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Activity and Data Modeling in Perspective

Dennis E. Wisnosky

Wizdom Systems, Inc.

630.357.3000

Dwiz@wizdom.com

OV-5 and OV-7

DoD FEAC 1IDEF• Created in the late ‘70s

• IDEF stands for Integrated DEFinition Language.

• Provides a common, public-domain language for modeling and describing:– Processes– Data– Requirements– Functions

• Has been used to improve hundreds of enterprises

• IDEF is a standard modeling technique for all US Government agencies, and many private companies.

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Materials CorporatePolicies

CorporateResources Products

VisionMissionCultureCustomer

Where do the pieces fit?

How do the pieces fit?

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Models

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Effective Engineering Requires a Blueprint

• Models are a basic necessity for building everything from houses to cars; marketing plans to financial forecasts.

• Modeling gives you a clear picture of the current situation, as well as a plan for the future.

• A model helps concepts evolve to plans and prototypes.

• Modeling a structure or solution is especially worthwhile when implementation goals are obvious and important.

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And a Structured Approach to Enterprise Engineering,

to Knowledge Management, to Workflow ……….

Blueprints become the Change Management Architecture

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Analyze Time, Costand Quality

SimulateChanges

Create A Visionof Change

Develop Prototypesand Implement Change Strategically

Target Projects forImprovement

Activity Models are a Mandatory Operational View

Model theActivities

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IDEF is tool for......describing

...managing...and improving complex

processes and systems

To do this, we need a common framework for visualizing the

processes and the systems they support, and a

methodology for representing both.

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A process is any set of managed,predictable behaviors.

Rapid Growth

Opportunity

Innovation

Rationalization

Competition

Consolidation

Involution

Frustration

Business Process Lifecycle

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Process Management

The goal of process management

is to minimize costs through: • Rationalization,

• Consolidation,

• Involution,

• and to maximize the benefits of innovation, growth, and change.

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Every Endeavor of Man and Beast has a Natural Process

Analysis

Specification

Design

Construction/IntegrationInstallation

Operation

Evolution

Entropy/Maladaption

Engineering Process

Lifecycle

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What are the Processes Doing?

• The goal is to improve the management of both tangible and intangible assets according to a long-range plan while achieving continuous improvement. Since assets are all that an organization (and men and women) have, this is all that the goal can be.

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Asset Management Challenge

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Asset Management Challenge

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Asset Management Challenge

Heading

AltitudeAirspeed

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Pooch Management

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Asset Management Heading

AltitudeAirspeed

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IDEF (0 and 1X)Is the unified modeling methodology

that embraces management and user

concerns in systems and process

management.

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Activity Models Data Models• Activity models are graphic

representations of functions and processes.

• Are hierarchical• Decomposed to the needed

level of detail.• Track inputs, controls,

mechanism, and outputs.• IDEF0

• Data models define the information requirements of the process.

• Used for building computer applications, databases, and repositories.

• Track flow of information through functional areas.

• IDEF1x

DoD FEAC 1IDEF Model Integration

IDEF0 Process Model

ProcessI1

I2

C1

M1

C2

O2

O1

IDEF1X EAR Model

PKEY 1

ATTR 1ATTR 2

ATTRn

I2

PKEY 1PKEY 2

ATTR6ATTR7

ATTRm

O2

IDEF1X ER Data Model

I1 I2

O1 O2

C1C2

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Varieties of ModelsModels come in many shapes and sizes:

– Process Vs Data models

– Text Vs Graphic-based models

– High- Vs Low-level models

– Flat Vs Hierarchic models

– Degree of rigor in the modeling methodology

– Representation of additional detail: timing, data states, business rules...

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Model Vs Reality

Models represent reality in a form that can be easily controlled, evaluated, and manipulated.

Complex, poorly understood processes become manageable when broken down into their component parts.

Models can be used for analysis of the simplest processes; or the most complex systems with lifecycle costs in the millions of dollars

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Activity Modeling links the organization to its strategic goals.

• Simplification of Value-Added Activities

• Consolidation of Value-Added Activities

• Elimination of activities that do not add value

• Automated support only after basic business processes are efficient and effective.

• Provides the basis for analysis and continuous improvement.

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Levels of Analysis•Strategic overview-- examination of the corporation as a whole, focusing on mission and long range goals and objectives.

• Mid-level analysis of management, culture, and organizations.

• Detailed look at individual processes.

All analyses are done in terms of time, cost, and quality

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Process AnalysisIDEF models gather the data for analysis:

Cost: Activity-based costing, functional economic analysisTime: Timeline, cycle time, run time, turn-around times, sequence, hierarchy, dependencies.Quality: Quality metrics, comparisons between past, present, and future , TQM, CQI.

Redundant, over-lapping, non-value-added processes become apparent while

building the model.

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Levels of Integrated Analysis

Strategic Overview

Logical Models of Data and Processes

Program Structure/ Core Activities

Systems Functions/ Specific Processes

System Process

DoD FEAC 1IDEF Methodology Components

• IDEF0 - Function and process modeling

Answers the question - WHAT DO I DO?

• IDEF1X - Entity-Attribute-Relationship data

modeling- Answers the question -

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW

TO DO WHAT I DO?

–IDEF2 - Process simulation modeling

Answers the question - WHEN DO I NEED TO KNOW

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW , TO DO WHAT I DO?

DoD FEAC 1Benefits • IDEF0 reveals redundant and non-value-

added processes.• IDEF0 documents the AS-IS-- the processes,

the relationships between them, and the logical breakdown of those functions into their sub-processes and properties for baseline evaluation and further analysis.

• IDEF0 begins the road map from the AS-IS to the TO-BE.

DoD FEAC 1Benefits (continued)

• IDEF0 provides a means for communicating and presenting results.

• IDEF0 establishes a forum and a structure for data gathering and knowledge acquisition.

• IDEF0 identifies opportunities for improvements.• IDEF0 reveals data relationships and

incongruities.• IDEF0 identifies and categorizes information

entities which form the foundation for information modeling (IDEF1x).

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IDEF is not a substitute for...

thinking...

intelligence...

or experience,

But it can expose their absence.

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This concludes

Activity and Data Modeling in Perspective

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Now we can begin the important work!