Exercise 11

Process description Invoices are sent to the company by post. The team assistant receives the invoice and scans it. Then, the approver gets the invoice and checks it. The approver decides whether the invoice is approved or not. If the invoice is approved, the manager settles the invoice. If the invoice is rejected, the team assistant clarifies the case with the invoicing party. If the clarification is successful, the approver gets the corrected invoice and rechecks. If the clarification was not successful, the team assistant cancels the processing of the invoice.

Exercise:

Process description The strategic model was discussed with the management and the involved employees. Now the process needs to be documented in more detail. Therefore, more information about the process has been collected. The following information result from a process discovery workshop:

Team assistant: „The existing model shows the process pretty well, though some proceeding steps are missing. The first thing I recognize is the handling of the invoice. By the way, I get the invoice from our postal department. Before I scan the invoice, I must check if the invoice content-wise for plausibility. The invoice may be issued incorrectly. I am only allowed to scan plausible invoices. For false invoices, I need to get a new one from the invoicing party. In this case, I stop the process at this point and wait for the new invoice. After scanning the invoice, I hand it over to the approver. If everything is OK, I don’t need to do anything else. If the invoice is not approved, I need to clarify with the invoicing party. At this point the model is correct: If I couldn’t clear the case, I stop the process. Otherwise, I hand over the updated invoice to the approver again.” Approver: „I don’t have anything to add. The model outlines my activities well.”

Manager: „The model represents the process well, I agree with the previous speakers. The mentioned activities must be shown in the model. That is important. I don’t want to pay any incorrect invoices. Everyone should know that and be aware of it. That means that I only want to get approved and correct invoices. I don’t want to see any incorrect invoices. If I only get correct invoices, I know I can settle them directly. After the payment, from my point of view, the invoice is processed completely. However, one crucial step is missing: the hard copy of the invoice needs to be archived. The digital version of the invoice (a PDF file) should be archived in our Document Management System (DMS) in the future. This step should be automated. The hard copy of the invoice is supposed to be archived by the team assistant right after scanning it.“

The manager adds one more thing: „ The described process is correct. Nevertheless, you should consider that I settle open invoices “in one swoop”. I do that when I have some spare time. I don’t want to process every single invoice. That would take too much time.”

Exercise:

Exercise:

Use the operational model with the human process flows as a starting point. The executable process needs to be modeled in a separate pool. The resulting collaboration diagram should result in simplified pools for the task workers. Make sure that all requirements are still satisfied.

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