modeling business processes

By Hollander, Denna, Cherrington

Accounting, Information Technology, and Business Solutions, 2nd Edition

Irwin/McGraw-Hill The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

Modeling Business Processes

Chapter 2

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

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Objectives

Describe a business processes and identify the business processes of an organization

Identify the events that comprise a

business process

Build and validate a REAL business processes model

Model operating events using the REAL concepts


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Introduction The first step toward enhancing a business professional’s value

is enhancing the role he/she plays in helping an organization define and improve its business processes.

So what are business processes and how can they be designed to support an organization’s objectives?

How do we design information systems that collect, maintain, and process the data needed to generate the outputs required by management to effectively manage business processes in the information age?

Our analysis will use semantic models models of real world actions or phenomenon. We will use REAL Business Process Modeling as a method to help you understand and model business processes.


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Business Processes

Acquisition/payment Business Process

Human ResourcesFinancial ResourcesSuppliesInventoriesProperty, Plant and EquipmentNew Ideas (R & D)Miscellaneous services

Conversion Business Process

Operations

Varies widely depending upon the industry

SAP industry solution maps

Sales/CollectionBusiness Process

Marketing and SalesServicePromotionOutbound logisticsCollection and CreditE-Commerce

Act

ivit

ies


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Are All Processes And Business Activities Created Equally?

Companies often prioritize their business processes based on the value of the process in achieving the organization’s objectives.

Some business activities determine an organization’s competitiveness in the marketplace while other activities might be classified as support activities.

An organization may be internally cost-effective but it might be an unsuccessful organization. Why?

Perhaps the organization has competitors: who better meet the needs of customers, do a good job of outsourcing some business functions, or do a better job of creating effective strategic alliances

with trading partners.


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Primary Value Activities Inbound logistics - activities associated with

receiving, storing, and disseminating inputs to the products or services

Operations- activities associated with transforming inputs into the final products or services

Outbound logistics - activities associated with collecting, storing, and physically distributing the products or services

Marketing and sales - activities associated with providing a means by which customers can buy produce and the means for inducing them to buy

Service - activities associated with providing service to enhance or maintain the value of the products or services


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Support Activities Procurement - the function of purchasing inputs to firms value

chain Technology Development - the know-how,

procedures, or technology embedded in processes that are intended to improve the product, services, and/or process

Human Resource Management - activities involved in recruiting, hiring, training, developing, and compensating all types of personnel

Firm Infrastructure - activities that support the entire value chain (e.g. general management, planning, finance, accounting, legal, government affairs, quality management, etc.)


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Porter’s Generic Value Chain

Revenue

Costs

Firm Infrastructure

Human resource managementTechnology development

Procurement

Inbound Logistics

OperationsOutput

LogisticsMarketing

& SalesService

Sup

port

Act

ivit

ies

Primary Activities

Margin


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Business Process Events A business process is “a series of activities intended to

accomplish the strategic objectives of an organization.” Operating Events are the operating activities performed within a

business process to provide goods and services to customers. Information Events include three activities: recording data about

operating events, maintaining reference data that are important to the organization, and reporting useful information to management and other decision makers.

Decision/Management Events are activities where management and other people make decisions about planning, controlling, and evaluating business processes.


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Business Process: Delivering Goods and Collecting Payment

Event 1: Marketing

Event 2: Take Customer

Order

Event 3: Ship the

Goods

Event 4: Collect Payment

Business Processes and Business Events


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Exhibit 2-3 Business Process Activities (Events)

Decision / management

events

Operatingevents

Informationevents

Define and often trigger

Trigger Trigger


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Recommendations

Plan Execute Evaluate

ManagementProcess

BusinessProcesses

InformationProcesses

Data

Managing Business and Information Processes

Rules Trigger Measures Measures

Resou

rces

Objecti

ves

Oppor

tuniti

es/R

isks


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Informationprocesses

TriggerInformation

System Response

Report (in many forms)Decision Making Needs of

Information Customers

Business events

Information SystemResponse

Record (event data)Maintain

(agent, resource, location data)

Informationprocesses

Trigger

Processes that Trigger Information System Responses


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Acquisition / Payment Process Regardless of the type of good or service being acquired, the

following are typical operating events in the acquisition / payment business process: Request goods or services. Order goods or services. Receive and inspect goods or services. Store and/or maintain goods. Pay for goods or services. Return goods.

Some organizations : may order the events differently, may use a subset of the events, or may add more detailed events.


