#4 BPM 12c New Features - Business Architecture Modeling

With 12c we have a new look and feel to Process Composer .
















All work takes place within a Space -

Within the Space, I can create a new Project

Here I can create Enterprise Maps, Strategy Models and Value Chain Models.

To quote the official ORCL docs -

Business Architecture is a methodology for performing high-level analysis of the business processes within your organization. These processes can be high-level processes that span an entire organization or specific, low-level processes performed within a specific group.

Business Architecture uses a top-down approach that allows for discovery of your organization's processes. You can define and evaluate high-level goals and map them to specific strategies for achieving them. You can also run reports on Business Architecture components to evaluate performance

Enterprise Maps

Enterprise Maps provide a bird's eye view of your organization. They are models that show key process areas that reflect key business functions or services. The Enterprise Map is the entry point for process decomposition. Generally, there is only one Enterprise Map for the entire organization.This level defines the top-level business functions or process areas of the enterprise such as Marketing, Sales, Human Resources, and so on. Each top-level business further navigates down to a Value Chain Model into the next level

Here is an example for my whiskey distillery -

We see 3 lanes, by default -

Core: here we see the essential processes to the organization. For my distillery, they are the sourcing of the finest grains and the best sherry oloroso casks, the distilling of the finest Irish whiskey, its storage and then sales.

Management: backend management functions such as HR, Finance and Marketing.

Support: processes that "enhance" the Core and Mgt processes.

You can add your own additional lanes, if necessary.

Value Chain Model

This model allows us to go into more detail on our processes.

To quote the doc:

Value Chain Model is a series of activities within an organization that perform a specific task. Value Chain Models contain a series of value chain steps, which represent different stages of the process.

Here is an example for the Marketing process

Each value chain step corresponds to a more detailed process performed by a smaller group. Each value chain step can be broken down into a separate Value Chain Model, creating a hierarchical group of value chain models. Alternatively, a sub-step can be linked to a BPMN process. BPMN processes define process flows that outline the IT requirements for implementing a process.

Now we link the Marketing process to this Value Chain Model -

Another value add, is the ability to define KPIs at value chain model level.

Value chain models can also be linked to BPM processes within the same space.

Here is a sample BPM process for sending the monthly whiskey-a-go-go newsletter.

The link is created...

Strategy Models

Strategy Models help to define the corporate objectives and goals of an organization and create a strategy for achieving them. Strategy Models allow you to break a goal down into a series of actionable steps. They allow you to map high-level goals down to low-level business processes and tasks performed and implemented by an IT organization.

The following widgets are available in this model -

Goal: the target end result - e.g. grow customer base by 20% annually.

Objective: An objective is a specific and measureable milestone that must be achieved in order to reach a goal. E.g. Increase number of email contacts. 

Strategy:Defines the plan to achieve the said objective (s).

Strategies can also be linked to value chain models -which, in turn, define how the strategy is implemented.

Process Composer also lets us generate BA reports, based on our model.
These reports are BAM based. So you need to have your BAM server installed and configured accordingly.

When you publish your project, the KPIs are stored within the Oracle Business Activity Monitoring (Oracle BAM) repository along with other components of the BA project. After publishing, the KPI is available within BA reports and Oracle BAM dashboards.