Although UML can ensure that a syntactically correct model occurs, the fact is that there is currently no mechanism that also guarantees the semantic accuracy of the model with regards to its contents. The OOGPM methodology offers a detailed procedure model. For representing business standards, OCL ? also a part of UML ? can be used. It is true that, at this time, there is no official OMG standard. This means that you don?t insert new elements, but rather extend the existing ones with the help of Stereotypes and Tagged Values such that they fulfill the requirements of a process. OOGPM (Object-Oriented Business Process Modelling)īoth approaches supply extensions that make UML a language for modelling business processes by utilising the profile "extension mechanism" integriated into UML.There are currently two major concepts for the handling of these challenges: an operational value for the organisation.often more than an executive organisational unit.various activities with events and conditions.resources of the most diverse kind (people, materials, systems).input and output objects of various different types.Nevertheless, the activities of several attributes that would be important for a process are missing: It is especially important to emphasise two types of diagram types in UML for business processes: The class diagram for the presentation of organisational structures and the activity diagram for the description of processes. An extension or application in the direction of business processes wasn?t achieved until the advent of UML 2.
UML is not a method, but rather a mere language originally conceived for the development of software systems. By utilising logical links and the factoring of probabilities of decisions, it is also possible to describe complicated process structures. Here the ability to implement a hierarchy is a major function allowing one to maintain an overview of complex processes. In addition, characteristics (time aspects, costs) can be specified for all activities. Business processes are thereby shown as an outcome of events and functions. For those involved in a process, a simplified view of their task is then created on the process.ĭeveloped in 1991, this method is, like UML, a graphical modelling language for describing processes. The key filed process descriptions must all be made accessible to those for whom these processes have relevance. Preferrably, both should be able to be shown within a system.Īll of a company?s relevant business processes are described and filed along with performance data. Therefore, the goal of modelling is, on the one hand, to model the business (operational) processes and to refine step by step according to the specifications of the IT systems. The changing of business processes as well as adapting the IT infrastructure behind them has become one of the major challanges of our day and age. Business processes today are expected to react quickly to market shifts and, when possible, to adapt to new environments. Lately, however, the documentation alone is no longer enough. In the past, the description of business processes has been one of the central tasks within a company. Both methods have their strengths and weaknesses which will be explored more in detail below.
The two most important are certainly UML 2 and the "Event-Driven Process Chains" (EPC) method. There are various approaches and methods to modelling business processes (BPM).