VDML for Business Architects: Part 5 of 11, Process Abstraction

Please see the post for VDML for Business Architects: Part 1 of 11, for the introduction to this series of posts.  VDML represents an abstraction of a business process as a capability method with an activity network representing particular operations. The activity networks do not require the technical details encountered in operational business process models.

1.    Unit of production flow model

Instead of specification of flows of individual business transactions, VDML represents the statistical flow of a unit of production.  While there may be different flows through an activity network, these flows are described as fractions of a unit of production and they impact value contributions according to those fractions. This abstraction is less complex and more consistent with business leader concerns and mental model of processes.

2.    Context-based role assignments

Capability methods can be engaged in multiple contexts within the same VDML scenario (e.g., different lines of business). These capability methods may be managed by different organization units such that there are different role assignments by the different organization units.

3.    Performers as business objects/deliverables

Role participants can be passed by delegation and/or be used as deliverables in activity networks.  For example, a patient may be an activity performer and also be the subject (i.e., work product) of activity operations.

4.    Asynchronous/buffered deliverable flows

Where business process models send messages for asynchronous exchanges, VDML sends deliverables to Stores that function as buffers or queues.  A store may have measurements of the number of deliverables waiting and the time a deliverable is delayed in the store.

5.    Inputs and outputs of collaborations and activities

Various subject matter such as products, documents, resources, materials and communications are the inputs and outputs of collaborations, activities, stores and pools.  VDML identifies all of these as “business items” that are classified, described and named in the BusinessItemLibrary.  The physical nature of these business items is generally unimportant in the VDML abstraction except as their nature affects the measurements of the performance and value contributions of the collaborations and activities that consume and produce them.  The classifications and descriptive names are meaningful for model developers and users to understand what the collaborations and activities are doing and exchanging.

6.    Resource/personnel requirements analysis

Resource and personnel requirements can be computed from consumption by assigned activities, production rates and duration of assignments (from Pools of reusable resources and personnel).