Business Process Services. White Paper. Empowering the Business with Process Oriented IT Architecture

Transcription

1 Busiess Process Services White Paper Empowerig the Busiess with Process Orieted IT Architecture

2 About the Author Mahesh Kshirsagar Mahesh has over 24 years of experiece across various techologies. He has played a key role i addressig the ever-chagig demads of busiess by architectig state-of-theart IT solutios. As a techology leader, he has successfully icubated several high impact, high potetial IT service lies, ad techology ceters of excellece (CoE). He has strog expertise across techology areas, architecture domais ad idustry verticals, ad extesive experiece i the Bakig ad Fiacial Services idustry.

3 Abstract Systems that support busiess processes traditioally use applicatio cetric architecture, ad are desiged with specific fuctioality i mid. Busiess users therefore fid it difficult to chage the way a applicatio operates ad adapt it to subsequet chages i busiess rules. I practice, processes are ot restricted to a sigle fuctioality but are spread across busiess fuctios. I additio, certai tasks withi processes are ot automated ad eed to be carried out maually. IT cetric architecture also lacks the ability to provide a uified view to associates. All of this leads to a lack of efficiecy ad a icreased likelihood of errors. It is therefore ideal that architects cosider process orieted architecture for systems desiged to support processes spread across busiess uits as well as orgaizatioal boudaries. Applicatios desiged i this maer are trasparet ad cosistet, that is, the busiess, ad the techical data ad processes are i syc. This paper discusses the limitatios of applicatio cetric architecture for busiess process systems, ad how process orieted applicatios help overcome these limitatios by leveragig Service Orieted Architecture (SOA) ad Busiess Process Maagemet (BPM). It also illustrates how process orieted architecture helps i icreasig employee efficiecy ad productivity, leadig to reduced errors ad higher customer satisfactio.

4 Cotets 1. Itroductio 5 2. Typical Limitatios of IT Applicatios that Support BPS Operatios 5 3. The Process Orieted Architecture Paradigm 6 4. Beefits of Adoptig a Process Orieted Architecture 7 5. Trasitioig to Process Cetricity 7 6. Coclusio 8

5 Itroductio Busiess Process Service (BPS) operatios have grow expoetially over the last decade. BPS providers rely heavily o IT systems to help address icreasig service level expectatios from their cliets. However, IT operatios are ot always able to gaifully support BPS operatios. This is because traditioally, IT applicatios are based o applicatio cetric architecture. BPS operatios are highly process orieted, ad iclude maual activities for o-automated tasks. Though applicatio architecture icludes elemets from busiess processes, aspects liked to maual activities or o-automated tasks are ofte igored. For Olie Trasactio Processig (OLTP) applicatios, iformatio processig is divided ito idividual operatios, with immediate respose beig provided for specific requests. IT systems here are desiged to maage Atomic, Cosistet, Isolated, ad Durable (ACID) trasactios. However, i the case of BPS operatios, a activity may ivolve multiple applicatios, ad may have several people workig o it, either sequetially or i parallel. This calls for a shift from applicatio orieted architecture to process orieted architecture. A effective orgaizatio should have ed-to-ed processes that go beyod typical orgaizatioal silos ad boudaries. The result is greater efficiecies ad better results. Typical Limitatios of IT Applicatios that Support BPS Operatios Typically, the architecture of a BPS applicatio has at least three tiers: presetatio, busiess logic, ad database. Ofte, the busiess process model ad its executio do ot receive the required focus, leadig to a umber of limitatios withi the applicatios. I additio, collaboratio betwee iteral ad exteral stakeholders ofte occurs outside the realm of IT systems. Typical limitatios of the IT applicatios used i BPS operatios iclude: Factors such as maual categorizatio ad allocatio to agets are ot cosidered Operatioal risks ad cotrols are ot sufficietly embedded ito systems sice busiess rules are ofte ot a itegral part of IT applicatios Ed-to-ed process optimizatio ad executio is ot achieved, due to iadequate Busiess Process Maagemet (BPM) There is o comprehesive error aalysis framework to elimiate or sigificatly reduce errors The applicatio does ot provide adequate aalytics to guide BPS agets i work prioritizatio ad executio Substatial time is required to stadardize iputs for tasks The impact of virtualized deploymet of IT applicatios is ot cosidered 5

