Business processes Business Studio Examples. Benefits Business Studio Business Modeling System. Accelerate the achievement of strategic goals

With this, every teacher or business analyst is familiar with this. In practice, many have already faced the fact that making decisions about any change in the company - whether to optimize activities, creating a department or the introduction of an information system - requires an analysis of relationships with all the elements. And those who participated in the creation of a new business, remember that this project is very similar to long running with obstacles. Why is this happening?

The fact is that no person is able to keep the full structure of the company with the detail necessary for the adoption of accurate decisions. The company as a system is too complicated for this. Attempting to ignore its complexity and make solutions based on only part of factors or intuition, it looks like a roulette game: "We are lucky - you are not lucky."

What is the way out? Obviously, to "see" the company entirely, it is necessary for its "drawing", as well as, for example, the architect requires a building drawing. The creation of such a "drawing" of the company is called "business modeling", and the drawing itself is a "business architecture".

Today IT systems have entered all the spheres of our lives so tightly, it is difficult to separate the study of a system from studying the process for which it is necessary. Various gadgets, software products, informational and analytical IT systems are tightly integrated into real life.

As a result, the programmer is forced to become in some ways a specialist in manufacturing, warehouse, accounting, should be able to automate sales (online stores, cRM systemsTheir integration and automation) must be understood in various fields at least at the level of selection and software configuration. However, this situation is not new, programmers and before it was very often forced to study different types Accounting and production processes.

And now I decided to a little to help those colleagues who face a business analyst, because today business is also described using IT tools. Such an approach sees the business organization as a whole as a kind of system operating in accordance with the given algorithms. There is no place for the human factor, but there is a rigid framework of job descriptions. Business analysts, business consultants, leaders of large, medium, and sometimes even small enterprises are interested in this approach to identify erroneous actions, duplicate structures, logistics and other errors and shortcomings. And often refer to IT professionals with a request to choose and / or configure software for such work.

Here I decided to describe the business systems precisely as software products like IT tools, help colleagues deal with different options for such systems, from which they may consist of recommending customers, and what opportunities they can really get after the introduction of such software.

In this article I will try to answer these and other issues related to the work of IT products for business modeling. And I suggest these questions on the example of the Business Studio software product.

Business modeling is the process of developing and implementing business models of organization (strategy, business processes, organizational structure, quality, etc.) in order to formalize and optimize its activities.

Why does Business Studio?

First, because this particular software I studied the most deeply. I met him about 8 years ago, when I needed the opportunity to describe business processes and form convenient and visual documents.

At first I used Western BPWIN development, the processes described in IDEF 3, and the functional models did in IDEF0. For some time I was enough, but then it took the opportunity to quickly form the necessary documentation, and I began to look for a convenient solution. So I came across the Business Studio website and began to study this system.

For a start, I downloaded the product, created a functional model in the iDEF0 and formed in the Business Studio program an official instruction at the third level (in that project I was just 3 levels). I remember how I was glad when I painted the process, I received documentation of 5 pages at the exit. But then everything was so good. Why? I want to tell about it below.

Moreover, I even attended Business Studio official courses, I will tell a little about them below. Now I just want to clarify that I spent the study of the software product quite deeply. First, in practice with the help of information from the official site, and then on courses. But still it turned out to work with this system quite difficult.

I just want to say that in my personal opinion, Business Studio is a very difficult system, overloaded with opportunities, including excessive business analytics, difficult to perceive due to the permanent use of abbreviations, even where it could be Doing, but at the same time limited in those capabilities that may be needed for business analysis. However, these are sin and other Russian counterparts.

Business Systems: Licted Tools or Project "All in One"?

Today there are two areas in creating IT tools for business intelligence and parallelly.
  • Business Analytics Tool Kits
  • Complex system of business modeling
In the first case, the creation of narrow-controlled tools is practiced, each of which is used to carry out certain work. From this list, you can recall, for example, BPWIN and other similar systems that are concentrated on some sufficient narrow segments, i.e. Rather, rather a set of tools that can be used individually, but it is almost impossible to put different directions together.

With this approach, business modeling is perceived as a rather narrow concept. And the ability to use different tools in different cases can significantly increase the flexibility and simplicity of modeling of certain processes, while not overloading the system with complex structures.

In such systems, one or another business process can be developed separately, specify some data. But at the same time, on the basis of these information it is impossible to create some kind of regulatory documentation or to combine different directions into something in one.

Integrated business modeling systems, which include Business Studio, as well as many large CRM systems, try to combine everything and immediately. On their sites, they are positioned as solutions to a wide range of business problems, ranging from the preparation of documentation and staffing and ending with business modeling and other business intelligence tools. They write not just about the set of tools, but about the complete restructuring of the work of the enterprise, the formation of the most different documentation, etc. etc.

And on the example of Business Studio, I will try to consider the features of such complex business systems, I will tell you where they can be applied, and what difficulties can occur. Immediately make a reservation that in this article I will consider Business Studio, first of all as the IT system, and not as a system for business analysis.

What is Business Studio?

Business Studio is a Russian development intended for complex work with business processes, as well as for forming different documents, reports, business models and much more.

What is the modeling of business processes in Business Studio:

  • Processes.Described in IDEF0, BPMN 2.0 format, as well as in some other formats.
  • Subjects of activity. These are divisions, people who are necessary for the work of the process.
  • External objects of activity.What system consists of, i.e. Inanimate components.
With these basic components, you can perform a wide range of actions, ranging from modeling and ending with the creation of various documents, reports, instructions, etc.

How is the modeling in Business Studio?

So, Business Studio business modeling begins with the listing of subjects, i.e. Company divisions and employees. For example, if we are talking about the financial department, it will be financial director And chief accountant.

Next, objects will be required. In our case, this is primarily the documentation. More precisely, in the examples proposed by me, the object will be the system that the company's employees is used, for example, 1C, as well as some paper documents.

