V-BPM Cycle Reference Model

Bridging the gap between Process Modeling and IT Solutions Design

Eduardo Gonzalez
Enterprise Architect adidas Group p

adidas Group

The adidas Group strives to be the global leader in the sporting goods industry p brands built on a passion p with sports for sports and a sporting lifestyle.

Main Brands

Some Figures

Group p Revenue* *at 31.12.2009 Net income

10.38 10 38 bn 245 m

Employees worldwide

39,596 177
Herzogenaurach, Canton, Carlsbad, Portland, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Panama City 2010 FIFA Football World Cup TM, 2012 Olympic Games

Subsidiaries

Important locations

Partner of major sports events

adidas Group BPM Practice

Source: Gartner ( (2006) )

Still in early phases, as most organizations are.

Trying to take first concrete steps to move forward (this

presentations presentation s topic is one of them)
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BusinessBusiness-IT Engineering Gaps

Business Project j
Process Understanding & Definition
Process Engineering Gap

IT Project j
Requirements Definition
Requirements Engineering Gap

Solution Design

Process models used only y for trainings, end-up just hanging on the walls. Not really activated to d i the drive th execution ti of f related IT Projects.

Requirements q are a thick stacks of paper impossible to digest. Without explicit links back to existing i ti process models. d l

Poor traceability y of solution modules back to requirements. Too many design details l ft t left to d developers l creativity.

Further refined p process models could help p bridging g g these gaps g p

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Business Process Driven Solutions

Business
Business Process

Business Architecture

Business Objects

Business Organization

Contextual Information

Method & Tools

IT Solutions S l ti Architecture

Solution Data Objects

Solution Workflows & Rules

Solution Users & Roles

IT

S l ti Solution Meta Data

Use business process modeling as the vehicle for a gapless drive all the way
down from high-level business needs definition to satisfactory IT Solutions design and implementation.

First Question

How t H to insert i tB Business i P Process Models tangibly g y and seamlessly y into the Software Development Life cycle (SDLC)? Life-cycle

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Existing Reference Models

BPM Cycle
Design
1

Optimize

Monitor

Model

Execute

Requirements Analysis

Acceptance Test Design

Acceptance Testing

Solution Definition

Solution Test Design

Solution Testing

Single

Consolidated
Reference Model ?

Architecture Design

Integration Test Design

Integration Testing

Module Design

Unit Test Design

Unit Testing

Process Levels

V-Model

Coding & Assembling

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V-BPM Cycle Reference Model

Level 2

Design

Optimize

Monitor

Level 3

Model

Execute
Acceptance Testing

Requirements Analysis

Level 4
Solution Definition Solution Testing

Level 5
Architecture Design Integration Testing

Level 6

Module Design

Unit Testing

Executable Workflow

Coding & Assembling

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Process Process-Centric Solution Architecture

Flexible end-to-end process orchestration of manual and system supported activities

Single user access point to workflow tasks and backend systems via standard portal technology

Process flow parameterization via configurable and end-user managed business rules

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Decomposition & Reassembling

1
Further decompose the business process into smaller process elements.

2
Translate the smaller process elements into solution building blocks.

3
Reassemble the solution building blocks into a complete solution.

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Second Question

How to chunk the Business Process to facilitate the translation of the smaller process elements into solution b ildi blocks? building bl k ?

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ObjectObject -Driven Process Decomposition

Object 1 Object 5 Object 7

Process A

Process B
Object 4 Object 3

Process C

Process D

Process Objects Map

Object 2

Object 8

Process E

Object j 6

Process F

An end-to-end process can be conceptualized and described as the handling of core solution objects (tangible and/or conceptual ones) ) along l th their i f full ll lif lifecycles.

Object life-cycles are the natural link between the dynamic essence of processes and the data structures around which solution l ti building b ildi bl blocks k are designed and developed.

Decomposing a process along the life-cycle of its core solution objects facilitates the derivation of solution building blocks di tl from directly f th process the models.

(Concept Source: BPM: BPM: A Rigorous Approach Approach by Martyn Ould)

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Business and Solution Objects

Object Modeling Conceptual Logical Physical

Business Objects
1. 1 Business objects are identified and
depicted in high-level Conceptual Object Models using business business friendly notations.

Solution Objects
3. 3 Process-related structural and
value calculation rules are also identified in the Logical Data Model.

2 Solution objects are identified and 2.

detailed in Logical Object Models by refining (normalizing; subtyping; etc.) the simplified business view from the Conceptual p Object j Model.

4 The classification of objects as 4.

backend, process, or masterdata starts in the Logical Object Model and is completed in the Physical y one.
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Object States Modeling (Life (Life-Cycle)

Model each object state

as a subtype in the Logical Object Model.

Cluster exclusive states

within separate parallel State Cycles (Object State State-Cycles
Normalization)

Identify and document

intra- and inter-object State Rules

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Object Handling Cases

Handling Case

Sub case Sub-case

Sub case Sub-case

Sub-case

Handling Rules
(i.e. flow direction; decision value calculation, etc.)

Analogy to use cases. Describe the way y the

system handles objects along their full life-cycle.

Case Identification
1 Solution Object equals 1 Handling Case Sub-cases for state-cycles or complex states

Case Types
Operational (single
instance)

Management (multiple
instances)

Master Data
(Concept Source: BPM: A Rigorous Approach) 19

Object Model Prism

Logical Data Model

The Logical Object Model acts as a multiplier prism on a business

object, triggering the parallel modeling of its solution objects life-cycle, starting from each corresponding Handling Case

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CaseCase-Grid
Use Case

Object Handling Case

Vertical Use Cases describe the system behavior from a role centric perspective.

Horizontal Object Handling Cases describe the way the Cases system handles objects along their respective life-cycle, as they are handed-over across roles roles.

The Case-Grid is the solid baseline from where all functional and architectural elements of the solution are derived.

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Services Identification & Implementation

Workflow Services (BPMS)
Start/Stop of Handling Cases

BI Services (BI / BPMS)

Information Queries (Management Handling Cases)

BAM Services (BPMS) ( )

Information Queries (Operational & Management Handling Cases)

Composite p Services ( (ESB) )

Cross-object Rules Validation Composite Values Calculation

Computational Services (BRMS)

Handling Rules Validation Attribute Value Calculation Rules Decision Value Calculation Rules

Service

Data Services (Backends / MDM)

Object State Settings Object State Changes Intra-object Rules Validation

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ObjectObject -Modeling Specific Deliverables

4 new deliverables added to identify and model business/solution objects and their associated Handling Cases. The Logical Th L i lD Data t M Model d l moved to an earlier position in the SDLC. Workflows are simply specified as a natural refinement of the predefined Handling p g Cases.

Case-Grid

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Refined V V-BPM Cycle Deliverables

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To Be Continued

Definition of explicit deliverables for the Monitor and Optimize

BPM Cycle phases.

Modeling techniques to identify and describe process KPIs, and derive

from them functional and non-functional ( (QoS) ) requirements. q

Exploration and comparative analysis of richer Object State Modeling

techniques to deal with complex life-cycles and cross-object state interdependencies.

Exploration of synergies and potential integration of Adaptive Case

Management (ACM) techniques into the Case-Grid concept.

Testing and refining of the concepts and techniques by extensively

using them in the real world

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Questions

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