Business Process Mapping

University of Colorado

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

Why Model Processes?

• Understand and analyze current way of working

• Redesign and improve
• Use model as a way to implement a standard way
of working
• Train new employees
• Communicate with other groups and external
entities

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

Process Modeling Standards

The Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) has

developed a standard Business Process Modeling Notation
(BPMN).
• The primary goal:
– provide a notation that is readily understandable by all
business users,
• from the business analysts that create the initial drafts of
the processes,
• to the technical developers responsible for implementing
the technology that will perform those processes, and
finally,
• to the business people who will manage and monitor
those processes.
© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.
Basic Process Components

Processes are:
A set of Activities and Tasks, which are performed by
Participants in Roles, organized in a particular Sequence,
directed and measured by Time and Events / Triggers

Activities / Tasks Participants Roles

A single unit of work, People or systems that A layer of abstraction
can be performed by a provide input to, or that creates the link
person or system perform work steps between participants
within a process and activities / tasks

Events / Triggers
Sequence
Time Occurrences that cause
The logical order in
Average or desired a process to start, direct
which work steps are
durations for work items a process sequence, or
performed
cause a process to end
© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.
Basic Process Components

• In order to prevent the need for a VERY large sheet of

paper, we create a process hierarchy that allows us to
compartmentalize and focus on specific process segments
• Our process hierarchy will be the following:
• Cycle
• Process
• Subprocess
• Activity
• Task

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

Basic Process Components

• A basic set of symbols have been built into the Visio template
– These symbols are compliant with the Business Process
Modeling Notation (BPMN) standard, managed and
supported by the Object Management Group

Conditional Split / Unconditional

Sub-Process Activity / Task
Join Split / Join

Start Event Intermediate Event Time Event (Label Message Event End Event
(Label outside outside symbol) (Label outside
symbol) symbol)

This is an
annotation
symbol.
Data Object
(Invoice, Order, Off-page
etc.) connector

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

 Swimlanes

• Swimlanes provide a means to show who is

responsible for specific work
• Events and controls may appear in any
swimlane
Cycle - Process
Function /
Role

Start
Function /
Role

Condition Join
Function /
Role

End

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

Visio Template Overview

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

Example Quoting Process

Quoting Process
Customer
Customer

Email quote
Customer calls to
main switchboard customer
to place order

Use end user

No pricing
Team
Sales

Sales team
Team
Sales

Standard
documents Distributor? Customer
No Quote
standard order Order?

Use Distributor
Yes
Pricing
Yes
Customer
Customer
Quoter
Quoter

Collect data and Custom Quote

create
quote

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.

Questions?

© Grant Thornton LLP. All rights reserved.