Now in the Process tab you need to create a process. The first thing to be done is to develop the root model of the entire enterprise or one of the directions. Next, decompose processes as needed.

For example, if we had an IDEF0 format and the process was called "Financing Activities", it will be possible to decompose it on such part: "Payment of goods", "Payment of Materials", "Treasury activities". And now we can already with the help of arrows and dragging from subjects and objects to form inputs and outputs, create control flows for different processes.

Such actions can be made an unlimited number of times, create different divisions and processes. In addition, with the help of this tool, we can do the work as transparent as possible, since all processes will be described in the form of simple and understandable schemes.

It would seem that the idea is wonderful, and it should work well. But, as often happens, there are difficulties in the implementation process, which will subsequently become issues for users.

Bulkiness system

When modeling the work of the enterprise, we face that if we begin to prescribe each process, each function of the enterprise and decomposing, then with any change, you need to carefully make appropriate changes to all the levels above the level in which there have been changed. And if your system has a rather complicated and branched, this work will require a lot of time, forces, as well as attentiveness. Naturally, the human factor has a very noticeable impact on the work of the entire system.

For example, if in the business model we have developed, there are 3 levels, it will look like this:

  • 1 level - 1 function.
  • At 2 level it is divided into 4.
  • At 3 level, the branching continues, for example, each function - on 5 processes.
And if we change the inputs at the second level, the first level of this will not be "to know", i.e. The system does not control such changes. It is very important.

Just think how much strength and attention will be required of a person if it makes changes to 3 or even 4 levels. After all, manually will need to check all the higher processes!

Another important factor. In the future, if you wish, we will be able to use all the subjects described to form technical specifications and other documents. And the fact that the business analytics looks like an arrow, for the developer and employee will be a real process to be described and correctly executed. Those. The business analyst simply removes the arrow, and in practice some document is withdrawn from everybody, as a result it is very important to coordinate these actions with other objects, and it turns out a certain "ball" in which it is very easy to get confused.

For example:

It is necessary to describe the process of storage of goods, and based on it to create a job description. The Business Studio system allows you to perform these actions. But in case of making any changes to the business process, the instruction becomes irrelevant.

It would seem trivia? But in fact, this is a serious problem, as the business analyst is forced to constantly remember the processes that have nothing to do with his work. In addition, business analysis and the creation of regulatory documentation are different things. And here they are together.

Technical shortcomings of the system

In the Business Studio system there is no own business modular, i.e. His graphic component. Developers used the standard Microsoft Visio component, as a result of which users arise some difficulties when creating a model.

The fact is that drawing the model and model is a bit different processes. Draw in Business Studio, you can very different things. And representatives of the company say that the arrows you can draw practically anything, and even imagine it as a plus system.

But what about reality? For example, a business analyst uses in the work of the arrow of different colors. Technically, this is quite possible. But in fact, if we simulate the process, all incoming and outgoing streams should be equivalent. And if different colors of the arrows appear in the model, questions appear that they mean and why this arrow was performed in red, and the other is green. And if a business analyst who created this scheme does not work and cannot answer such questions, a wide variety of incidents may arise.

In the case of using your own tools, the developer company can add a ban on similar user actions. But the developers of Business Studio saved their time and strength, took advantage of the finished third-party decision, and the result is: the user gets access to excessive capabilities, which, in turn, can lead to misunderstandings.

Overloading features

How does business modeling process usually occur? Personally, I spend a survey of employees of the company, I receive information about the systems used, about people, job descriptions. On the basis of the information received, modeling a business process in the notation of BPMN 2.0 or create a model in the notation of IDEF0.

It just does not work out here. If we want to simulate something, then faced with a large number of opportunities that entail, the need to remember the different links and functions.

Any arrow, any object is associated with other objects, the appearance of new data allows you to form new documents and reports. As a result, when working with this system, any user starts to be interested in, why this possibility is needed here, and what will happen if you try to do anything otherwise, if you specify additional information or on the contrary, do not specify certain data.

As a result, users instead of drawing the model, begin to understand all these possibilities. In general, excessive overload functions of business processes distracts and prevents modeling.

Inaccuracy of the wording

In fact, IDEF0 is not a process, it is still a functional model. Each function has inputs and outputs, functional arrows, i.e., when modeling, we obtain a functional model. This is called the process. In fact, it would be correct to call similar objects with features or functional models.

As you know, any inaccuracy of the wording makes an extra confusion, and for people who go to Business Studio from other systems, this confusion can become a problem.

So, with business modeling more or less figured out, more on how to generate objects and processes, you can read on the official website of the system. Go to other possibilities.

KPI - key performance indicators

KPI collection allows you to collect key performance indicators of the enterprise and determine the effectiveness of employees and / or divisions in the context of these indicators.

In simplified form, work with KPI looks like this:

  1. We take one or another indicator;
  2. We introduce its boundary values \u200b\u200b(minimum and maximum);
  3. We collect statistics;
  4. We form a report in which the effectiveness of work based on this indicator is visible.
For example:

Suppose that the maximum number of transactions that one employee can conduct within a month is 12. With more transactions, the effectiveness of the employee's work is reduced. And the minimum number of transactions will be 5, i.e. With a decrease in this indicator even more, the employee is not driven by work.

Thus, we get a "green zone" - from 5 to 12 transactions per month. And less than 5 or more than 12 transactions - this is a red zone. So it will look like a scheme.

We indicate the boundary data, we introduce the figures received by the staff for the month, and we observe a summary scheme with the results. So you can clearly see how often deviations from the "norm" are found, which employees work at the level above the maximum, and who finds itself in the lower line of efficiency.

The system, it seems, comfortable and very useful. But it also has certain cons.

The collection of information for reporting is implemented within the company, while indicators are not decomposed, and there is also no possibility to collect grouped data.

Ideally, such reporting should be collected from the transaction system both by employees and by divisions, as well as the company as a whole. And on the basis of the consolidated report, it should be implemented to see which unit and which employee is most effective, and who works badly. Unfortunately, such a general report, followed by details in this system, is not implemented.

