What Is A Process Model?
April 10, 2009
Part 1 of a 3 part series
- Part 1 Defines a Business Process Model
- Part 2 Provide Process Definitions
- Part 3 Walk through of a Complete Process with Down Loadable Examples
An enterprise, or business-level, process model is a tool that clearly identifies the processes that the entity engages in during the value creation process. It helps communicate to individuals what their role is with respect to the overall organization. It clearly defines, at an individual level, the tasks to be accomplished.
But what is a business process?
An enterprise, or business-level, process model is a tool that clearly identifies the processes that the entity engages in during the value creation process. It helps communicate to individuals what their role is with respect to the overall organization. It clearly defines, at an individual level, the tasks to be accomplished. Thomas Davenport Process Innovation. 1993
A process, then, is a specific ordering of work activities across time and place, with a beginning, an end and clearly identified inputs and outputs. These processes almost always cut across the functional boundaries that exist within a company.
Process Model Entities
- Core Process
- Sub Process
- Activities
- Tasks

Process Model Entities
The next step in defining a process model is to then define the Model Hierarchy. The hierarchy is different from company to company.
Business process can be specified in terms of level of detail. Each level is typically made-up of 3 to 12 definable work groupings. As defined earlier with the process levels, a generic process model hierarchy along with process levels is shown below.

Process Model Hierarchy
Visit back here next week to discover straight forward process definitions followed up with business process examples.
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