What is Business activity model(BAM)?
Shows the activities we would expect to be carried out in the business based on the business perspective under consideration
Allows us to show a process and the activities in that process from the viewpoint of a stakeholder
Explicitly models what goes on in the business to be supported by the information system
Describes a set of activities which are essential for the business to be able to meet a particular objective
What are the 5 steps of BAM?
Planning
Enabling
Doing
Monitoring
Controlling
How to approach Business activity modelling
1.Create business perspectives –statements of what the business should be achieving, by at least part of the population consulted
2.From each business perspective derive a conceptual model of essential activities to achieve the transformation
3.Derive a consensus model that accommodates all relevant perspectives
4.Test the consensus model against reality
What is SSM
Soft system methodology
SSM provides two components of the BAM
The business perspective or CATWOE
the business activity model
What is a hard system requirement
What is needed is known
System specification has to address how to meet the requirement
What is a soft system requirement
What is needed has to be defined before addressing how it can be provided
What does SSM model
Human activity systems( people working together in a coordinated way)
Does not attempt to model real world activities directly
What are the benefits of BAM
Avoids blind re-implementation of the current system
Attempts to provide an objective view of what the requirements should be
Promotes a more user-centred design (as opposed to system-centred
How does BAM show the future perspective of a business
Business transformation
Digital change
Organisational change
New technolog implementation
Organisational restructure
New ways of working
Moving into a new market
What is the purpose of a TOM
Established how a business need to be in order to achieve set goals
Building consensus by resolving conflicts
•A BAM is derived from each perspective
•There will be a ‘neutral’ set of activities common to all models, since all are centred on the same business
•Activities that appear on some models, but not on all, will have varying degrees of support from participating individuals
•Additional activities may be needed to resolve conflict between perspectives•Determine best-seller buying policy
•The analyst’s job is to arrive at as wide-ranging an accommodation as possible on the ‘consensus’ model
•This is best done in a facilitated workshop with all of the key stakeholders
•When stakeholders cannot agree the ‘owner’ of the business system, the ‘O’ in CATWOE, will have to determine the outcome
Why do we need a consensus BAM?
•Consolidated view of all stakeholder perspectives
•Negotiations may have been needed to reach agreement between stakeholders
•Owner has accountability
•Consensus BAM
•A model of what the system should look like and what it should be doing (before detailed decisions are made)
•Provides a basis for considering what opportunities exist for improvement (e.gGap Analysis)
•Can be further expanded to consider how the activities are or should be carried out
–Achieved through business process modelling –next module