Here, if we want to collect data, we need to create a new figure for these groupings every time, and they will not connect with each other. Those. To create some indicator as a whole on a company, for example, re-applied customers, we will need to create an indicator separately for an employee separately for the unit, separately for the company. And they will have to collect them separately. What is not quite convenient.

Another minus of the implementation of KPI is the impossibility of implementing without buying additional system. An additional component is needed to enter and control information, called CockPit, i.e. Input and control tool to buy separately.

Balanced system indicators

Another possibility that is in the system is called a balanced system of indicators. What does it mean? A strategic system developed by Robert Coplan and David Norton was used here.

To obtain balanced indicators, it is necessary, first of all, to set the indicator to be done the highest in the hierarchy, then indicators with a lower hierarchy are set, and the methods of their interaction are indicated.

For example, the company's main goal is to increase profits. Very common situation. We indicate this indicator as a goal. And the main indicator is a profit. And, accordingly, we define how the growth of profits depends on the increase in customers and the conservation of costs.

All this must be specified in the system, after which it will be possible to create a beautiful scheme in which the numbers will be transformed into a visual graphics.

All this at first surprises and admires. But practice shows that in order to get such a beautiful and bulk picture, you will need a lot of time. It will be necessary to specify each of the indicators and determine their interaction among themselves.

For example, if the reduction in costs gives only a 10% increase in profits, and the increase in customers is the remaining 90%, this dependence must be specified in the system. Those. To get not just a beautiful but realistic picture, you will have to introduce a wide range of indicators and accurately indicate all the options for their interaction, which is quite difficult.

In addition, in practice it is very difficult to determine what exactly is the goal of the company, what the indicators for it are the most important, after which these indicators must also be collected, which is also not easy.

As a result, for small and medium businesses, this opportunity is useless. By the time you can collect and contribute all the data into the system, the situation will already change and the results of your work will be not relevant.

Design of the organizational system of the enterprise

For such a type of design in the subjects, it will be necessary to introduce some units, a subordination hierarchy in the company, employees, after which it is possible to automatically create a submission structure in the company, i.e. regular schedule. We can use the same subjects in the design of business processes.

It would seem that everything is simple: add subjects and place them on the map, which is formed automatically. But it is necessary to understand that the work of the business analyst and the work of the personnel management department is very different. And in this case, the idea of \u200b\u200bcombining these things in one product is very doubtful.

You can, of course, give this part of working with the system on the HR-Department, but they have their own software products and their tools. In addition, the participation in the work of such HR managers is hampered by business analyst. An analyst can see one position somewhat different than the employees of the HR-department, they have different goals and objectives, as a result, the structure is also lined up somewhat differently.

Therefore, additional coordination will be needed for effective work, otherwise instead of standardization, the company will receive on the contrary, permanent overlays and conflicts.

Publications on Business Studio

As Business Studio employees themselves wrote on the official website, their website is the portal, to which you can refer to the database of knowledge.

Here I have no comments, the system works normally and forms pages correctly and without problems. The main thing is to cope with the work in the system and understand all the nuances, including, in order for you to have to lay out on the portal.

QMS - quality manager system

Building this system I will not cover now, as I personally did not use this opportunity and I can not imagine how to use it. I just mention that such an opportunity in Business Studio is also implemented, and read about it in more detail on the official website of the software product.

Development of technical specifications

There is such an opportunity. You can describe the business process, specify a responsible employee, to determine which processes should flow, and on the basis of this data is formed automatically documentation - a technical task for the implementation of the information system.

I tried to use this opportunity several times, but all attempts ended unsuccessfully. All documentation is based on the information that was specified in Business Studio. As a result, the technical task is based solely on a fairly sketchy business model, many important things are overlooked. As a result, this technical task has to add, modify and generally refine a lot in order to get a really working tool for a particular business at the output.

Summary

I only described the most interesting opportunity of the Business Studio system from my point of view. The fact that this powerful system can still find out on the official website of the software product. But even such select data allow you to make certain conclusions. Especially with the fact that other domestic development for business analytics is largely similar to Business Studio.

The main problem of all complex Systems Business analysts are their volume and point of view of the enterprise. To learn how to work with the system, it will take a lot more time and strength, in comparison with individual tools. A huge number of functions, their relationship - all this needs to be studied, and only then you can do something really useful in such a system. As a result, the business analyst is forced to spend a lot of time to study the business product.

Moreover, on 3-day courses in Samara, which I visited at my own expense to study this system deeper, I watched a completely depressing picture. If I am, a business consultant, an experienced specialist in working with various software in the business sector, did not manage independently on the books and the information that was found on the Internet, to understand this product deep enough, what to talk about business analysts or different leaders of business units?

By the way, at the same courses in Samara, all participants, besides me, were employees of large organizations, only one decided to undergo training, others - sent organizations. And most of these people have been applied to this system, or in general, after training, came to the conclusion that the introduction of Business Studio in their organization to anything. And the reason for this relationship to the software product is just its complexity and obscure positioning.

Business Studio is trying to show their vision model of the company's work as a whole. But in fact, any business is much more complicated than what the developers offer. In the structure of any company there are many more different nuances, and accommodate them in the framework of one IT product is simply not real. As a result, the company, the work of which needs to be analyzed using this tool, is placed in a kind of "procrusteo bed", where there are a lot of important things "behind the frame" for the scenes.

Thus, we see that with abundance of different specific capabilities, the developers did not work sufficiently methodological baseWhat makes it difficult to work with the system and reduces its quality and convenience of work. At the same time, highly specialized analogs, remind, not more than a set of individual tools, not combined into a single integer. What and when to use, solve only you. The main thing is to make a choice with open eyes and understanding why in a particular case one or another option is more convenient. It was in this matter that I tried to help you.