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Sales/Collection Process Although there is some diversity across the types of goods

and services sold, the sales/collection process typically includes the following events: Receive an order for goods or services. Select and inspect goods or services to be delivered. Prepare goods or services for delivery. Deliver goods or services. Receive payment for goods or services. Accept customer returns of goods.

Some organizations : may order the events differently, may use a subset of the events, or may add more detailed events.


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Conversion Process Finally, examples of some of the more general activities in the

conversion process include: Assembling. Growing. Excavating. Harvesting. Basic manufacturing (e.g., metals, woods, and chemicals). Finished manufacturing (e.g., tools, instruments, and components). Cleaning. Transporting. Distributing. Providing (e.g., power, water, protection, and communication). Educating. Discovering (e.g., research and development).


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Analyzing the Standish market, competitors, and customers.

Deciding what pizzas to place on Golden’s menu.

Determine if the cooked pizza is correct for the customer presenting his/her copy of the order form.

Receive customer pizza order.

Receive customer payment.

Make pizza. Box pizza. Give pizza to

customer.

Decision/Management Operating Events Information Events

Record customer order. Calculate order amount. Mark order “Paid.” Give customer copy of

order. Give cook copy of order. Tape order to pizza box. Remove copy of order

from box. Send order copies to

accounting.

Process Analysis: Golden Pizza

Trigger

Generate a customer analysis report.

Generate a report of sales by pizza type.

Generate a gross margin analysis.

Generate a report of lost sales due to the 20 minute guarantee.

Trigger


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Developing a REAL Business Process Model

REAL Business Process Modeling is a formal method of identifying and representing the essential characteristics that collectively describe business processes and events.

The title REAL is an acronym for Resources, Events, Agents, and Locations.

Preparing a REAL Business Process Model requires you to identify strategically significant business activities and essential characteristics about these business activities (see Exhibit 2-4).


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Exhibit 2-4Real Business Process Model Matrix

EventBusiness Objective

Event Trigger

Business Risk Notes

Strategically relevant events What happened? How is each event executed and why is it executed.?Date/Time When did each event occur? Internal and external agents What roles are performed and who/what agents perform the roles in executing each event? Resource(s) What kinds of resources were involved and how much was used?.Location Where did the event occur? Risks What can go wrong in executing the event?


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Step 1: Understand The Organization’s Environment and Objectives

REAL modeling is an aid in analyzing an organization and its activities.

Collect data and insights about the organization’s objectives, industry, value chain, strategies, product lines, and customers.

Pay attention to the organization’s people, structure, technologies, and measurements.

A better understanding of these factors will enhance your ability to evaluate business processes and identify processes and events that are not valuable, not competitive, and/or not meeting the objectives of the organization


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IndustryThe Company

Understanding the Business Environment

Competitors

Technologies

Customers

EconomicForcesPeople

CapitalTechnology

Value Chain Products

Structure

Objectives

Strategies

Measurements


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Step 2: Review the Business Process and Identify the Strategically Significant Operating Events

Begin by dividing the organization into its business processes. “What happened? How and Why? ”

REAL graphical model—include the strategically significant operating events that comprise a business process. (the ones that the organization wants to plan, evaluate and execute/or control)

Begin your REAL graphical model by representing events as rectangles with a descriptor inside the rectangle. Select terms that accurately describe each operating event. We suggest using an active voice to name events.

Receive Customer

Order

Receive Customer

Order


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Using the Worksheet

ReceiveCustomerOrder

Event Business ObjectiveEvent

Trigger Business Risk NotesReceive Customer Sell quality products Customer Order not filledorder for pizza with prompt service Decision promptly

An event trigger is the action that initiates the event. Sample

triggers include a previous event, input from an external entity, a decision by an internal agent, or

a business need.

Planning, executing and evaluating business processes are vehicles for implementing and supporting organizational strategies. Therefore, the why question is answered by defining where a particular event fits into the fabric of an organization’s business processes and the event’s relative importance in accomplishing the organization’s strategy.

Be careful not to identify “information events” as “operating events.” To avoid this error, focus on the essential characteristics about business activities “What kind of resources were involved and how much was used?” If, by chance, you mistake an information event (e.g., Print Customer Invoice) for the operating event (e.g., Receive Customer Order) you will struggle to answer some of the questions.

An operating event is strategically significant if an information customer wants information to help him/her plan, execute, control, or evaluate that activity. Strategically significant events also include those that are regulated or mandated (e.g., inspecting meat, paying taxes, or performing an environmental study).


