The identification of inputs and outputs is an aspect of vital importance in the modeling of business processes, and is also closely linked to the definition of the information system that supports the execution of processes.
A Methodology is proposed for the identification and modeling of inputs and outputs of Business Processes in a Collaborative Environment.
The inputs and outputs of business processes were addressed from different work disciplines: Business Process Management, Business Modeling Architectures or Software Requirements Engineering. In a collaborative environment, business processes have several differences from traditional business processes. On the one hand
the execution of process activities are the responsibility of two or more entities (companies, supply chains or networks), and with it the problems of the system that supports the processes and the associated information system, on the other hand, collaborative relationships transform the how information is shared between entities.
In the Business Process Management area, techniques and tools are provided that consider process inputs and outputs. Some of these techniques are (Aguilar-Saven, 2004): Flowchart, Data Flow Diagrams-DFD, Role Activity Diagrams-RAD, Role Interactions Diagrams -RID), Gantt Diagrams, IDEF (Integrated Definition for Role Modeling), Colored Petri Nets (Couloured Petri-net-CPN), Object Oriented Methods (Object Orientation-OO) or Workflow Techniques Business Modeling Architectures They approach business process modeling using different views of modeling, each of which focuses and works on one specific part of the integrated business model (Toh, 1999).
Each modeling architecture proposes its own modeling views, for example: AIMOSA (Organization, Resources, Information and Function Views), GRAI-GIM (Product Views),
Physical, Decision-making, Information and Functional System), PERA (Architecture of the Organization and HR, the Information System and the Production Team), GERAM (Visions of Organization, Resources, Information and Function), ARIS (Visions of Function, Data ,
Organization and Control). Process inputs and outputs have been addressed mainly from the functional and informational perspectives (Melao and Pidd, 2000). Finally, Software Requirements Engineering allows identifying the elements that need to be represented in models whose objective is the design of an information system and which, therefore, explicitly consider the relationship between business processes and computational systems.
Requirements Engineering tries to understand the exact needs of the users of the software system, in order to translate these needs into precise and unambiguous instructions that can be later used in the development of the system.
The different work disciplines provide different modeling tools and, in many cases, incorporate their own methodologies (Cuenca and others, 2006). Process modeling methodologies depend on the model to be developed. From a global perspective, the information relevant to documenting a process contains the definition of the target, scope, terms y Definitions, responsibility y authority, Activities that are performed, Appetizer y exits, indicators, Resources, the infrastructure It is interrelations with other processes (Arrascaeta, 2005, and Athena, 2004). Lin and Polenske (1998) present a model of inputs and outputs of the production process. This model provides a mathematical description of the existing inputs and outputs in the production process in order to provide information for decision making, where the productive activity of a company is considered as a set of productive processes that combine several factors to produce results. However, this approach does not take into account the relationships between the process and its customers and suppliers.
cheng leong and others (1999) differentiates between two types of inputs and outputs: information and material. In the context of the supply chain, the SCOR model (Supply Chain Operational
Reference Model) is used to improve communication between supply chain companies and their information systems (Athena, 2004). and others (2002) propose an approach based on inputs and outputs of productive processes, used to develop specific models that investigate the flows between productive processes, either of a global supply chain or of a part of the chain. hernandez and others (2008) distinguish between product flows (inputs and outputs for transformation processes), information flows (inputs and outputs for information transformation processes) and decision flows (decision processes and their relationships).
Identifying the inputs and outputs of a process is a requirement to be met in business process modeling, but the analyzed proposals do not detail how this should be done. This justifies the need for a methodology that helps identify and analyze the inputs and outputs of business processes.
Proposed methodology for identifying and modeling inputs and outputs of business processes in a collaborative environment
Through the methodology, the inputs and outputs of the process will be identified from the point of view of the flow of the activity that is carried out. In this sense, inputs are transformed or used during the activity to produce an output. The proposed methodology follows a top-down process approach (Top-Dow) so that the inputs and outputs of processes, sub-processes and activities are identified, in that order.
The steps to follow for each process, sub-process or activity are:
1. Identify the process, sub-process or activity: it is necessary to unequivocally identify the process, sub-process or activity on which the following steps of the methodology will be carried out.
2. Identification of outputs (results): the process outputs that add value to the customer must be distinguished from the other process outputs resulting from the activity of transforming inputs into value outputs:
a) What value outputs (results) for the customer does the process provide?
b) What other outputs does the process generate as a result of transforming the inputs?
For each output:
2.1. Is it an output of information or material?: Processes can provide outputs of information or material objects. In the methodology it is understood that the following may appear:
— Data or information output: data or information produced by the activity or process.
— Output of objects (or materials): objects that are produced by the activity or process.
2.2. Who is the customer or recipient?: The process output is justified by providing value to a specific customer (2a).
In the case of other outputs as a consequence of the transformation process (2b) one can speak of the recipient of the output.
23. Specification of the output: it is necessary to specify the output to clearly identify it according to its own nature and from the perspective of its recipient. The latter determines whether or not the output has the value expected by the customer:
2.3.1. What is the specification of the output from the customer's or recipient's point of view?
2.3.2. What is the specification corresponding to its own nature depending on whether it is information or object?
3. Identification of inputs: The process inputs can be of different types. IDEF0 includes in its process model the following basic elements that can be understood as inputs to the process: authority (description, specification or justification of a process), control (conditions that activate the process), inputs (object that enters the process ), and mechanisms (resources used by the process).
In the proposed methodology, only the inputs that enter the process to be transformed or used to produce an output are identified.
For each entry:
3.1. Is it an information or material entry?: In the methodology it is understood that 2 types of entries may appear:
— Data or information input: Data or information that is transformed or used by the activity or process to produce an output.
— Object (or material) input: Objects that are transformed or used by the activity or process to produce an output.
3.2. Who is the supplier or origin?: a necessary piece of information to identify inputs is the supplier or origin supplying the input, if they have already been established or if you want to establish some type of relationship.
3.3. Specification of the input: it is necessary to specify the input to clearly identify it according to its own nature and from the perspective of the activity that transforms or uses it, since the latter conditions the fact that the input meets the necessary requirements for the activity to be carried out. make an output:
3.3.1. What is the input specification from the activity point of view?
3.3.2. What is the specification corresponding to its own nature depending on whether it is information or object?