Business process modelling in industry - the powerful tool in enterprise management

The article presents some findings and experience about the power of enterprise modelling as experienced in the implementation of an industrial project to improve the process of new product development. The project had two goals: (1) to reengineer the product development process and its management (in terms of its functional, decisional and organisational aspects) and (2) to design a reference model of the development process and its management which model can be re-used in subsequent development projects. The article emphasises the importance of process modelling as a tool that allows the capturing, externalisation, formalisation and structuring of knowledge about enterprise processes. Furthermore, business process modelling is demonstrated to be a powerful tool and approach to knowledge management. We also explain how reference models of business processes can be helpful in project- or process design, process re-engineering, management and execution. Finally, we present findings acquired in the re-engineering, of the process of new product development that included an AS-IS model for analysis and the definition of a TO-BE model. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.