A tool for object-oriented modelling and analysis of business processes

The analysis of business processes requires discussions between different project groups, within the respective project group, and between experts and managers in the enterprise and the project members. Therefore, the modelling of business processes is an essential step in the process of reorganising enterprises; Reorganisation measures are only possible if the existing or planned processes are known. The application of a modelling method should not only support single steps of factory planning. It has to guide and support the whole project. Therefore, it is necessary to reveal all aspects which are relevant to clarify weak points, to show potentials for optimisation and their contribution to the objectives of the enterprise. The article includes industrial experiments in modelling, workflow analysis, business process reengineering and optimisation using Integrated Enterprise Modelling (IEM) and MO(2)GO. IEM gives a transparent representation of planning information and is therefore the basis for discussion between project participants. To evaluate the variety of planning information and description requirements it allows different views on one consistent model. The software tool MO(2)GO (method of object oriented business process optimisation) supports the modelling process based on the IEM method. Different analyses of a given model are available using the MO(2)GO tool like the generation of ISO9000ff documents, (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.