6 BPS Aget Type Voice Operatios Data Etry Operatios Kowledge Processig Activity Typical Activity % Browsig 80% 10% 10% Data Etry 10% 80% 50% Thikig 10% 10% 40% Figure 1: A break-up of typical work patter of BPS agets These limitatios impact the desig ad usability of the systems, resultig i iadequate measuremet of process cotrol, performace, compliace ad cost; partial automatio of maual processes; ad limited ability to cofigure processes. I additio, they also impact the efficiecy ad effectiveess of BPS agets who rely o these systems. Figure 1 depicts a break-up of the typical work patters of BPS agets. A aget may eed to access multiple applicatios or screes to get the iformatio required i order to complete a task, thereby affectig the turaroud time ad customer satisfactio. Give these limitatios, it is importat to revisit the way system architecture is coceived ad desiged for BPS operatios. Adoptig a thoroughly vetted process orieted architecture ca prove to be a game chager i such situatios. The Process Orieted Architecture Paradigm Process orieted architecture focuses o ehaced aligmet of system architecture with busiess process executio. With process orieted architecture, there is complete cosistecy as well as process trasparecy, sice both busiess ad techology teams use the same omeclature. This elimiates the chaces of misrepresetatio or miscommuicatio. Busiess process defiitios specified by busiess users become part of the architecture of the IT applicatios, ad drive every aspect of the applicatios' fuctios. Process orieted architecture essetially comprises two dimesios: 1. A solutio idepedet process model: I this model, busiess processes are defied ad maaged by busiess users. The model provides a orgaizatio-wide view through process maps a hierarchical set of busiess processes accompaied by performace measures ad measuremet methods. It also has i-built mechaisms for maagig performace variatios. These process maps cater to the IT eeds of the orgaizatio from a solutios perspective. They map each busiess process to IT applicatio services required to successfully complete the process, ad automate it as much as possible. 6

7 2. A solutio for applicatios, workflow, ad cotextual coectios: This eables the mappig of busiess processes to the uderlyig techology executig them. Such a solutio forms the backboe of the process orieted architecture, ad orchestrates ad itegrates IT applicatios used i BPS. Beefits of Adoptig Process Orieted Architecture By leveragig the priciples of process orieted architecture for desigig BPS applicatios, orgaizatios ca: Provide a commo eterprise view from both a busiess ad a techology perspective Focus o ed-to-ed processes across orgaizatioal busiess uits ad applicatios, ad reduce the risk of igorig key fuctioality Ehace efficiecy ad effectiveess, ad reduce cost through stadardizatio ad automatio Implemet well-defied process performace measures, ad provide greater visibility ito performace metrics like productivity ad turaroud time for targeted performace improvemet Maage performace variatios liked to both ormal ad exceptioal scearios Itegrate risk cotrols ito processes ad provide a comprehesive safety et Trasitioig to Process Cetricity: A Framework To adopt process orieted architecture, orgaizatios first eed to become process orieted. At a strategic level, orgaizatios eed to gear up to cotiuously deliver better value to their customers ad stakeholders. They must also focus o processes that deliver value ad are aliged with their orgaizatioal strategy. At a process level, they eed to execute strategy through a series of coordiated activities across a umber of busiess uits withi the orgaizatio. By maagig processes with a ed-to-ed view of the performace of all processes, orgaizatios ca optimize performace. Upo establishig a orgaizatio-wide process cetric culture, orgaizatios eed to uderstad ad execute the fudametal teets of Service Orieted Architecture (SOA) ad BPM. These serve as key eablers of process orietatio i systems. Process cetricity ca be effectively achieved by applyig SOA ad BPM i a syergetic fashio. BPM is essetial to uderstadig the uderlyig processes, iputs, outputs, ad sub-tasks at each stage of the process, ad how they ca be supported ad executed. A clear uderstadig of how busiess processes are actually executed i BPS operatios, ad what is required to optimize them, adds sigificat value to existig applicatios. O the other had, SOA puts process orietatio ad decompositio ito a busiess cotext. It traslates IT applicatios ito busiess services. Services ca the be leveraged cotextually, either i a stadaloe mode, or by beig a participat of a orchestrated process. This results i a ed-to-ed process, which amalgamates various busiess uits, IT applicatios, ad key stakeholders. 7

