On the structure and use of process models and their interplay
Date
2017-06-29
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Abstract
“Üks pilt on väärt tuhat sõna” - kui eelnev mõttetera on esitatud info edastamise kontekstis, kus lisaks tuimadele faktidele soovitakse anda edasi ka emotsiooni ja tunnet, siis kuidas toimib sama lause just nimelt tuimade faktide edastamisel? Järjest rohkem esitatakse töötajatele suunatud organisatsioonide kirjeldusi läbi erinevate jooniste ja tekstide, seda eriti protsessimudelite juures. Antud doktoritöö keskendub kahele küsimusele: (i) kuidas kombineeritakse struktuurseid ja mittestruktuurseid komponente protsesside kirjeldamisel praktikas; (ii) ja mis tagab protsessimudelite jätkusuutliku kasutuse organisatsioonis?
Protsessihierarhia lisamine protsessimudelisse avaldab positiivset mõju mudeli kasutusele organisatsioonis. Samas, protsesside esitamisel diagrammi kujul tuleb arvestada lõppkasutajaga (antud kontekstis töötaja), kelle jaoks ei tarvitse olla lihtne lugeda olulist informatsiooni diagrammilt. Seega peab olema töötajatele suunatud mudelites teksti kujul esitatud faktide hulk oluliselt suurem kui läbi joonise kirjeldatu. See on eriti oluline suuremate mudelite juures, kus protsessidiagrammidega esitatav info on mahukas ja joonised sageli keerulised. Kui mudeli lugemisel peab kasutaja fookus olema eelkõige protsessijoonisel ja lisafakte esitatakse teksti kujul, siis sellised mudelid sobivad pigem tehnilisele lugejaskonnale, mitte organisatsiooni teadmistebaasi.
Kui organisatsioon soovib aktiivset teadmistebaasi kasutust, siis on vaja saavutada hea tasakaal organisatsiooni (Organisatsiooni, Modelleerimise ja Kasutusega seotud edufaktorid) ja tehniliste parameetrite (Protsessimudeli ja Tarkvaraga seotud edufaktorid) vahel. Näiteks, tehnilist poolt kajastavate edufaktorite kontekstis on väga oluline ‘Mudeli struktuur’, mis otseselt mõjutab protsessimudeli laiemat kasutust organisatsioonis. Organisatsiooni ja kasutajate kontekstis mängib olulist rolli juhtkonna eeskuju protsessimudeli aktiivsel kasutamisel.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but adding even a few words can greatly enhance a picture. It is common to find textual and diagrammatic components complementing each other in enterprise models in general, and in business process models in particular. This doctoral thesis discusses the questions of: (i) how do structured and unstructured components of process models co-exist with each other in practice; and (ii) what determines that a process model is used on a sustained basis within an organization? Presenting the process hierarchy of a process model in a structured form has a positive impact on the sustained use of the model. Caution is necessary when adding structured components into the descriptions of processes — it might not be easy for process workers to understand the structure(s) and obtain essential information from the diagrams. Thus, the balance between pure text and diagrams needs to be “shifted” toward the text, especially in the context of larger process models where the amount of information is great and the process diagrams tend to be voluminous and complicated. If a significant part of the information is presented on a diagram and less information is given via text (you have to “read” the diagram first), then the model is rather appropriate for technical people but has no place in the knowledge base of process workers. A good balance between the organizational setting (factors related to Organization, Users and Process Modelling) and technical parameters directly related to the knowledge base (factors related to Model and Tools) is necessary when the sustained use of knowledge base is important for the organization. One factor in particular that was highlighted in the context of technical parameters as contributing to sustained use was the Structure of the process model. The impact of management on users through a positive example plays a substantial role during the deployment phase of the knowledge base in the organization.
A picture is worth a thousand words, but adding even a few words can greatly enhance a picture. It is common to find textual and diagrammatic components complementing each other in enterprise models in general, and in business process models in particular. This doctoral thesis discusses the questions of: (i) how do structured and unstructured components of process models co-exist with each other in practice; and (ii) what determines that a process model is used on a sustained basis within an organization? Presenting the process hierarchy of a process model in a structured form has a positive impact on the sustained use of the model. Caution is necessary when adding structured components into the descriptions of processes — it might not be easy for process workers to understand the structure(s) and obtain essential information from the diagrams. Thus, the balance between pure text and diagrams needs to be “shifted” toward the text, especially in the context of larger process models where the amount of information is great and the process diagrams tend to be voluminous and complicated. If a significant part of the information is presented on a diagram and less information is given via text (you have to “read” the diagram first), then the model is rather appropriate for technical people but has no place in the knowledge base of process workers. A good balance between the organizational setting (factors related to Organization, Users and Process Modelling) and technical parameters directly related to the knowledge base (factors related to Model and Tools) is necessary when the sustained use of knowledge base is important for the organization. One factor in particular that was highlighted in the context of technical parameters as contributing to sustained use was the Structure of the process model. The impact of management on users through a positive example plays a substantial role during the deployment phase of the knowledge base in the organization.
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organisatsiooniarendus, protsessijuhtimine, tegevusuuring, mudelid, organization development, process management, action research, models