Bookshelf v7.5: Hierarchy of Business Process Diagram Levels

Siebel Business Process Implementation Guide > Siebel Business Process Components and Categories >

Hierarchy of Business Process Diagram Levels

There are four levels of detail represented in the Siebel business process diagrams. Each of these levels is explained in Business Process Component Descriptions. The four levels are as follows:

Solution map. This is the highest-level view of business processes. The solution map shows the entire set of business processes for an enterprise domain on one page. This level of diagram filters out the lower-level specifics to allow you to focus on how the business processes in the enterprise domain relate to the various organizations of your company, as well as to the people involved—people in your company, in partner companies, and among your customers. The solution map details the functional domains within each area of your enterprise.

Process relationship diagram. A process relationship diagram shows one functional domain, such as Sales, in detail on one page. Process relationship diagrams show the process domains within the functional domain. In the example of the Sales functional domain, the process domains Sales Execution, Quote and Order Management, Sales Planning and Budgeting, Sales Pipeline Management, and Product and Catalog Management are shown. The process relationship diagrams also show how the business processes within a number of process domains relate to one another. For example, in the Sales Execution process domain, Opportunity Management business processes depend on both Account Management business processes as well as Lead Management business processes.

Business process diagram. This level of diagram maps strategic processes, indicating interactions between users in your company and the end customer, as well as partners and external companies. This level contains steps and subprocesses, as well as clearly defined inputs and outputs. A typical business process diagram shows a series of inputs and converts them into a specific output, such as Create Sales Forecast, which rolls up individual sales representative forecasts into a company-wide forecast.

Subprocess diagram. A subprocess diagram shows a detailed series of steps, typically executed by one person, that can be reused in multiple business processes. Subprocess diagrams allow the detail of common work sequences to be summarized at the business process diagram level, so as not to detract from understanding of the overall function of the business process. Subprocesses detail the steps supported by the Siebel application, Universal Application Network (UAN) integration application processes, and external applications. An example of a subprocess is Build Action Plan, a subprocess within the Create Sales Forecast business process.

Within the Siebel business process diagrams, there are process steps, as well as integration application processes.

Step. A step is a discrete action typically performed by one person. A step can also be performed by a system, or it can represent an integration point. A step is a clearly defined and time-bound task, such as Enter Quote, not Manage Delivery.

Integration Application Process. An Integration Application Process (IAP) uses code to define standards-based interaction between one or more applications. An IAP is application independent. An example of this is the Submit Order IAP, which passes order information from one system to another (from the Siebel application to a third-party order fulfillment system). An IAP runs typically within a process controller on an integration server provided by a Siebel integration server partner. In Siebel business processes, IAPs are triggered by steps. In the preceding example, the Submit Order IAP is triggered by a step called Submit Order.