Object-oriented modelling and analysis of business processes

Many problems within enterprises appear as a consequence of both organizational and technological issues. The integration of processes regarding aspects of dynamics and concurrency during decision making is a key element for achieving flexibility. Changed tasks and timeframes have to be reflected by restructured process chains. To improve competitiveness, all efforts are traditionally concentrated on optimization of single functions - the enterprise is subdivided into a number of separate functions, which are easier to overview and control. This introduces a number of "interface" problems in organization and optimization of single functions at the expense of the manufacturing process and the organization as a whole. The integration of separated functions and the optimization of business processes require a higher degree of transparency within the organization. In consideration of the complex relationships - looking on the manufacturing enterprise as a network of functions modelling met hods have to be applied, to support, to ease and to systematize planning and integration of functions to business processes and to describe the related organizational structure. Suitable methods secure a common understanding of business processes and provide mechanisms for structuring the required information about processes and organization. The authors describe a methodology for integrated modelling of business processes, related organsational structures and information based on an object-oriented approach which is in discussion at ISO TC1 84/SC5/WG1 and CEN TC310/WG1 for standardisation. Examples of industrial application for different areas and a supporting modelling tool prototype are presented