of necessary constructs required to adequately represent risk in goal-oriented business-process models. The extended set of constructs is proposed to support a formal systems view of process-based risk. Process-based risk is formalized on the one hand, as a product of complex interactions between activity-based elements, and on the other hand, as a natural component of the value creation mechanism of an elementary function or a complex process. The proposed risk-aware VFPE formalism also formulates rules for decomposing risk in process models according to the organizational values, thereby enabling better risk visibility, reducing process complexity, and ensuring continuity of business processes.

Structuring business objectives: a business process modeling perspective

Business process modeling assists an enterprise to achieve strategic objectives by providing methodology and tools to develop integrated business process models, however there is little discussion on how to identify the strategic objectives or how process and functional objectives link to the strategic objectives. On the other hand, decision-modeling literature offers well-established techniques for identification of strategic objectives and associated objectives networks but lacks discussion of the processes and functions aimed at achieving these objectives. That neither discipline can provide business with an overall solution is the main problem addressed by this paper through development of a formalized model for linking the two sets of objectives. The resulting model is used to analyze the links between different types of objectives and as a basis for a practical implementation procedure for business modeling. Concepts discussed in the paper are illustrated within a Human Resources context.

Value-Focused Business Process Engineering : a Systems Approach

One of the keys to successful business process engineering is tight alignment of processes with organisational goals and values. Historically, however, it has always been difficult to relate different levels of organizational processes to the strategic and operational objectives of a complex organization with many interrelated and interdependent processes and goals. This lack of integration is especially well recognized within the Human Resource Management (HRM) discipline, where there is a clearly defined need for greater alignment of HRM processes with the overall organizational objectives.Value-Focused Business Process Engineering is a monograph that combines and extends the best on offer in Information Systems and Operations Research/Decision Sciences modelling paradigms to facilitate gains in both business efficiency and business effectiveness.The first part of the book examines a wide range of research issues in modelling business processes and objectives by expanding the focus of business process engineering from creating more efficient business processes to also making them more effective. The second part of the book presents methodology and tools for a holistic approach to business process engineering within the HRM context. The original contribution of the value-focused process engineering methodology lies in the integration of the best aspects of event-process driven chains and the value-focused thinking within a single model, in a way that preserves the strengths of the respective models while facilitating the emergence of new properties that satisfy goal-oriented business process modelling requirements.The result is an up-to-date expository monograph that provides industry practitioners and researchers in OR/MS and IS domains, as well as those concerned with the practice of HRM, with a framework and implementation guidelines for ensuring that day-to-day business activities are congruent with organizational values and strategic objectives.

Dynamic Complexity of Business Systems: Designing Effective Business Processes with System Dynamics

Abstract Business Systems belong to the class of dynamically complex systems. Process models underlying integrated business systems are powerful tools addressing organisational efficiency objectives. The ability of a process to meet organisational objectives is a measure of organisational effectiveness. In order to meet both efficiency and effectiveness objectives of the business, it is essential to understand how functional, process, and overall organisational objectives interact. This paper demonstrates how the System Dynamics methodology can be used to reduce dynamic complexity of business systems by modelling interactions between objectives and, in turn, to enable evaluation of business process effectiveness m Human Resource context.

Process-Based Decision Support

Business decision- and process-modeling methodologies have developed largely independently. The existing lack of cross-discipline integration in the area of business modeling is not only counterproductive for future methodological advances, but also imposes unnecessary limits on the ability of the existing business modeling tools to reflect the complex integrated nature of a business enterprise adequately. Process models underlying integrated business systems are powerful tools addressing organizational efficiency objectives. The ability of a process to meet organizational objectives is a measure of organizational effectiveness. In order to meet both efficiency and effectiveness objectives of the business, it is essential to understand how functional, process, and overall organizational objectives interact. This chapter discusses the relationship between business decision-modeling and process- modeling methodologies and describes how decision support models can be used to enhance enterprise capacity to meet its overall objectives via more-effective business processes.