MIS 2000 * Asper School of Business * Instructor: Bob Travica

MIS 2000 * Asper School of Business * Instructor: Bob Travica Class Exercise on Process Diagrams Updated 2017

This exercise is about analyzing business processes and drawing process diagrams.

Since a process is composed primarily of activities, the main part in figuring out a process is about understanding what the activities are. An activity is action and therefore it is most frequently indicated by verbs (although there may be exceptions since the everyday language is not perfect).

In exercise 1 below, the relevant verbs are underlined. Exercise 2 puts a process description in the tabular form; activities and decisions are tabulated, some performed by people, some by an IS (system).

Check the instructions for drawing process diagrams in the associated class and try to draw process diagram for following exercises.

Exercise 1. Furniture Fantastique has to plan its annual production. Then, to produce the furniture, the company has to source materials from suppliers of semi-finished goods and some raw materials used in furniture products. The employees at Furniture Fantastique use these materials to make furniture products. The sales department sells to various stores and individual customers, and the delivery department or delivery partners then deliver the ordered products to customers. The sales function also handles any returns in the case of customers being unsatisfied with products. (Note: this is a basic representation of supply chain.) Draw the overall process in a simple process diagram (no swim lines needed). Exercise 2. Tabulated below are details of a price quoting process, which a company performs upon a customer request. Create a complete process diagram (with swim lanes).

Step Process Step (Activity) Who/What ID or Decision Performs

1 Request quote Customer

2 Develop requirement notes Salesperson

3 Decision: Help? Salesperson

4 Enter data into Sales System Salesperson (no help)

4’ Check requirements (help) Technical Expert

5 Enter data into Sales System Technical Expert

6, 7 Store requirements; Sales System Calculate quote

8 Present quote to Customer Salesperson

9 Decide if quote is satisfactory Customer

10 Accept quote as an order if satisfactory Customer quote

10’ Request adjustment if unsatisfactory Customer quote and flow back to 2.