Dynamic enterprise modeling

Dynamic enterprise modeling (DEM) is an enterprise modeling approach developed by the Baan company, and used for the Baan enterprise resource planning system which aims "to align and implement it in the organizational architecture of the end-using company".[1][2]

According to Koning (2008), Baan introduced dynamic enterprise modelling in 1996 as a "means for implementing the Baan ERP product. The modelling focused on a Petri net–based technique for business process modelling to which the Baan application units were to be linked. DEM also contains a supply-chain diagram tool for the logistic network of the company and of an enterprise function modelling diagram".[3]

Overview

To align a specific company with dynamic enterprise modeling, the organizational structure is blueprinted top-down from high-level business processes to low-level processes. This blueprint is used as a roadmap of the organization, that is compatible with the structural roadmap of the software package. Having both roadmaps, the software package and the organizational structure are alienable. The blueprint of an organizational structure in dynamic enterprise modeling is called a reference model. A reference model is the total view of visions, functions, organizational structures and processes, which together can be defined as a representative way of doing business in a certain organizational typology.

The DEM reference model consists of a set of underlying models that depict the organizational architecture in a top-down direction. The underlying models are:

Together these models are capable of depicting the total organizational structure and aspects that are necessary during the implementation of the dynamic enterprise modeling. The models can have differentiations, which are based on the typology of the organization (i.e.: engineer-to-order organizations require different model structures than assemble-to-order organizations. To elaborate on the way that the reference model is used to implement software and to keep track of the scope of implementation methods, the business control model and the business process model will be explained in detail.

Dynamic enterprise modeling topics

Business control model

The business control model exists of the business functions of the organization and their internal and external links. Basic features in the model are:

Next to interaction between two business functions, interaction can also exist between objects that are not in the scope of the reference model. These objects can be external business functions and agents.

Agents on the other hand are entities similar to business functions with the exception that they are external of the business (i.e.: customers and suppliers).

Subroutines of processes can be modeled in the Business Control Model to take care of possible exceptions that can occur during the execution of a process (i.e.: delay handling in the delivery of goods).

In addition to business functions that consist of the main processes of the organization, management functions exist.

Having this reference, the main processes of the organization can be captured in the Business Control Model. The main functions of the organization are grouped in the business functions, which consist of the processes that are part of the specific business function. Interactions between the business functions are then depicted using the request-feedback loops.

Constructing the business control model

A business control model is constructed according to a set path.

After creating the main business functions within the business control model, the several business functions are detailed out.

After high-level detail definitions, the business functions are decomposed to lower-level detail definitions to make the business control model alienable to the lower models within the reference model, for this practice, mainly the Business Process Model. In the Business Process Model the processes are elaborated until the lowest level of detail. Given this level of detail, the Baan software functionality is then projected on the processes, depicted in the Business Process Model.

Business process model

The modeling of processes in DEM, modeling the business process model is done using Petri net building blocks. DEM uses 4 construction elements:

These 4 construction elements enables the modeling of DEM models. The modeling is due to a set collection of modeling constraints, guiding the modeling process in order to have similarly created models by different modelers. Control activities exist in different structures in order to set different possible routes for process flows. The used structures for control activities are:

OR means one of the two starting job tokens can be used or both, XOR means only one of the tokens can be used to create the output job token.

An example

The example below demonstrates the modeling of the concept of marriage and divorce using Petri net building blocks.

Assessments

Using an embedded method brings the power that the method is designed to implement the software product that the method comes with. This suggests a less complicated usage of the method and more support possibilities. The negative aspect of an embedded method obviously is that it can only be used for specific product software. Engineers and consultants, operating with several software products, could have more use of a general method, to have just one way of working.

See also

References

  1. Hossein Bidgoli (2003). Encyclopedia of Information Systems. page 177.
  2. Heinz-Dieter Knoll et al. (2003). Optimising Business Performance with Standard Software Systems. p. 95.
  3. Hendrik Koning (2008). Communication of IT-Architecture. Thesis Dutch Research School for Information and Knowledge Systems. ISBN 978-90-5335-163-5. p.94.
  4. Sjaak Brinkkemper (2001). Business Modelling for the Development and Implementation of Enterprise Applications (Abstract). Accessed Aug 1, 2009.

Further reading

External links

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