8 Process orieted maagemet ivolves uderstadig the ehacemets eeded i process executio, as well as implemetig steps to sustai ad improve them. Additioally, it eables compaies to accurately forecast performace ad aticipate potetial problems. Coclusio The effective ad efficiet executio of busiess processes i a orgaizatio depeds heavily upo the efficacy of the supportig IT applicatios. With processes goig beyod traditioal applicatio ad fuctioal boudaries, orgaizatios eed to leverage process orieted architecture to esure that tasks are completed with greater accuracy. Process cetricity facilitates better aligmet betwee busiess ad IT, ad geerates greater operatioal efficiecies. This approach also provides a itegrated view of fuctios ad busiess uits i a orgaizatio for better busiess results. I order to leverage the beefits of process cetric systems, orgaizatios will eed to re-desig their IT systems, as well as redefie the maer i which they fuctio. It is also importat for key stakeholders i BPS to uderstad ad execute the fudametal teets of SOA ad BPM. Process orieted systems are a ideal choice for today's global orgaizatios. They support busiess goals by cotextually coectig differet applicatios used i various operatios, ad result i improved efficiecies ad greater ed customer satisfactio. 8

9 About TCS' Busiess Process Services Uit Eterprises seek to drive busiess growth ad agility through iovatio i a icreasigly regulated, competitive, ad global market. TCS helps cliets achieve these goals by maagig ad executig their busiess operatios effectively ad efficietly. TCS' Busiess Process Services (BPS) iclude core idustry-specific processes, aalytics ad isights, ad eterprise services such as fiace ad accoutig, HR, ad supply chai maagemet. TCS TM creates value through its FORE simplificatio ad trasformatio methodology, backed by its deep TM domai expertise, extesive techology experiece, ad TRAPEZE goverace eablers ad solutios. TCS complemets its experiece ad expertise with iovative delivery models such as usig robotic automatio ad providig Busiess Processes as a Service (BPaaS). TCS' BPS uit has bee positioed i the leaders' quadrat for various service lies by may leadig aalyst firms. With over four decades of global experiece ad a delivery footprit spaig six cotiets, TCS is oe of the largest BPS providers today. Cotact For more iformatio about TCS Busiess Process Services Uit, visit: ( bps.coect@tcs.com Subscribe to TCS White Papers TCS.com RSS: Feedburer: About Tata Cosultacy Services (TCS) Tata Cosultacy Services is a IT services, cosultig ad busiess solutios orgaizatio that delivers real results to global busiess, esurig a level of certaity o other firm ca match. TCS offers a cosultig-led, itegrated portfolio of IT ad IT-eabled ifrastructure, egieerig ad TM assurace services. This is delivered through its uique Global Network Delivery Model, recogized as the bechmark of excellece i software developmet. A part of the Tata Group, Idia s largest idustrial coglomerate, TCS has a global footprit ad is listed o the Natioal Stock Exchage ad Bombay Stock Exchage i Idia. For more iformatio, visit us at IT Services Busiess Solutios Cosultig All cotet / iformatio preset here is the exclusive property of Tata Cosultacy Services Limited (TCS). The cotet / iformatio cotaied here is correct at the time of publishig. No material from here may be copied, modified, reproduced, republished, uploaded, trasmitted, posted or distributed i ay form without prior writte permissio from TCS. Uauthorized use of the cotet / iformatio appearig here may violate copyright, trademark ad other applicable laws, ad could result i crimial or civil pealties. Copyright 2014 Tata Cosultacy Services Limited TCS Desig Services I M I 12 I 14