From Prescriptive Process Models to Agile Case Modeling

Traditional business process modeling follows a top-down approach. The process structure is pre-defined by completely determining relevant activities, eevents, actors, documents, tools, etc. The process model shows a strict flow of events and activities following a well-defined logical and chronological order. After having completed the comprehensive process model there is a “roll-out” to the operational level. The process must be executed according to the model, e. g. using workflow management systems. However, this approach works only with well-structured, well-plannable tasks which have to be fulfilled frequently and repeatedly in the same way. In today’s business environments this is not true any more. Tasks and Processes are increasingly characterized by the challenges of “knowledge work”. Often events are inpredictable, activities and decisions are flexible, results are individualized, e. g. have to be adapted to specific customer requirements. But these weakly structured tasks have to be accomplished anyway. Task execution models, i. e. process models, are needed that provide flexible goal oriented guidelines, efficient and adaptive collaboration support as well as best practice documention and reuse. CaAs a result traditional process modeling has to be replaced by a new paradigm. Here, agile case modeling is a promising approach. An innovative concept and new methodology for modeling business cases are presented. The focus is on cases which are weakly structured and comprise tasks coping with fuzzy and changing contexts. The modeling methodology has to support “living cases”, i. e. constantly adapt the “running model” to agile business environments. Object oriented modeling methods and techniques coming from computer science are transferred and tailored to case modeling. A case interconnects business objects like goals, milestones, tasks/subtasks, ressources, etc. The set of business objects and their relationships within a case may change during case execution. Thus, the case model changes “on the fly”. These challenges result in agile modeling methods and tools for “living case models”. The methodology of agile case modeling is presented in detail. Agile living case models are illustrated by examples coming from innovation management. A collaboration platform for case modeling and execution is introduced and demonstrated. The software supports case management over the whole lifecycle of a case and particularly provides functionality to create, edit, and apply case models. In addition, case mining instruments help to detect best practices which are saved as case templates. These templates preserve the case models having emerged at the time of successful completion of a case.