Modeling business processes is one of the methods of improving the quality and efficiency of the organization. This method is based on the process description through various elements (actions, data, events, materials, etc.) inherent in the process. As a rule, modeling business processes describes the logical interconnection of all elements of the process from its start before completion within the organization. In more complex situations, modeling may include external processes or system to organize.

Modeling business processes makes it possible to understand work and analyze the organization. This is achieved due to the fact that the models can be prepared on various aspects and control levels. In large organizations, modeling business processes is carried out in more detail and multifaceted than in small, which is associated with a large number of cross-functional bonds.

Objectives Business modeling:

  • Due to the modeling, you can trace what happens in processes from the beginning, before completion. Simulation allows you to get an "external" look at the processes and determine improvements that will increase their effectiveness.
  • Ruling processes. Modeling business processes sets the rules for performing processes, i.e. how they must be completed.
  • Modeling business processes establishes a clear connection between the processes and the requirements they have to perform.

Modeling business processes and reengineering in Business Studio can be carried out on the principle of Deming ( PDCA.: Plan, Do, Control, Act)

PDCA. (eng. " Plan-Do-Check-Act» — planning-action-check-adjustment) A cyclically repeated decision-making process used in quality management. Also known as Deming Cycle, SHEWHART CYCLE, DEMING WHEEL or PLAN-DO-STUDY-ACT. Also known as the Deming-Shukhart principle, but Deming preferred PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) at Shukhart (Plan-Do-Check-Act).

Organizational structure. The scheme, schematically reflecting the composition and hierarchy of enterprise divisions. The organizational structure is established on the basis of the objectives of the activities and necessary to achieve these goals that perform the functions that make up the organization's business processes.

Strategic card. The goals delivered by the business owner are the starting point for the development of the organization's business strategy. The strategy is selected activities, markets and are formulated by key competitive advantages, at the expense of which the company should succeed. The strategy can be successfully implemented only when the company employees understand. Describing a business development strategy in a more or less ordered form, we increase the likelihood of its successful implementation. Developed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton System of Indicators (Balanced Scorecard, BSC) is best tool Representations of the strategy implementation process in a clear form. Balanced Scorecard is a system of strategic management of the company based on measuring and evaluating its effectiveness on the set of optimally selected indicators reflecting all aspects of the organization's activities such as financial and non-financial.

Identifying and formalizing the strategy, you can proceed to the creation of the company's business processes model. That is, to identify that activity that the company must implement for the implementation of the strategy and achieve the goals.

Business Studio allows you to build as a comprehensive hierarchical model of the company's activities, and describe a number of individual processes. To do this, the business analyst is provided with the most popular and convenient modeling notations: IDEF0, Procedure (Cross Functional Flowchart), BPMN 2.0, Basic Flowchart, EPC (Event Driven Process Chain).After describing the model of business processes "as is" or designing new business processes, you can estimate the time and cost of processes.

a) The notation of IDEF0 is advisable to use to build a hierarchical model of top-level business processes.

IDEF0. - Methodology of functional modeling (eng. Function Modeling) and graphic notation designed to formalize and describe business processes. A distinctive feature IDEF0 is its emphasis on the coenplex objects. The IDEF0 discusses the logical relationship between the works, and not their temporal sequence (work flow).
The IDEF0 standard represents the organization as a set of modules, here there is a rule - the most important function is in the upper left corner, in addition, there is a side rule:
The entrance arrow is always coming into the left edge of activity,
Management arrow - in the upper edge,
The mechanism arrow is lower edge,
Exit arrow - right edge.
This standard was developed in 1981 by the US Air Force Department under the automation program industrial enterpriseswhich wore an ICAM designation (Integrated Computer Aid Manufacturing). The IDEF set inherited its name from this program (IDEF is decrypted as ICAM Definition). In the process of practical implementation, the participants of the ICAM program faced the need to develop new methods for analyzing the processes of interaction in industrial systems

B) Notation Procedure, BPMN 2.0, process and EPC can be used to simulate the processes of the lower (operational) level. Business Studio allows you to change the simulation notation when you go with the description of the top-level processes to the description of the lower level processes.

For the process, you can determine: the process owner, process executors, requirements for the deadline for execution, documents used and a number of other parameters. The combination of visual graphic notations and process parameters ensures the necessary completeness of the description of business processes and allows you to release a really useful regulatory documentation.

Notation BPMN. Describes legend To display business processes in the form of diagrams of business processes. BPMN is focused on both technical specialists and business users. To do this, the language uses a basic set of intuitive elements that allow to determine complex semantic structures. In addition, the BPMN specification determines how the diagrams describing the business process can be transformed into executable models in BPEL. The BPMN 2.0 specification is also executed and portable (that is, the process drawn in one editor from one manufacturer can be executed on the engine of business processes of a completely different manufacturer, provided that they support BPMN 2.0).

Model "Extended Notation of Description of the Event Process Chain" - Extended Event Driven Process Chain (EEPC). Notation developed by IDS Scheer AG (Germany) specialists, in particular Professor Sheer. This is the type of flowcharts used for business modeling. EPC can be used to configure the enterprise resource planning system (ERP), and for improving business processes. Read more about EPC you can read

More details about the EPC modeling in Business Studio is written in Wiki http://www.businessstudio.ru/wiki/docs/v4/doku.php/en/csdesign/bpmodeling/epc_notation

The imitation of the business process "AS IS" can be made using functional and valuable analysis and simulation modeling by Business Studio.