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Exhibit 2-5 McKell’s Retail Model: Step 2

Events

Sellmerchandise

Receivecustomerpayment

McKell’s Retail Store has hired you to analyze their sales/collection process. Customers can purchase a variety of merchandise from McKell’s store. Each sale involves a customer assisted by a salesperson. The customer can buy one or more items of merchandise. McKell’s sales force randomly assists customers (McKell’s does not assign customers to specific salespersons);

and each sale occurs at a specific register (McKell’s has several registers). Individual items of merchandise are not uniquely identified. This means that McKell’s does not assign a unique identifier to each white T-shirt sold, or each pair of size 9 white tennis shoes. The customers are allowed to pay with cash, check, or credit card.


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Step 3: Analyze Each Event Listed In Step Two To Identify

The Event Resources, Agents, And Locations

Describe essential characteristics of the events—the characteristics which: if omitted, would render an inaccurate or incomplete

description of the event. form the basis for generating outputs for information

customers to plan, execute, control and evaluate organization activities.

What kinds of resources were involved? What roles are performed and who/what agents

perform the roles? Where did the event occur? (location)


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Exhibit 2-6 McKell’s Retail Store REAL Model: Step 3

Sell Merchandise

ReceiveCustomer Payment

Events

Merchandise

Cash

Register

Salesperson

Customer

AgentsLocationResources


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Step 4:Identify The Relevant Behaviors, Characteristics, And

Attributes Of The Events, Resources, Agents, And Locations

At what time or sequence in the process should the event occur?

What are the exceptions to the “normal” ordering of events in the process?

What is the proper authorization or approval to execute this event?

What is a reasonable amount of resource associated with this event?

What are the acceptable locations for executing this event?

What is an acceptable time period between events in a business process?

How might the order of events vary by customer?

Does the location from which goods are shipped matter?

How many salespeople are assigned to each customer?

Should a sales order clerk have custody of cash?

Can a customer have two different addresses? Why or why not?


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Sequence of Events

The sequence of events may also be a function of the physical characteristics of the event. In this case, construction techniques, local regulation, and laws of nature determine the event sequence.

Sometimes the sequence of events is dictated by customer preference.

Receive payment

Ship merchandiseReceive payment

Ship merchandiseOR

ProvideCredit

Cash inAdvance

Business PoliciesConstructing a building Excavate Construction Site Pour FoundationLay FloorFrame BuildingSide BuildingInstall Rough PlumbingInstall Rough Electrical


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Event Risks An operating event occurring

at the wrong time or sequence, An operating event occurring

without proper authorization, An operating event involving

the wrong internal agent, An operating event involving the wrong external agent, An operating event involving the wrong resource, An operating event involving the wrong amount of

resource, and/or An operating event occurring at the wrong location.


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McKell's Retail Sale Store Case Checkpoint—Business Rules

Each sale takes place at a specific register (location). Each sale involves only one customer (external agent). Only one salesperson (internal agent) is responsible for each sale. Each sale involves one or more items of merchandise (resource). McKell's merchandise items are not uniquely identified. Each

instance of Merchandise refers to a type or class of Merchandise (e.g. size 12 white T-shirt, or size 9 white tennis shoes, or size 5 leather gloves).

The salesperson and customer do not have a direct relationship, because McKell does not assign customers to specific salespersons. The customer and salesperson are related only through the sale.


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McKell’s Retail Store Case Checkpoint—Business Rules

While analyzing this event, you may document several additional rules, such as: Sales can only involve merchandise, not fixed assets. Sales cannot involve more merchandise (quantity) than

McKell has on hand. Sales cannot involve merchandise McKell does not offer. Each sale must take place at only one register and the register

identification must match a register identification on record. Each sale must include only one salesperson whose

identification matches a salesperson identification on record.


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Step 5:Identify And Document The Direct Relationships

Between Resources, Events, Agents, And Locations

Draw a line from each event to each resource, internal agent, external agent, and location associated with that event. On the line, add a meaningful term or phrase that describes the relationship between the objects. See Exhibit 2 - 7 or 2 - 8.

Graphically display events that are related to other events to show the required sequence of events in a business process. Draw lines from event to event in the correct sequence

Document direct relationships between pairs of agents, locations, and resources that exist independently of an operating event. Connect the pairs with a line.


