Business Events
Analysis
Integration Models
Frameworks
Bizevex

Business Event Analysis Model

In order to assess an EAI project, Sierra starts by building a Business Event Analysis Model that enables us to better understand the various business processes and related events. This understanding is crucial to deploying a successful EAI-based solution for the enterprise/business. 

We begin the model with the assistance and participation of the business community within the enterprise.  It is vital that their understanding and knowledge of how the business operates be captured. These levels of information include the identification of "business events," along with the resources and processes that handle or resolve them. This is crucial to our understanding of where and how applications can be integrated.  

 

The IT organization also supplies valuable information to the model, but from the technological perspective.  Their contribution includes the identification of the required applications, databases, and interfaces, along with details about data formats and transport mechanisms.   These levels of information help to provide a more granular view of the organization with respect to how the various business processes are supported and integrated. 

The following table illustrates the levels of information that a Business Event Analysis Model captures.  More important, it shows how this information can be used to address some of the fundamental questions that must be asked and answered for any EAI project to succees.  Note that this is a very high-level example used to illustrate the concept.

 

Business analysis

Technical analysis

Business Event

Owner (Organization/ Department)

Business Process or Function

Application

Database

Interfaces

Customer solicits for information on auto insurance

Customer Service Help Desk

Sales support

CRM

CRM Software Vendor

proprietary

Send email to customer re-directing to website

Customer submits application for insurance

Customer Service Help Desk

Order processing

Web based Insurance application

SQL Server XML repository

Notify Rating department of new application. Combination email and stored procedure call to populate Oracle database.

 

Rating Department

Order Processing

Rating system

Oracle

Invite Carriers to quote application.  Voice mail for some. 

 

 

Order Processing

Carrier Integration system

Middleware vendor software

Notifies preferred carriers of application submission and invites proposals

Carriers submit proposals or rejections

Rating Department

Order Processing

Policy management system

Oracle

Customer is sent email of proposed offers to provide insurance by carrier(s)

 

 

Order Processing

Carrier Integration system

Middleware vendor software

Rating department is notified and customer is sent email.

Customer selects Carrier and provides credit information

Rating Department

Order Processing

 

Oracle

Credit card authorization request is sent to external service. 

Carrier issues Policy

Rating Department

Sales Support

Policy management system

Oracle

Notify CRM of newly issued policy information

 

 

Sales Support

CRM

CRM Software Vendor

proprietary

Notifies customer that policy has been issued and on its way.

The following table details the  hierarchy of levels of information used to construct the model:

 

Level

 

Example

Business analysis

Business Event

A "happening" or "activity" that initiates outside of the business or internal system that results in an eventual response from that system.  Business events typically originate from a customer or business partner, but they can also originate from within the organization itself.

Customer solicits for information on Auto Insurance

Owner(Organization/ Department)

The individual, group or location within the business enterprise who handles or resolves a specific Business Event. This can be one or more individuals or departments, or it can be an entire organization or sub-organization with even more resources and larger budgets. The scope of ownership generally depends on the size and scale of the business being modeled.

Customer Service Help Desk

Business Process or  Function

A specific internal activity or set of related activities that exist to handle or resolve a specific Business Event.  For example, "procurement "is a business process comprising such activities as selecting vendors, arranging credit terms, and tracking inventory levels.  A process groups related activities for the purposes of understanding their interaction, rather than their specific components.  This level can be as granular or as amalgamated as the analyst that is constructing the model needs it to be.

Sales support

Technical analysis

Application

A program or set of programs used to support the Business Process/ Function in handling the Business Event. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet or email utility; or it can be as extensive as a software package from an ERP, CRM or middleware vendor.  Here again, the degree of granularity of this information level can vary with the scale of the model. However, in order to be meaningful, it should be at the application module or subsystem level.  The scale of this level should be consistent, and it should match the scale of the Business levels.

CRM

Database

Any mechanism used to persist and retrieve information by the Application.  It is very useful to know when certain applications utilize databases that are interoperable.  This could make feasible the deployment of a technology suite that is both supported by the IT staff and paid for by the business.  In essence, why spend money on middleware plumbing when the same result can be achieved with existing infrastructure?

CRM Software Vendor proprietary

Interfaces

A program, application or other utility specifically designed to exchange data between itself and other interfaces.  The important items to capture at this level are:  

  • Data content and format
  • Transport mechanism: sync or async , protocol or utility
  • Target component and/or logical address of target

In case the interface is a middleware vendor product or utility, then we should capture the relevant information as is applies to that specific product/utility. 

Send email to customer re-directing to website


Sierra Computer Group

2443 Fillmore Street Suite 254
San Francisco CA 94115
voice: 415-948-6559
  fax: 650-610-0954

solutions@sierragrp.com

Copyright © 2002 Sierra Computer Group.
All rights reserved. 

Home ] About Sierra ] AS/400 Services ] EAI Services ] Methodology ] Site Map ]