  • Simulation modeling - The study method that allows you to analyze the system without changing it. This is possible due to the fact that the system studied is replaced by imitating. Experiments are carried out with the simulating system, while the resulting information characterizes the system being studied. Speaking about the analysis of the company's activities, the method allows you to simulate the implementation of the model of business processes as it would happen in reality, and get a real estimate of the duration of each process.
  • Functional value analysis - A tool designed to estimate the cost of the product (services). The functional and cost analysis allows you to obtain a cost estimate through processes management aimed at the production of the product or provision of services. This is the difference between the method of functional and cost analysis of business processes from traditional financial methods Cost accounting, within which the company's activities are assessed by functional operations, and not on specific products (services) provided to the customer. The basis of functional and cost analysis is the following position: for the production of product (services), you must perform a number of processes, while spending certain resources. The costs of process execution are calculated by transferring resource costs for the cost of the process steps. The amount of expenses for the implementation of all processes with certain amendments, and is the cost of the product (services). If a traditional methods Calculate the costs of some kind of activity only by cost category, then a functional cost analysis shows the cost of performing all the steps of the process. Thus, the methodological and cost analysis method allows the most accurate product costs (provision of services), and also provides information for analyzing business processes and improve them.

Stages of imitation:

  • setting the temporal parameters of the final (missing) processes
  • set the parameters of the resources required to perform these processes
    Resources are divided into temporary and material. The cost of a temporary resource is transferred to the cost value in proportion to the time that the resource spends on the process, the value of the material resource is proportional to the number of repetitions of the process.
  • purpose of resources for processes
  • conducting imitation of processes

For example, we managed to imitation of the business process "Testing" with a functional value analysis


The Demo version of Business Studio provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the possibilities of the product by simulating their business processes or looked at the description of the model of activity of the company "IntechProject". The demo version does not have restrictions on the term of use, and its capabilities are enough to describe and regulate the activities of a small company or a separate unit. (In the demo version, a text report on the results of imitation cannot be obtained.

The use of Business Studio translates the process of creating a system of management system from the discharge of exclusive and unpredictable creativity on everyday design according to logical laws of business, allows you to obtain specific results at reasonable time and for a certain price. In addition, the system is not a tool of one-time application - it is supported by further existence and business development as a whole.

That is why, since its appearance in 2004, Business Studio business modeling system has gained widespread among Russia and other countries. The Group of Companies "Modern Management Technologies" is not only constantly improving the system, but also contributes to the emergence of young management professionals. More than 30 higher educational institutions have become partners and use Business Studio in their curriculum.

Today IT systems have entered all the spheres of our lives so tightly, it is difficult to separate the study of a system from studying the process for which it is necessary. Various gadgets, software products, informational and analytical IT systems are tightly integrated into real life.

As a result, the programmer is forced to become in some ways a specialist in manufacturing, warehouse, accounting, should be able to automate sales (online stores, CRM systems, their integration and automation) should be able to understand in a wide variety of areas at least at the level of choice and Software settings. However, this situation is far from new, programmers and before it was often forced to study different types of accounting and production processes.

And now I decided to a little to help those colleagues who face a business analyst, because today business is also described using IT tools. Such an approach sees the business organization as a whole as a kind of system operating in accordance with the given algorithms. There is no place for the human factor, but there is a rigid framework of job descriptions. Business analysts, business consultants, leaders of large, medium, and sometimes even small enterprises are interested in this approach to identify erroneous actions, duplicate structures, logistics and other errors and shortcomings. And often refer to IT professionals with a request to choose and / or configure software for such work.

Here I decided to describe the business systems precisely as software products like IT tools, help colleagues deal with different options for such systems, from which they may consist of recommending customers, and what opportunities they can really get after the introduction of such software.

In this article I will try to answer these and other issues related to the work of IT products for business modeling. And I suggest these questions on the example of the Business Studio software product.

Business modeling is the process of developing and implementing business models of organization (strategy, business processes, organizational structure, quality, etc.) in order to formalize and optimize its activities.

Why does Business Studio?

First, because this particular software I studied the most deeply. I met him about 8 years ago, when I needed the opportunity to describe business processes and form convenient and visual documents.

At first I used Western BPWIN development, the processes described in IDEF 3, and the functional models did in IDEF0. For some time I was enough, but then it took the opportunity to quickly form the necessary documentation, and I began to look for a convenient solution. So I came across the Business Studio website and began to study this system.

For a start, I downloaded the product, created a functional model in the iDEF0 and formed in the Business Studio program an official instruction at the third level (in that project I was just 3 levels). I remember how I was glad when I painted the process, I received documentation of 5 pages at the exit. But then everything was so good. Why? I want to tell about it below.

Moreover, I even attended Business Studio official courses, I will tell a little about them below. Now I just want to clarify that I spent the study of the software product quite deeply. First, in practice with the help of information from the official site, and then on courses. But still it turned out to work with this system quite difficult.

I just want to say that in my personal opinion, Business Studio is a very difficult system, overloaded with opportunities, including excessive business analytics, difficult to perceive due to the permanent use of abbreviations, even where it could be Doing, but at the same time limited in those capabilities that may be needed for business analysis. However, these are sin and other Russian counterparts.

Business Systems: Licted Tools or Project "All in One"?

Today there are two areas in creating IT tools for business intelligence and parallelly.
  • Business Analytics Tool Kits
  • Complex system of business modeling
In the first case, the creation of narrow-controlled tools is practiced, each of which is used to carry out certain work. From this list, you can recall, for example, BPWIN and other similar systems that are concentrated on some sufficient narrow segments, i.e. Rather, rather a set of tools that can be used individually, but it is almost impossible to put different directions together.

With this approach, business modeling is perceived as a rather narrow concept. And the ability to use different tools in different cases can significantly increase the flexibility and simplicity of modeling of certain processes, while not overloading the system with complex structures.

In such systems, one or another business process can be developed separately, specify some data. But at the same time, on the basis of these information it is impossible to create some kind of regulatory documentation or to combine different directions into something in one.

Integrated business modeling systems, which include Business Studio, as well as many large CRM systems, try to combine everything and immediately. On their sites, they are positioned as solutions to a wide range of business problems, ranging from the preparation of documentation and staffing and ending with business modeling and other business intelligence tools. They write not just about the set of tools, but about the complete restructuring of the work of the enterprise, the formation of the most different documentation, etc. etc.