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Exhibit 2-7 Template Without Diamonds

Place Relationship Descriptions on the Lines

ResourceResource Internal Agent

Internal Agent

ExternalAgent

ExternalAgentLocationLocation

EventEvent

Internal Agent

Internal AgentResourceResource

EventEvent

LocationLocationExternal

Agent

External Agent


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Exhibit 2-8 Template With Diamonds

Place Relationship Descriptions inside the Diamonds

ResourceResource Internal Agent

Internal Agent

ExternalAgent

ExternalAgentLocationLocation

EventEvent

Internal Agent

Internal AgentResourceResource

EventEvent

LocationLocationExternal

Agent

External Agent


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Exhibit 2-9 McKell’s Retail Store REAL Model: Step 5

Sell Merchandise

Sell Merchandise



MerchandiseMerchandise

CashCash

RegisterRegister

SalespersonSalesperson

CustomerCustomer

involves

takes

place at

takes place at

increasesinternal agent

internal

agent

external

agent

external agent

resultsin

resultsin


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Identifying Direct Relationships

Example: A sales/collection business process that consists of three events:

Take Customer Order, Sale Inventory, and Collect Cash

Step 1: Relationships between the event(s) and related resources, agents, and locations

Related Objects Related Objects

order - inventory order - salesperson

order - customer sale - inventory

sale - customer cash receipt - cash

cash receipt - customer


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Example: A sales/collection business process that consists of three events:Take Customer Order, Sale Inventory, and Collect Cash

Step 2: Relationships between directly related events (e.g. consecutive or sequential events that occur during the business process)

Related Objectsorder - salesale - cash receipt

Step 3: Relationships between any resources, agents, or locations that have a direct relationship independent of any event occurring.

Related Objectssalesperson - customer

Identifying Direct Relationships (cont.)


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Step 6:Validate The Real Business Process Model With

Business Persons

Those who understand the details and objectives of the business process and events being modeled should perform the validation.

Validation sessions should result in either the confirmation of the model’s accuracy or modification of the model.

Modifications typically involve decomposing one or more operating events into more detailed operating events, or combining events.

Once a REAL model is created, does it need updating or maintenance? Yes. The nature of business processes and events can change over time. More importantly, in today’s fast paced world, the nature of business processes and events often must change with time.


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Linking Processes Understanding the relationship between individual business

processes is very important. Collectively business processes result in the acquisition of goods

and services, the conversion of acquired goods and services into goods and services for customers, the delivery of the goods and services to customers, and the collection or payment from customers.

Business processes are linked together in two ways: by sharing common resources or by an event in one process triggering an event in another

process. For example, consider the simple model presented in Exhibit 2 - 11.


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Exhibit 2-10 Partial REAL Diagram for Linked Business Process Example

Receive goodsfrom vendor

Pay vendorfor goods

Receive customerpayment

Ship goodsto customer

Inventory

Cash

Acquirefinancing

Acquire human resource Human

resource

Pay forhuman resource

Repay vendor

+

+-

+

-

-

- +


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Appendix Two Further Practice Using REAL Modeling—Cherry Bee, Inc.

Cherry Bee, Inc. is a small bee keeping operation located in Preston, Idaho. Each spring Marc, the owner, hires several beekeepers to manage and care for the hives owned by Cherry Bee. Marc pays these hive workers weekly during the spring, summer, and fall.

Marc purchases new supplies and materials for hive workers to use. The beekeepers go to the fields to check each hive, medicate each hive, clean any dead bees out of the hive, and add sugar water if the supply of honey in the hive is low.

Hire Workers

Business Events

Pay Workers

Purchase Supplies

Check hives


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Appendix Two Further Practice Using REAL Modeling—Cherry Bee, Inc.

Twice during the summer, hive workers extract honey from the hives. Then they go into the supply barn to strain the honey and package the finished product in a variety of different sized containers. The finished honey is placed on shelves in the storage room. In the late fall, hive workers again check each hive, give them more medicine, and wrap the hives in black plastic to keep them warm during the winter.

Throughout the year, customers purchase honey from Marc at the Cherry Bee Store. Some commercial customers purchase the honey on account, while most customers pay cash. Marc purchases the supplies both on account and with cash from local vendors. The medicine, sugar, and black

plastic are kept in the supply barn along with other supplies and materials, as well as the honey inventory.

