The paper will evaluate configuration management and process modeling and then decide which process is more applicable in various situations.
Process Modeling
It is the analytical illustration or representation of various business processes in an organization. Alongside programs such as business process discovery, business process modeling is widely perceived as a vital factor in successful business process management. The tool can map out the current status of the organization (or “as-is”) processes to come up with baseline standards for different process improvements and the future designs (or “to be”) processes after incorporating the changes (Jeston & Nelis, 2014). Process modeling mostly uses the business process modeling notation. It is a standard illustrating process or methods that have flowchart-like diagrams that are easily understood by both business and IT managers. Process modeling is becoming a priority for both analysts and business managers because of the increasing focus on improving, documenting, and understanding business processes. Streamlined and well-documented processes are necessary for productive teams because they encourage traceability, focus, and consistency towards the shared goal. Process modeling has various related phases such as process improvement, process mapping, process analysis, process discovery, and process simulation. Implementing process modeling in any organization often yields significant benefits.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Configuration Management
Configuration management is a systems engineering and governance process that encourages proper accounting of all configuration systems in a company and the relationship between its features in an operational environment. Configuration items are made up of software, enterprise devices, capabilities, and hardware necessary to provide services in the company. The configuration management process tracks and identifies the individual configuration items, their functional attributes and physical capabilities, and their interdependence or relationship to the services they support in its operational life cycle (Leon, 2015). Some of the information includes updates and versions of installed software and the network addresses and locations of the hardware devices.
Technicians often use configuration management tools to evaluate the entire related systems while verifying the effect of a variance or change on one system on the other organization’s systems. It is one of the operational processes within the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). However, it is not mandatory for the organization to implement the ITIL framework to carry out configuration management (Leon, 2015). Configuration management tools are essential in the change impact analysis and can reduce the outages that may be caused by production outages. Furthermore, it is essential when restoring services after or during an outage.
Discussion
Both processes are essential in the overall efficiency in any company, but process modeling has wider applications. Process modeling goes beyond production by aligning the operations of the organization with business strategy. It aligns operations with the business strategy by linking organizational strategy to their well-documented business processes. Furthermore, it aligns operation activity and business execution with strategy by ensuring that the responsibilities assigned to employees assist the company in implementing its strategy (Jeston & Nelis, 2014). It is also essential when implementing Business Process Reengineering by evaluating the current business processes and modifying them for better performance. Also, it encourages process agility where the business can change procedures rapidly to address business challenges or take advantage of emerging business opportunities.
Moreover, it improves process communication. The factor that distinguishes successful teams and the non-successful team is communication and the definite roles of each member. Process modeling provides a unified methodology and language for communicating information and processes. It is also ideal for rapid knowledge transfer and training new people because it is a thoroughly documented procedure (Jeston & Nelis, 2014). It assists all business managers to communicate information and ideas clearly and quickly. Due to the documentation, it minimizes the potential risk of losing business process knowledge.
Process control increases consistency and control by formalizing the existing process that may not be documented or have evolved to become “informal knowledge” within the company. It ensures that process execution is conducted consistently rather than relying on employees to recall all process because the processes are well-documented (Jeston & Nelis, 2014). Also, it enhances better decision making because it relies on documented business rules and ideas. Businesses that succeed are the entities that ensure the business rules and processes are well documented and designed, and that is applied consistently every time. Process consistency and control are vital for success ranging from NASA Space Shuttle expeditions to hospitals and fast food chains.
Process analysis and simulation are essential tools for analysts and managers to ensure procedures and processes are optimized. Ultimately, it will improve operational efficiencies. It offers a better understanding and analysis of the processes while identifying areas for enhanced efficiencies and optimization. It reduces the process cycle time and identifies needed improvements (Jeston & Nelis, 2014). The process analysis allows the company to utilize its resources more prudently. Therefore, employees may achieve higher productivity with fewer resources. It enhances an environment of continuous improvement and optimization of business critical processes so that it can boost operational efficiencies.
All the issues discussed above may result in significant competitive advantages for the company because it allows the organization to invest in documentation, simulation, and business improvement processes. Research indicates that process modeling boosts the success of a company not just because of better business models or better ideas but because of the business invested in tools that refined and improved their business processes (Jeston & Nelis, 2014). A slight improvement that was implemented daily will ensure the business attains efficiencies. An organization that has well-trained staff, aligned business operations with strategy, is running effectively is agile, and has good control over its processes will be successful.
References
Jeston, J., & Nelis, J. (2014). Business process management : Routledge.
Leon, A. (2015). Software configuration management handbook : Artech House.