And on the example of Business Studio, I will try to consider the features of such complex business systems, I will tell you where they can be applied, and what difficulties can occur. Immediately make a reservation that in this article I will consider Business Studio, first of all as the IT system, and not as a system for business analysis.

What is Business Studio?

Business Studio is a Russian development designed for integrated work with business processes, as well as for the formation of various documents, reports, business models and many other things.

What is the modeling of business processes in Business Studio:

  • Processes.Described in IDEF0, BPMN 2.0 format, as well as in some other formats.
  • Subjects of activity. These are divisions, people who are necessary for the work of the process.
  • External objects of activity.What system consists of, i.e. Inanimate components.
With these basic components, you can perform a wide range of actions, ranging from modeling and ending with the creation of various documents, reports, instructions, etc.

How is the modeling in Business Studio?

So, Business Studio business modeling begins with the listing of subjects, i.e. Company divisions and employees. For example, if we are talking about the financial department, it will be a financial director and chief accountant.

Next, objects will be required. In our case, this is primarily the documentation. More precisely, in the examples proposed by me, the object will be the system that the company's employees is used, for example, 1C, as well as some paper documents.

Now in the Process tab you need to create a process. The first thing to be done is to develop the root model of the entire enterprise or one of the directions. Next, decompose processes as needed.

For example, if we had an IDEF0 format and the process was called "Financing Activities", it will be possible to decompose it on such part: "Payment of goods", "Payment of Materials", "Treasury activities". And now we can already with the help of arrows and dragging from subjects and objects to form inputs and outputs, create control flows for different processes.

Such actions can be made an unlimited number of times, create different divisions and processes. In addition, with the help of this tool, we can do the work as transparent as possible, since all processes will be described in the form of simple and understandable schemes.

It would seem that the idea is wonderful, and it should work well. But, as often happens, there are difficulties in the implementation process, which will subsequently become issues for users.

Bulkiness system

When modeling the work of the enterprise, we face that if we begin to prescribe each process, each function of the enterprise and decomposing, then with any change, you need to carefully make appropriate changes to all the levels above the level in which there have been changed. And if your system has a rather complicated and branched, this work will require a lot of time, forces, as well as attentiveness. Naturally, the human factor has a very noticeable impact on the work of the entire system.

For example, if in the business model we have developed, there are 3 levels, it will look like this:

  • 1 level - 1 function.
  • At 2 level it is divided into 4.
  • At 3 level, the branching continues, for example, each function - on 5 processes.
And if we change the inputs at the second level, the first level of this will not be "to know", i.e. The system does not control such changes. It is very important.

Just think how much strength and attention will be required of a person if it makes changes to 3 or even 4 levels. After all, manually will need to check all the higher processes!

Another important factor. In the future, if you wish, we will be able to use all the subjects described to form technical specifications and other documents. And the fact that the business analytics looks like an arrow, for the developer and employee will be a real process to be described and correctly executed. Those. The business analyst simply removes the arrow, and in practice some document is withdrawn from everybody, as a result it is very important to coordinate these actions with other objects, and it turns out a certain "ball" in which it is very easy to get confused.

For example:

It is necessary to describe the process of storage of goods, and based on it to create a job description. The Business Studio system allows you to perform these actions. But in case of making any changes to the business process, the instruction becomes irrelevant.

It would seem trivia? But in fact, this is a serious problem, as the business analyst is forced to constantly remember the processes that have nothing to do with his work. In addition, business analysis and the creation of regulatory documentation are different things. And here they are together.

Technical shortcomings of the system

In the Business Studio system there is no own business modular, i.e. His graphic component. Developers used the standard Microsoft Visio component, as a result of which users arise some difficulties when creating a model.

The fact is that drawing the model and model is a bit different processes. Draw in Business Studio, you can very different things. And representatives of the company say that the arrows you can draw practically anything, and even imagine it as a plus system.

But what about reality? For example, a business analyst uses in the work of the arrow of different colors. Technically, this is quite possible. But in fact, if we simulate the process, all incoming and outgoing streams should be equivalent. And if different colors of the arrows appear in the model, questions appear that they mean and why this arrow was performed in red, and the other is green. And if a business analyst who created this scheme does not work and cannot answer such questions, a wide variety of incidents may arise.

In the case of using your own tools, the developer company can add a ban on similar user actions. But the developers of Business Studio saved their time and strength, took advantage of the finished third-party decision, and the result is: the user gets access to excessive capabilities, which, in turn, can lead to misunderstandings.

Overloading features

How does business modeling process usually occur? Personally, I spend a survey of employees of the company, I receive information about systems used, about people, about job descriptions. On the basis of the information received, modeling a business process in the notation of BPMN 2.0 or create a model in the notation of IDEF0.

It just does not work out here. If we want to simulate something, then faced with a large number of opportunities that entail, the need to remember the different links and functions.

Any arrow, any object is associated with other objects, the appearance of new data allows you to form new documents and reports. As a result, when working with this system, any user starts to be interested in, why this possibility is needed here, and what will happen if you try to do anything otherwise, if you specify additional information or on the contrary, do not specify certain data.

As a result, users instead of drawing the model, begin to understand all these possibilities. In general, excessive overload functions of business processes distracts and prevents modeling.

Inaccuracy of the wording

In fact, IDEF0 is not a process, it is still a functional model. Each function has inputs and outputs, functional arrows, i.e., when modeling, we obtain a functional model. This is called the process. In fact, it would be correct to call similar objects with features or functional models.

As you know, any inaccuracy of the wording makes an extra confusion, and for people who go to Business Studio from other systems, this confusion can become a problem.

So, with business modeling more or less figured out, more on how to generate objects and processes, you can read on the official website of the system. Go to other possibilities.

KPI - key performance indicators

KPI collection allows you to collect key performance indicators of the enterprise and determine the effectiveness of employees and / or divisions in the context of these indicators.

