With dimensions, an enterprise can be modeled at a single point in time. The business model provides a clear, appropriately abstract representation of the enterprise at that point. This model is then leveraged to seed and realize innovation by translating business models into IT artifacts.
But the most effective enterprise model is not simply a snapshot of the enterprise at a point in time. Rather, it is more like a motion picture of the enterprise. It is a model that allows the exploration of innovative change, as well as the ability to analyze actual change over time.
Change appears in many forms. A simple example of representing change is the concept of a version. Versions recognize change based upon innovation over time. Version 2 of a business process reflects changes and improvements over version 1 of that business process. However, versions are only one dimension of change.
An enterprise model often considers locations or areas. Multinational enterprises define their processes (as well as other enterprise artifacts) differently depending upon the area in which the process executes. The U.S. Order Fulfillment process may work equally well across all states in the Union, but may not work well in France . Thus an enterprise needs an Order Fulfillment US , Order Fulfillment France , Order Fulfillment Japan , etc. to reflect the unique cultural, political, economic and sociological differences of each area.
Many other types of dimensions exist naturally. In addition to version and area/location, we see time (e.g. financial quarters), culture (e.g. Asian, European, Middle Eastern), market (e.g. private vs. public) and more. An enterprise model needs to express change (and changes) across numerous dimensions.
Moreover, a single concept can be stratified across multiple dimensions. The Order Fulfillment process was shown to vary by area. Each of the example Order Fulfillment processes may also vary by version. This leads to Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN ,V1) , Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN v2) , Order Fulfillment ( US v1) , etc. An enterprise is a complex entity that requires expressing fundamental concepts such as a single process across multiple, simultaneous dimensions such as area and version.
Metastorm ProVision allows every main object in its meta-model to be stratified across one or more simultaneous dimensions. The dimensions (dimension types) are defined by the enterprise as needed and reused throughout the product. Furthermore, dimensioned objects are not special cases. They are fully functional, first-class objects in Metastorm ProVision – with all rights and privileges.
This means that a Metastorm ProVision user can have a process representing Order Fulfillment ( US v1) and another representing Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN v2). In such a scenario, the processes can have different properties (including different descriptions) and can be defined with profoundly different components. The workflow model (aka process model) for Order Fulfillment ( US v1) may require 25 activities and involve seven organizations where Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN v2) may require 33 activities and three organizations. Both processes represent the same concept – the Order Fulfillment process – but may vary considerably. Furthermore, the component activities within each process can also be dimensioned. Both Order Fulfillment ( JAPAN v2) and Order Fulfillment ( US v1) can do Order Scheduling the same way (using the same activity) but vary in how they complete the order in the field.
Metastorm ProVision makes it easy to reflect the many dimensions of change that are the reality for an enterprise. If the Order Fulfillment ( US v1) process requires a special U.S. activity for completing an order, this activity can be created and used within the model.
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