Running head: BUSINESS PROCESS MODELLING 1

Business Process Modelling

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BUSINESS PROCESS MODELLING
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Introduction

Information technology projects play a key role in many private and public firms today.

Since the world has become increasingly interconnected, many firms are now operating globally.

As a result, the success of any firm de3pends on the type of information systems and how they

are managed. Every Information Technology manager must face challenges like the alignment

between information technology and business, the frequency of changes in the field of IT and

misunderstanding between the employees in the information technology department (Stephen,

1998). In the recent past, Enterprise Architecture have been taken as one of the management

practices. The implementation of this strategy aims at helping the managers to solve the

problems that they face in their day to day operations.

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The information technology alignment problem

The alignment of information technology to business framework has been a global challenge

to mangers globally over twenty years now. Research shows that the firms that lead in

productivity performance are those that take full advantage of information technology and align

it in accordance with the business systems. This problem has been used over the years to higher

IT managers as well as CEOs since they must have knowledge in this field (Stephen, 1998). This

demand has transformed the way in which information technology is carried out in day to day

businesses. Increased innovation by firms in this field have revolutionized information

technology both at the optimal and specification level. However, the alignment is becoming

increasingly complex as a result of the dynamic nature of information technology (Stephen,

1998).
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The global environment is not only dynamic, but also competitive in terms of information

technology. This explains why businesses have to set short term goals of at most four years so as

to keep up with this dynamic environment. In any organization, the information technology

department is responsible for operating as well as maintaining the information technology

infrastructure. However, a compatible business model is paramount to work with the set

information infrastructure. To effectively manage the information technology resources, essential

managerial processes should be integrated with technical processes for efficiency ( Lucy, 2008).

Enterprise architectures

It refers to the description of goals of a firm, the methods through which they will be attained

leveraging the business processes and how these underlying processes can be supported through

information technology. Enterprise architecture is a model that links business processes, business

goals and information systems. The model is composed of three layers. Business architecture, the

first layer, outlines the objectives of the firm, the set organizational processes, organizational

structure and the rules that govern the business (Lucy, 2008).. The middle layer, information

systems, illustrates the data repositories as well as software applications which are used by the

firm to support its processes. The lower layer, technology infrastructure, outlines the details of

hardware, software as well as telecommunications frameworks upon which the information

technology system is developed, installed as well as operated.

In any firm, the enterprise infrastructure is represented by instances of time, the current time

and the future time. During the current moment, information technology infrastructure is

descried as it is at the time the enterprise architecture is in progress. This is the stage where the

baseline of the project is outlined. The future moment describes enterprise architecture as it is

projected to be (Lucy, 2008).. The baseline shows the present situation of ten firm, the existing
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technological infrastructure and the current state of the organization. Information technology

infrastructure is designed with respect to the strategic goals that the firm seeks to fulfill in the

future and the architectural principles which should propel the design of the target audience.

The process model for information technology management

This is the description of diverse business processes and activities which are waiting to be

executed by the information technology management of a given business. The core responsibility

of information technology management in any firm is to give effective and efficient management

of enterprise architecture. This will give a good platform to provide the information technology

services that are demanded by the firm (Gmati, 2001). This management entails a series of

processes like implementing, planning, improving performance as well as evaluating the

architecture. EA has three components: information system architecture, technology architecture

and business architecture. These components are linked via the value chain of the business.

Value chain is the process model which puts together the business processes which directly

add consumer value and draws the distinction of these processes from those that indirectly

support this value generation. The initial processes are the primary processes of the firm while

the second processes become the secondary processes of the firm. These secondary processes

support the initial processes which include infrastructure management, service control as well as

business process management (Gmati, 2001).

The essential processes of Information Technology Management

Enterprise architectural management

In this process, planning, improvement, implementation as well as management are carried

out. The entire processes are grouped into three parts for ease of carrying out activities. The first

part entails outlining the baseline enterprise architecture. The second stage is defining the target
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enterprise architecture (Gmati, 2001). The last stage is planning the migration from the baseline

to the target audience. However, to implement the entire plan requires programs as well as

projects which are required to implement the target EA. Information technology is responsible

not only for coordinating project execution, but it is also needed for controlling the plan.

Business Processes Management

Its main components are modelling, analysis, evaluation as well as improvement of the

current business processes of a company. The core product is enterprise processes control is the

models which outline the stages through which the firm should follow to achieve its proposed

objectives (B. H. Reich and K. M. Nelson 2008). In addition to outlining the elements of the

firm, these models also include the personnel to execute the laid out plans as well as r the

regulations to be followed. Modelling languages like BPMN are used in the process which are

automated in accordance with the business processes and the existing management.

Management of information systems

It entails all the operational as well as technical activities which are needed for operation as

well as maintenance of information system infrastructures. The management process is

responsible for the development, operation as well as maintenance of information technology

systems in a firm. The systems include all the hardware and software components in addition to

data repositories. The management team is also tasked with the obligation of determining the

direction of information technology in the firm. The management process consist of three

processes. It is through these models that software reusability is encouraged (B. H. Reich and K.

M. Nelson, 2008).

Data management is the procedure of planning, implementing as well as monitoring policies

which provides the framework for protection and delivering services to the customers.
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Management of information is made to meet the requirements of data as well as information of

the firm and its stakeholders. Since the technological field is dynamic, data improvement is

paramount if the firm has to remain in business. Data control utilizes the architectural principle

which considers data as well as information assets to the firm. The governance of information

systems is responsible for the direction as well as integrated management of Information

Systems (A. Croteau, and F. Bergeron, 2001).

Information technology infrastructure management

Information technology infrastructure is a set of hardware, software, network as well as

communication technologies in a firm. The acquisition stage entails the purchase, selection,

installation as well as maintenance of IT components. The entire hardware and software

components comprise a subset of the IT infrastructure where the processes for operation and

maintenance are centrally managed. This control also extends to the data center where the

information is also managed to avoid leakage or loss. Telecommunication as well as network

infrastructure see to it that the networks of the firm operate efficiently and high quality services

are offered to the customers. The processes involved are design, security as well as maintenance

of multiple networks (A. Croteau, and F. Bergeron, 2001).

Physical infrastructure of the firm is related to the administration as well as physical

maintenance of the environment. It entails all the processes as well as activities which are

required to control both the mechanical as well as electrical subsystems which are required by

the data centers as well as other information technology installation requirements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, business process modelling in information technology entails a series of

procedures. Information technology architecture is aligned in accordance with the existing

architecture acts as a framework through which information technology processes and services

are designed. The main role of information technology in a firm is to strengthen its activities.

References

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE), "IEEE standard for software

configuration management plans", IEEE Std 828-1998, USA, New York, 1998.

Project Management Institute (PMI), Guía de los fundamentos para la dirección de proyectos

(Guía del PMBOK), Fourth edition, Project Management Institute, 2008.

Gmati, "La méthode DEEVA (Design and Evolution Of Alignment)", Phd thesis, Université

Paris Pantheon - Sorbonne, Specialite : Informatique, Paris, France, 2001.

B. H. Reich and K. M. Nelson, "In their own words: CIO visions about the future of in-house IT

organizations", The DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems, 34, pp. 28-44, 2003.

A. Croteau, and F. Bergeron, "An information technology trilogy: business strategy,

technological deployment and organizational performance," The Journal of Strategic

Information Systems, vol. 10, pp. 77-99, 2001.