Brief summary

This book explains the ARIS concept (Architecture of Integrated Information Systems) as a comprehensive framework for modeling, analyzing, and optimizing business processes. It describes the various views, levels, and phases of process design, as well as complementary models for implementing Business Process Management and Knowledge Process Reengineering. The goal is to capture processes in a structured way, integrate IT systems, and strategically manage and improve knowledge within the organization.

General ideas

• ARIS stands for Architecture of Integrated Information Systems. It is a model for describing computer-based information systems.

• A business process is a continuous sequence of tasks.

Contents

Business Process Modeling with ARIS

Types of information in the business process

Four types of information reveal different aspects of a process. They can be displayed individually or in combination and together form the overall picture of a process. The system is based on the executed functions and their interactions. Events control the flow and are represented in event-driven process chains (EPCs). Classes describe sets of information within the process, while instances represent individual, actual process iterations.

The following elements are used to describe the processes:

• Organizational units show who is involved and what communication and outcome relationships exist.

• Functions describe the activities to be performed and their sequence.

• Results represent the outcome of each function

• Information indicates what data is needed and where it is required.

ARIS House

The ARIS House is the core model of the book. The model represents the different levels of a business process. It shows how different perspectives are integrated.

ARIS Views:

The different views of ARIS refer to the different perspectives from which business processes can be viewed.

• Organizational view: Describes the structure of the company and the responsibilities.

• Data view: Defines the information and data used in processes.

• Functional view: Shows which tasks and activities are being performed.

• Control view: Connects all other views to form a complete business process.

• Performance perspective: Describes the products or services that result from processes.

  
  

ARIS Phase Model:

• Strategic situation analysis: Determines the current state, goals and environment of the company in order to identify the need for change and to develop strategic plans.

• Process design (conceptual design): All views are modeled and integrated into processes.

• System design (technical design): Translates process models into IT and system requirements, for example for databases or networks.

• Implementation: Putting the designed processes and systems into practice.

• Operation and maintenance: Monitoring of results and continuous process optimization.

Business Process Management Levels:

1. Process engineering: Modeling, optimization, evaluation and quality assurance of business processes.

2. Process planning and control: Planning and monitoring of ongoing processes. Includes scheduling, capacity planning, and cost analysis.

3. Workflow control: Management and transfer of objects such as customer orders or documents between workstations.

4. Application systems: Execution of process functions by IT applications, from word processing to complex software modules.

Modeling Standards

Basic principles of modeling in ARIS:

• Principle of correctness: Models must follow correct syntax and semantics and reflect real-world system behavior. Validation is performed through simulation and rule testing.

• Principle of relevance: Include only relevant elements. Avoid superfluous details and keep complexity low.

• The principle of cost and benefit: The effort required for modeling should be proportionate to the benefit. The goal is efficient work and long-term value.

• Principle of clarity: Models should be easy to read and understand. Complex content is structured through partial views.

• Principle of comparability: Uniform structure, naming conventions and level of detail ensure comparability.

• Principle of systematic structure: Linking models from different perspectives into a consistent metamodel.

  
  

Modeling levels:

The modeling levels describe the levels of consideration of processes that are applied in the ARIS model.

• Meta² level: Defines abstract object types and forms the basis for the modeling elements.

• Meta-level: Defines general classes and relationships for business processes. Shapes the ARIS information model and provides structure and rules.

• Application level: Represents real business applications and focuses on practical implementation.

• Instance level: Contains specific cases and data that are executed at runtime.

Phases of business process optimization

• Preparatory measures: Define project scope and objectives, establish project organization, train employees and officially launch the project.

• Strategic planning: Align business processes with the corporate strategy. Define strategic goals and success factors. Document goal hierarchies and business process optimization objectives.

• Current state analysis: Recording of current processes with value chains and EPCs. Identification of weaknesses and optimization potential in costs, time and structures.

• Target concept: Development of optimized target processes based on the weakness analysis. Use of reference models, simulations and scenarios. Definition of new organizational structures and qualification requirements.

• Design specification: Planning the IT implementation. Creation of an IT blueprint including processes, applications, and infrastructure. Development of migration and implementation plans.

• Implementation: Implementation of IT and process changes in sub-projects. Validation through prototyping and ensuring user acceptance.

• Regular monitoring and continuous improvement: Ongoing control of implemented processes. Use of workflow and cost data for optimization and ongoing improvement.

Knowledge Process Reengineering Procedures

• Strategic knowledge planning: Aligns knowledge management with the corporate strategy. It identifies relevant knowledge categories and improves exchange, documentation, and accessibility. Goals, processes, and types of knowledge are modeled.

• Current state analysis of knowledge processing: Capturing the current state of knowledge management through modeling with EPCs (Entity Process Concepts). Identifying who possesses which knowledge and how it is used or documented. Model types used include knowledge structure diagrams, knowledge maps, and EPCs. The analysis uncovers gaps, knowledge monopolies, outdated profiles, and inadequate IT integration.

• The goal concept of knowledge processing: It designs improved processes and structures for documenting, updating, and distributing knowledge. It defines company-wide mechanisms for knowledge collection and exchange. It establishes organizational and technological requirements. The focus is on business-driven, not technology-driven, solutions.

• Corporate and employee onboarding concept: Development and implementation of training programs for new processes and systems.

• IT implementation concept: Definition of technical requirements and integration of intranet, groupware, and document management. Use of ARIS models as a navigation structure with clear content organization, interfaces, and services.

• Implementation of the concepts: Conducting training and system rollouts. Monitoring changes, adjustments, and testing. Establishing a continuous improvement cycle. Regularly updating business and knowledge models to ensure transparency and adaptability.