Iterative process prototyping
Iterative process prototyping ( IPP ) is a model for company design with a specialization in standard software libraries. It comes from business informatics and is subordinate to rapid prototyping .
definition
Iterative process prototyping (IPP) is a method for structuring complex issues. Originally created for the development and introduction of business application systems, it describes the implementation of a mapping from the corporate strategy and business management to the options offered by the application system.
methodology
elements
Iterative process prototyping describes the interaction of six elements to be considered, which can be divided into two levels (see figure). On the business level, processes (flow), organization (structure) and data (forms) are considered, the systemic level consists of transactions, customizing (rules) and the data dictionary . All elements are bi-directionally linked, resulting in 30 questions. Depending on the focus / target image, the individual questions are examined with different frequencies and with different levels of detail.
Action
The core component of the iterative process prototyping is a step-by-step approach: Based on a planned value chain or topics, the elements with the highest priority and importance are first identified and put in a chronological order. New structures to be introduced are compared with the existing structures and, if necessary, adjustments are made to keep the system consistent. These “returns” are also known as iterations. As part of the iterations, a morphological construction kit can be used to reduce the complexity that arises. The results of the iterative process prototyping are visualized in process playbooks.
Origin / background
In the 90s, an interdisciplinary research group made up of employees from SAP AG and the Institute for Information Systems (Chair Prof. Dr. hc August-Wilhelm Scheer ) dealt with a suitable representation of business processes based on the possibilities of the business application system SAP R / 3 . On the one hand, the event-controlled process chain (EPC) was designed for the transaction-based process display, and on the other, a process model for managing SAP complexity (approx.50,000 transactions, approx. 100,000 customizing settings) was developed as part of the introduction in the form of iterative process prototyping. The starting point is the structuring of complex, business issues as customer-driven value chains and the subsequent iteration of functional requirements based on the limits of process modules compared to the possibilities of the IT system . The IPP approach supports the philosophy “IT follows business” under strategic, economic and ecological aspects. This approach is contrary to the "business follows IT" which is often found in practice, which is not infrequently used by large corporations to discipline their subsidiaries by introducing a microorganization inherent in the IT system.
Iterative process prototyping (IPP) is now also used in other disciplines, such as B. in sport and in training, used for complexity management.
A particular challenge in projects is the stabilization of value chains as a basis for further development steps, test scenarios and training documents.
Differentiation of IPP vs. ARIS
IPP is derived from ARIS . The central similarities and differences are shown below.
Similarities
- Consideration of all views to fully describe a company (completeness)
- Same objective: Reduction of complexity through dismantling
- transparency
differences
- In contrast to ARIS, IPP requires that the business level and the system level are taken into account at the same time
- ARIS divides the levels according to the waterfall model, IPP uses a simultaneous, iterative approach
- ARIS is divided into 4 or 5 views, depending on the display, IPP is defined on 2 levels and 6 elements
- Iterative jumps make IPP more suitable for checking the effects of changes in individual areas
literature
- Keller, Gerhard (1999): "Process-oriented application of SAP R / 3. Iterative process prototyping with event-driven process chains", Addison-Wesley, Munich
- Kneuper, Ralf et al. (1998): "Process models for operational application development", Stuttgart - Leipzig.