In simplified form, work with KPI looks like this:

  1. We take one or another indicator;
  2. We introduce its boundary values \u200b\u200b(minimum and maximum);
  3. We collect statistics;
  4. We form a report in which the effectiveness of work based on this indicator is visible.
For example:

Suppose that the maximum number of transactions that one employee can conduct within a month is 12. With more transactions, the effectiveness of the employee's work is reduced. And the minimum number of transactions will be 5, i.e. With a decrease in this indicator even more, the employee is not driven by work.

Thus, we get a "green zone" - from 5 to 12 transactions per month. And less than 5 or more than 12 transactions - this is a red zone. So it will look like a scheme.

We indicate the boundary data, we introduce the figures received by the staff for the month, and we observe a summary scheme with the results. So you can clearly see how often deviations from the "norm" are found, which employees work at the level above the maximum, and who finds itself in the lower line of efficiency.

The system, it seems, comfortable and very useful. But it also has certain cons.

The collection of information for reporting is implemented within the company, while indicators are not decomposed, and there is also no possibility to collect grouped data.

Ideally, such reporting should be collected from the transaction system both by employees and by divisions, as well as the company as a whole. And on the basis of the consolidated report, it should be implemented to see which unit and which employee is most effective, and who works badly. Unfortunately, such a general report, followed by details in this system, is not implemented.

Here, if we want to collect data, we need to create a new figure for these groupings every time, and they will not connect with each other. Those. To create some indicator as a whole on a company, for example, re-applied customers, we will need to create an indicator separately for an employee separately for the unit, separately for the company. And they will have to collect them separately. What is not quite convenient.

Another minus of the implementation of KPI is the impossibility of implementing without buying an additional system. An additional component is needed to enter and control information, called CockPit, i.e. Input and control tool to buy separately.

Balanced system indicators

Another possibility that is in the system is called a balanced system of indicators. What does it mean? A strategic system developed by Robert Coplan and David Norton was used here.

To obtain balanced indicators, it is necessary, first of all, to set the indicator to be done the highest in the hierarchy, then indicators with a lower hierarchy are set, and the methods of their interaction are indicated.

For example, the company's main goal is to increase profits. Very common situation. We indicate this indicator as a goal. And the main indicator is a profit. And, accordingly, we define how the growth of profits depends on the increase in customers and the conservation of costs.

All this must be specified in the system, after which it will be possible to create a beautiful scheme in which the numbers will be transformed into a visual graphics.

All this at first surprises and admires. But practice shows that in order to get such a beautiful and bulk picture, you will need a lot of time. It will be necessary to specify each of the indicators and determine their interaction among themselves.

For example, if the reduction in costs gives only a 10% increase in profits, and the increase in customers is the remaining 90%, this dependence must be specified in the system. Those. To get not just a beautiful but realistic picture, you will have to introduce a wide range of indicators and accurately indicate all the options for their interaction, which is quite difficult.

In addition, in practice it is very difficult to determine what exactly is the goal of the company, what the indicators for it are the most important, after which these indicators must also be collected, which is also not easy.

As a result, for small and medium businesses, this opportunity is useless. By the time you can collect and contribute all the data into the system, the situation will already change and the results of your work will be not relevant.

Design of the organizational system of the enterprise

For such a type of design in the subjects, it will be necessary to introduce some units, a subordination hierarchy in the company, employees, after which it is possible to automatically create a submission structure in the company, i.e. regular schedule. We can use the same subjects in the design of business processes.

It would seem that everything is simple: add subjects and place them on the map, which is formed automatically. But it is necessary to understand that the work of the business analyst and the work of the personnel management department is very different. And in this case, the idea of \u200b\u200bcombining these things in one product is very doubtful.

You can, of course, give this part of working with the system on the HR-Department, but they have their own software products and their tools. In addition, the participation in the work of such HR managers is hampered by business analyst. An analyst can see one position somewhat different than the employees of the HR-department, they have different goals and objectives, as a result, the structure is also lined up somewhat differently.

Therefore, additional coordination will be needed for effective work, otherwise instead of standardization, the company will receive on the contrary, permanent overlays and conflicts.

Publications on Business Studio

As Business Studio employees themselves wrote on the official website, their website is the portal, to which you can refer to the database of knowledge.

Here I have no comments, the system works normally and forms pages correctly and without problems. The main thing is to cope with the work in the system and understand all the nuances, including, in order for you to have to lay out on the portal.

QMS - quality manager system

Building this system I will not cover now, as I personally did not use this opportunity and I can not imagine how to use it. I just mention that such an opportunity in Business Studio is also implemented, and read about it in more detail on the official website of the software product.

Development of technical specifications

There is such an opportunity. You can describe the business process, specify a responsible employee, to determine which processes should flow, and on the basis of this data is formed automatically documentation - a technical task for the implementation of the information system.

I tried to use this opportunity several times, but all attempts ended unsuccessfully. All documentation is based on the information that was specified in Business Studio. As a result, the technical task is based solely on a fairly sketchy business model, many important things are overlooked. As a result, this technical task has to add, modify and generally refine a lot in order to get a really working tool for a particular business at the output.

Summary

I only described the most interesting opportunity of the Business Studio system from my point of view. The fact that this powerful system can still find out on the official website of the software product. But even such select data allow you to make certain conclusions. Especially with the fact that other domestic development for business analytics is largely similar to Business Studio.

The main problem of all integrated systems of business analytics is their volume and point of view of the enterprise. To learn how to work with the system, it will take a lot more time and strength, in comparison with individual tools. A huge number of functions, their relationship - all this needs to be studied, and only then you can do something really useful in such a system. As a result, the business analyst is forced to spend a lot of time to study the business product.

Moreover, on 3-day courses in Samara, which I visited at my own expense to study this system deeper, I watched a completely depressing picture. If I am, a business consultant, an experienced specialist in working with various software in the business sector, did not manage independently on the books and the information that was found on the Internet, to understand this product deep enough, what to talk about business analysts or different leaders of business units?