Extract honey

Strain honey

Package honey

Store honey

Sell honey

Receive Payment

Pay for Supplies

Store Supplies


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Exhibit 2-11

Cherry Bee Business Processes

Hire workers Hire workers

Pay workers Pay workers

Labor Acquisition/

Maintenance/Payment Process

Labor Acquisition/

Maintenance/Payment Process

Supplies and Materials

Acquisition/Maintenance/

Payment Process

Supplies and Materials

Acquisition/Maintenance/

Payment Process

Purchase supplies Purchase supplies

Pay for supplies Pay for supplies

Store Supplies Store Supplies

ConversionProcess

ConversionProcess

Check hives Check hives

Extract honey Extract honey

Strain honey Strain honey

Package honey

Package honey

Store honey Store honey

Sell honey to customer

Sell honey to customer

Receive payment for honey sold

Receive payment for honey sold

Sales/CollectionProcess

Sales/CollectionProcess


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Cherry Bee Business Process Model Matrix

EventEventInternalAgents

InternalAgents

ExternalAgents

ExternalAgents ResourcesResources

Purchase mat.& supplies

Pay for mat.& supplies

Hire workers

Pay workers

Store mat.& supplies

Check hives

manager (Marc) Potential workers

cashier (Marc),hive workers

vendors

vendors

hive workers

purchasingagent (Marc)

payablesclerk (Marc)

hive workers

human labor

cash

materials &supplies

cash

materials &supplies

hives, mat. & supplies


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Store mat. & suppliesCheck hives

Extract honey

Strain honey

Package honey

Store honey

Sell honey

Collect payment

hive workers

hive workers

hive workers

hive workers

hive workers

store worker (Marc)cashier (Marc) customers

customers

hives, mat. & supplies

packaged honey

packaged honey

cash

EventEventInternalAgents

InternalAgents

ExternalAgents

ExternalAgents ResourcesResources

hives, mat. & supplieshives, mat. & supplieshives, mat. & supplies

store worker (Marc)

packaged honey


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LocationsLocations Business ObjectivesBusiness Objectives Event TriggerEvent Trigger

vendor store

Cherry Bee store

Cherry Bee store

at Cherry Bee

or vendor storesupply barn

field

Have mat. & supplies on hand when needed, pay lowest prices..

Pay for supplies in a timelyto maintain vendor goodwill...

Store materials & supplies in a safe, convenient location

Hire skilled, dependable workers at a fair rate ...

Pay only for services received,pay in a timely manner....

Make sure hives are healthy and prepared for production..

need for labor

payment forservices due

need for mat.& supplies

purchase of mat.&supplies

purchase of mat.&supplies

beginning ofSpring


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field

field

supply barn

supply barn

supply barn

Cherry Bee store

Cherry Bee store

Make sure hives are healthy and prepared for production..

Extract all the honey at the rightpoint in time without waste..

Produce clean honey for sale...

Package honey in containersthat promote a long shelf life...

Store honey in a safe, convenient location until needed at store...

Sell quality honey for a fair price as quickly as possible ...

Collect payments from customers in a timely

manner ...

beginning of Spring

hive full of honey

Extracted honey

honey was strained

honey waspackaged

customer enters store

sale of honey

LocationsLocations Business ObjectivesBusiness Objectives Event TriggerEvent Trigger


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Cherry Bee REAL Models

Hireworkers

Pay workers

Cash

Cherry Bee Store

HumanLabor

HiveWorkers

Marc

Labor Acquisition/Maintenance/Payment Process


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Store mat.& supplies

Pay for mat.& supplies

Vendor Store

Materials &Supplies

Supply Barn

Vendor

Hive workers

Cherry Bee Store

Purchase mat. & supplies

Cash

Marc

Supplies and Materials Acquisition/Maintenance/ Payment Process


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Sell honey

Collect payment

Cash

Cherry BeeStore

PackagedHoney

Customer

Marc

Sales/Collection Process


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Extract honey

Check hives

Strain honey

Package honey

Store honey

Field

Hive

Materials &Supplies

Honey in Process

Supply Barn

PackagedHoney

Hive Workers

Conversion Process


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Customer Calls

Submit Bid

Enter Contract

Provide Services

Receive Payment

Customer Representative

Customer

Janitor

CustomerPayments Clerk

Services

Cash

REAL Model of a Service Process


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REAL Model of a Not-For-Profit Organization

Victim ArrivesVictim Arrives

Interview VictimInterview Victim

Assign RoomAssign Room

Issue ClothingIssue Clothing

Issue PersonalCare Items

Issue PersonalCare Items

Provide FoodProvide Food

Help set goals, identify resources

Help set goals, identify resources

Victim LeavesVictim Leaves

Receptionist

InventoryClerk

PersonalCounselor

Victim

Interviewer

ShelterShelter

RoomRoom

ClothingClothing

Personal Care Items

Personal Care Items

FoodFood

Goals, Resource Sources

Goals, Resource Sources


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REAL Model of a Steel Manufacturing Process

FuelFuel

Iron OreIron Ore

LimestoneLimestone

OxygenOxygen

AlloysAlloys

CoalCoal

CokeCoke

Pig IronPig Iron

Steel Ingots

Steel Ingots

BakerBakerBakeBake

BlastBlast

MixMix

MillMill

BlastFurnace

BlastFurnace

Blast Furnace Op.

