Integrated enterprise modeling (IEM) is an enterprise modeling method used for the admission and for the reengineering of processes both in producing enterprises and in the public area and service providers. In integrated enterprise modeling different aspects as functions and data become described in one model. Furthermore, the method supports analyses of business processes independently of the available organizational structure. The Integrated Enterprise Modeling is developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (German: IPK) Berlin, Germany.
Integrated enterprise modeling topics
Base constructs
The integrated enterprise modeling (IEM) method uses an object-oriented approach and adapts this for the enterprise description. An application-oriented division of all elements of an enterprise forms the core of the method in generic object classes "product", "resource" and "order". Product The object class "product" represents all objects whose production and sale are the aim of the looked-at-enterprise as well as all objects which flow into the end product. Raw materials, intermediate products, components and end products, as well as services and the describing data, are included.
Order The object class "order" describes all types of commissioning in the enterprise. The objects of the class "order" represent the information that is relevant from the point of view of planning, control, and supervision of the enterprise processes. One understands by it what, when, at which objects, in whose responsibility and with which resources it will be executed.
Resource The IEM class "resource" contains all necessary key players which are required in the enterprise for the execution or support of activities. Among other things, these are employees, business partner, all kinds of documents as well as information systems or operating supplies. The classes "product", "order", and "resource" can gradually be given full particulars and specified. Through this it is possible to show both line of business typical and enterprise-specific product, order and resource subclasses. Structures (e.g. parts lists or organisation charts) can be shown as relational features of the classes with the help of being-part-of- and consists-of-relations between different subclasses.
Action The activities which are necessary for the production of products and to the provision of services can be described as follows: an activity is the purposeful change of objects. The aim orientation of the activities causes an explicit or implicit planning and control. The execution of the activities is incumbent by the capable key players. From these considerations the definitions can be derived for the following constructs:
An action is an object neutral description of activities: a verbal description of a work task, a lawsuit or proceeding; A function describes the change of state of a defined status into another defined one of objects of a class by using an action; and An activity specifies necessary resources for the state transformation of objects of a class the controlling order described by a function and these for the execution of this transformation in the enterprise, in each case represented by an object state description.
Views All modeled data of the looked-at-enterprise are recorded in the model core of an Integrated Enterprise Modeling (IEM) model in two main views:
the "information model"; and the "business process model". All relevant objects of an enterprise, their qualities and relations are shown in the "information model". It is class trees of the object classes "product", "order" and "resource" here. The "business process model" represents enterprise processes and their relations to each other. Activities are shown in their interaction with the objects.
Process modeling The structuring of the enterprise processes in Integrated Enterprise Modeling (IEM) is reached by its hierarchical subdivision with the help of the decomposition. Decomposition means the reduction of a system in a partial system which respectively contains components which are in a logical cohesion. The process modeling is a partitioning of processes into its threads. Every thread describes a task completed into itself. The decomposition of single processes can be carried out long enough until the threads are manageable, i.e. appropriately small. They may turn out also not too rudimentary because a high number of detailed processes increases the complexity of a business process model. A process modeling person, therefore, has to find a balance between the effort complexity degree of the model and possible detailed description of the enterprise processes. A model depth generally recommends itself with at most three to four decomposition levels (model levels).
On a model level business process flows are represented with the aid of illustrated combination elements. There are these five basic types of combinations between the activities:
Sequential order: At a sequential order the activities are executed after each other. Parallel branching: A parallel branching means that all parallel branched activities to be executed have to be completed before the following activity can be started with. It is not necessary that the parallel activities are executed at the same time. They can be deferred, too. Case distinction: Decision either or. The case distinction is a branching in alternative processes depending on definition of the subsequent conditions. Uniting: The end of a parallel as the case may be alternative execution or also an integration of process chains is indicated by the uniting. Loop: A repatriation (loop, cycle) is represented by means of case distinction and uniting. The activities included in the loop are executed as long as the condition for the continuation is given.
Modeling proceeding The modeling procedure for the illustration of business processes in IEM covers the following steps:
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