By the way, at the same courses in Samara, all participants, besides me, were employees of large organizations, only one decided to undergo training, others - sent organizations. And most of these people have been applied to this system, or in general, after training, came to the conclusion that the introduction of Business Studio in their organization to anything. And the reason for this relationship to the software product is just its complexity and obscure positioning.

Business Studio is trying to show their vision model of the company's work as a whole. But in fact, any business is much more complicated than what the developers offer. In the structure of any company there are many more different nuances, and accommodate them in the framework of one IT product is simply not real. As a result, the company, the work of which needs to be analyzed using this tool, is placed in a kind of "procrusteo bed", where there are a lot of important things "behind the frame" for the scenes.

Thus, we see that with the abundance of different specific capabilities, the developers have not developed a methodological base, which makes it difficult to work with the system and reduces its quality and convenience of work. At the same time, highly specialized analogs, remind, not more than a set of individual tools, not combined into a single integer. What and when to use, solve only you. The main thing is to make a choice with open eyes and understanding why in a particular case one or another option is more convenient. It was in this matter that I tried to help you.

Business Studio. - software product for modeling the business architecture of the Russian developer "GK" Modern Management Technologies ".

One of the most popular business modeling tools in Russia and the CIS countries - at the beginning of 2012, the product used more than 1000 organizations. Software Business Studio is used in the educational process of more than 100 universities and business schools of Russia and CIS countries.

History of development

The first version of Business Studio came out on October 1, 2004. As a product designed to create models of business processes and documentation. As a graphic modeling environment, a widespread package of Microsoft Office Visio was used. In the future, the product functionality has been rapidly expanded: in 2007 a module appears to design a system of goals and indicators with support for the BSC / KPI methodology and a module of imitation modeling of functional cost analysis, in 2008, the possibilities for designing and maintaining the QMS and work with indicators in 2011 are expanded The year integration with BPM systems was implemented by transmitting process schemes in XPDL format, and the business process controlling module appeared based on IT data data.

Current system version: 3.6.

Methodology

The main task that Business Studio decides is to create an integrated business model (en: Business Architecture) containing the following items:

  1. Strategy (system of goals and indicators of their achievement).
  2. Model of business processes and their KPI.
  3. Organizational structure.
  4. Resources and documents.
  5. Information Systems

In terms of creating Business Studio Business Process Models, is based on the SADT (Structured Analysis & Design Technique) methodology, including supporting the modeling of IDEF0 business processes. Among other supported notations: block diagrams (Process Flowchart, Cross Functional Flowchart), EPC (EN: EVENT DRIVEN PROCESS CHAIN). As a methodological basis for building models of business processes of real companies in the product, the type of business processes (Process Frameworks) is integrated - reference models for typical processes of organizations various spheres Activities.

In terms of creating a system of goals and indicators, a methodology for creating a balanced system of Norton and Kaplan indicators is supported.

The strength of the product is integration - in one instrument the most popular techniques and technologies are collected: BSC / KPI, modeling business processes, simulation modeling, functional and cost analysis, support for the QMS.

An important technological feature of Business Studio is the use as the basis of an object-oriented industrial platform, which determines the wide possibilities of the product to build complex filters, working with large data volumes and unlimited expansion of types of stored information.

Business Studio Implementation and Use Methodio provides a complete design and support and support management system:

Functionality

The product allows:

  • Formalize the strategy and control the achievement of strategic goals
  • Design and optimize business processes (supports 4 business processes modeling notations: IDEF0, Basic Flowchart (Process), Cross Functional Flowchart (Procedure), Event-Driven Process Chain (EPC), as well as conducting functional value analysis and simulation modeling)
  • Design organizational structure and staff schedule
  • Automatically form and distribute regulatory documentation among employees (Microsoft Word documents, Microsoft Excel, HTML Navigator)
  • Maintain the implementation of the quality management system in accordance with ISO standards
  • Form Technical tasks and maintain the introduction of complex information systems

Product is advisable to use in projects:

  • Business reorganization
  • Optimization and regulation of business processes
  • Implementation and certification of the QMS
  • Implementation of integrated information systems (ERP, CRM, ECM, etc.)

BUSINESS STUDIO Articles on the Internet

  • "Business Studio + Directum": an integrated business process management solution
  • Business Studio: Ensuring effective teamwork when developing a QMS
  • Balanced system indicators as a strategy development tool
  • Description and Regulation of Management Processes in Business Studio
  • Business Studio 3.5: Business modeling for companies of any maturity
  • The introduction of a QMS in the university structural division

Literature

  • Organizational design. Solutions for corporations, companies, enterprises: Multimate. studies. Manual / Ed. V. V. Kondratieva; Cost. A.Sh. Ibrahimov et al. - M.: Infra-M, 2010. - 109 p. - (Production Management). - ISBN 978-5-16-004484-2
  • Show business processes / ed. V. V. Kondratieva and M. N. Kuznetsova. 2nd ed., Pererab. and add. - M.: Eksmo, 2008. (Navigator for a professional). - 256 p. ISBN 978-5-699-25968-7
  • We design corporate architecture / ed. V. V. Kondratieva, ed. 2nd recreation. and add. - M.: Eksmo, 2007. - (navigator for a professional). - 504 p. ISBN 978-5-699-22288-9
  • Give engineering! Methodology of the organization of project business / ed. V.V. Kondratieva and V.Ya. Lorentz - M.: Eksmo, 2007. - (navigator for professional). - 576 p. ISBN 978-5-699-21178-4
  • Isaev R.A. Bank management and business engineering. - M.: Infra-M, 2011. - 400 p. ISBN 978-5-16-004926-7.
  • A. G. Skhirtladze, A. V. Skvortsov, D. A. Choman Designing a single information space of virtual enterprises. - Abris, 2012. - P. 379-385. - 615 s. - 1000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-4372-0018-6
  • Balanced system of Norton and Kaplan indicators.

Notes

Categories:

  • Software Alphabetically
  • Management
  • Organizational counseling and personnel management
  • Software

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