Blast Furnace Op.

FinishingFurnace

FinishingFurnace

Finishing Furnace Op.

Finishing Furnace Op.

RollingMill

RollingMill

MillingOperator

MillingOperator

FinishedSteel

FinishedSteel


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EVOLUTION OF AIS MODELINGStage 1ManualSystems

Stage 2AutomatedSystems

Stage 3Event Driven Systems

Bias:Generate financialstatements

Bias:Generate financialstatements

Bias:Support Planning, Controlling & Evaluating Activities forVarious Information Customers


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Changing the Design Focus is built on three underlying premises:

Information technology enables the design and

implementation of

semantically modeled systems -

systems that more closely

resemble reality.

Today's users expect

a more complete

and accurate representation of reality from which

to draw information.

We are no longer

constrained by the human

inability to record,

maintain, and report

large volumes of

details about business events.


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Business event analysis involves thinking about:

•What happened?•When?

•What resources were involved and how much?

•Where did it occur?•Who was involved and what roles did they

play?•What are the risks involved and how can we

control these risks?

•Why?


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We are able to satisfy multiple views by the data we collect:

•What happened?•When?

•What resources were involved and how much?

•Where did it occur?•Who was involved and what roles did they

play?

•We also identify the risks involved and devise a plan for controlling risks as events occur.


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A Model of Business Events

• What happened?• When did it happen?• Who was involved?• What resources were

involved?• Where did it occur?

Event

Stewardship

ResourceExternal

Participant

Location


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REAL Business Process Models: A Basis for Defining the Data Repository

Customer Places Order

ShipMerchandise

ReceivePayment

Salesperson

Merchandise

ShippingClerk

Carrier

Customer

CustomerPayment

Clerk

Cash

Package

CatalogCenter

DistributionCenter

Customer Returns

MerchandiseReturns Clerk


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CATALOG-CENTER(Center#, Name, Address, Telephone, ...MERCHANDISE(Item#, Item-Description, Color, Size, .., Current-Cost, Current-Price, QOH...CUSTOMER-PLACES-ORDER(Order#, Time, [Center#], [SP#], [Customer#], [Shipment#], Ship-to-Instructions, Confirmation#, Tax, ...SALESPERSON(Salesperson-ID, Name, Address, ... Commission-Rate, Marital-Status, ...CUSTOMER(Customer#, Name, Address, Phone, ...SHIP-MERCHANDISE(Shipment#, Time, [Customer#], [Packer#], [Carrier#], [Ship-Clerk#], [Dist-Ctr#], [Pmt-Receipt#], CARRIER(Carrier#, Name, Address, Rate, Performance-Score, ...SHIPPING-CLERK(Ship-Clerk#, ...DISTRIBUTION-CENTER(Dist-Ctr#, Name, Address, ...

An Event-Driven Data Repository


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PACKAGE(Package#, Weight, [Shipment#], Shipping-Cost

CASH(Acct#, Description, Balance, ...

RECEIVE-PAYMENT(Pmt-Receipt#, Time, [Customer#], [Cust-Pmt-Clrk#], [Acct#], Amt, ...

CUSTOMER-PAYMENT-CLERK(Cust-Pmt-Cler#, ...

RETURN-MERCHANDISE(Return#, [Customer#], [Returns-Clrk#], [Center#], Time, ...

MERCHANDISE-ORDER([Item#],[Order#], Qty-Ordered, Order-Price, Order-Cost, ...

MERCHANDISE-SHIP([Item#], [Shipment#], Qty-Shipped, ...

MERCHANDISE-RETURN([Item#], [Return#], Qty-Returned, ...

An Event-Driven Data Repository


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We Can Apply This Same Approach to Any Other Business Processes

• Buy a machine

• Sell a service

• Build a car

• Hire an employee

• Teach a class

• Make steel

• Buy merchandise

• . . .


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IT: The Enabler

Posting MachinesCheck Writers

General Ledgerand Sub-Systems

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Computing Power

Unit Costs

modeling business processes

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