Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:
Learning Objectives
Identify the basic components of a business process diagram.
Reflect on a business process and identify the actors and actions in said process.
Apply business process modeling concepts to the development of a digital visualization of a process in Lucidchart.
What is BPM?
A BPM is a “business process model”. In short, this is a way for you to document how your business is currently going about a process so that you can look for opportunities to improve upon the said process.
With the combination of people, processes, and technology, there is an opportunity to visually document what is going on through the use of a modeling tool, like Lucidchart, so that discovery, analysis, optimization, and automation can be considered to increase the likelihood of operational excellence for a component of the business.
Why use a BPM?
A business process model aims to convey a process through an easy-to-understand visual representation. Its main audience is the individuals that are involved in the process, as well as those that may modify and implement a new and improved process.
A diagram can be easier to understand than a narrative of text can be. Developing a business process model allows you to better communicate and collaborate with stakeholders that are impacted by a process.
Below is a sample BPM:
Swimlane for customer process.
(Lucidchart, 2020 (Links to an external site.))
The business process model above showcases the flow of a process, and who is involved as the process starts and finishes.
How do I make a BPM?
There are different types of BPMs, but for this assignment, you will make a BPM called “Swimlane Diagram” (the same as the example above).
To make one of these, you’ll need to consider the following before getting started:
What process do I want to visualize? (E.g., sales, returns, shipments, student enrollment, etc.)
Who is involved in the process? (E.g., customer, sales team, management, credit card department)
What does each person in the process do? (E.g, purchase product, fill out credit form, complete an order form, etc.). Once you know this, you’ll know what goes in each of the ‘lanes’ of a swimlane diagram (each lane is what that person does).
In what order does each person do their piece of the process? (E.g., the customer selects a product, then goes to the register, then gets charged)
What about the symbols?
We’re not going to go into intermediate and advanced flow-chart symbols for this assignment, rather we are going to focus on the following four basic symbols:
The Oval
Terminator Symbol
Also known as the “Terminator”.
Indicates the start and end of a process.
The Rectangle
process rectangle
You’ll be using this the most.
It represents any step that you are diagramming - it captures the process steps (basic actions and tasks in your process).
The Arrow
arrow.PNG
It is used as a guide for directional flow.
It tells the reader what is coming next.
I recommend sticking with the same type of arrow throughout the creation of the flow-chart (there are many to choose from).
The Diamond
Decision Symbol
It indicates that a decision is required to move forward.
This can be binary (meaning this or that) or could have more than two choices.
With the four symbols above, you are well equipped to make a basic swimlane diagram (and colors do not matter for the assignment).
What do I need to do for this assignment?
I would like for you to pick a business process that you have been part of at some point in your life and document how you think it works from start to finish. We’ve all been involved in business processes, even if we have not realized so. Remember that last time that you went to a grocery store? You were part of a business process. Remember that last time you bought something on Amazon? You were part of a business process.
Write a brief narrative on what the swimlane process conveys (tell me what the business process is for) - 3-5 sentences. The brief narrative should tell me the following:
Who is in the process?
What is the process for?
Develop a swimlane diagram for a business process.
3-7 actors (the swim-lanes)
10-20 steps in the process (the rectangles)
1-3 decisions (the diamonds)
