Reading Response for Lecture 05

The readings this week focus on process modeling. We will learn how to draw activity diagrams, a UML diagram used to describe business processes. We will develop our process modeling and thinking skills by analyzing the Junk Van case, in which a small business owner is thinking about changing the information systems he uses to support his business. We will step back from that decision and think about his key business processes and how they might be redesigned to take advantage of better information systems.

Below is a list of the readings for this class with some suggestions on how to approach them and questions for discussion in class. Please create a post in this discussion consisting of at least 200 words discussing any issue from the required reading for the week (you do not need to address one of the discussion questions below, but you are welcome to do so).  See the Reading Response Grading Rubric for details about how posts will be graded.

The Readings

Activity Diagram Reading (online reserves).  Activity Diagrams are how we represent processes in UML. They are similar to flow charts and are quite commonly used. The other process notation that you will hear mentioned often is BPMN Links to an external site., which is actually quite similar to activity diagrams, so if you have occasion to use BPMN at some point you will find the transition easy to make. This reading is from UML Distilled, which is an excellent concise description of all the UML diagrams (although aimed at a somewhat technical audience). We will be going through the details of activity diagrams in class, so you your goal here should be to grasp the main points in your reading. A particular feature in these diagrams which you may not have seen before is representation of parallel processes (two or more sets of activities happening at the same time). A few more technical aspects of the diagram which you can skip or skim: tokens, flows and edges, pins and transformations, and expansion regions.

Discussion questions: If you have used process diagrams in the past (e.g. flow charts) how does the activity diagram compare to them? Why is it so important to represent parallel activities? How could drawing a diagram like this help you arrive at a better information system design?

Junk Van Case (purchase online). We will be using this case to practice our process analysis skills and to examine the role that process modeling and analysis plays in information systems design. Kingo's business is smaller and quirkier than the typical business featured in a teaching case, but it is well suited for our purposes.

Discussion questions: What is wrong with Kingo's existing information systems. What business need or problem would a new system address? How should we go about evaluating the alternatives that Kingo is considering. Are there any assumptions that Kingo is making about his business or the new potential information system that we need to call into question?

Junk Van Activity Diagram (link). I drew this activity diagram based on the Junk Van case. In class we will be using this diagram as a starting point for thinking about a process redesign and requirements for a new information system.

Discussion questions: Think about how this business process might be improved, perhaps based on a new information system. Feel free to suggest changes or improvements in the diagram to better represent the Junk Van business process as you understand it.