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A '''business process''' or '''business method'''  is a collection of related, structured activities or [[Task (project management)|tasks]] that produce a specific service or product (serve a particular goal) for a particular customer or customers. It may often be visualized as a [[flowchart]] of a sequence of activities with interleaving decision points or as a Process Matrix of a sequence of activities with relevance rules based on data in the process.
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<h1 style="color: #087dc1; margin-top: 0px;">Welcome to the '''SMART City E+ Tool'''</h1>
  
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== Overview ==
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There are three types of business processes{{citation needed|date=March 2015}}:
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# [[Management process]]es, the processes that govern the operation of a system. Typical management processes include "[[corporate governance]]" and "[[strategic management]]".
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# Operational processes, processes that constitute the [[core business]] and create the primary value stream.  For example, taking orders from customers, and opening an account in a bank branch.
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# Supporting processes, which support the core processes. Examples include Health & Safety, [[accounting]], [[recruitment]], [[call center]], [[technical support]].
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A business process begins with a mission objective and ends with achievement of the business objective. Process-oriented organizations break down the barriers of structural departments and try to avoid [[functional silo]]s.
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Each city is different. Each city must therefore meet specific essentials and challenges. These can be urban challenges, their infrastructure, the government services, mobility, prosperity, the growing population (or its ageing), the environment, good governance, etc. Each city therefore needs to identify, model and develop their own smart city concept. The SMART City E+ tool is a new breed of integrated modelling and architecture tool. It is offered as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, and consists of 2 major application components:
  
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A complex business process may be decomposed into several sub-processes,<ref>Information Resources Management Association USA, Enterprise Information Systems: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications, p. 1065</ref> which have their own attributes, but also contribute to achieving the goal of the super-process. The analysis of business processes typically includes the mapping of processes and sub-processes down to activity/task level.<ref name="DeselPernici2004">{{cite book|author1=Jörg Desel|author2=Barbara Pernici|author3=Mathias Weske|title=Business Process Management: Second International Conference, BPM 2004, Potsdam, Germany, June 17-18, 2004, Proceedings|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=F75MqHCmkXsC&pg=PA202|date=14 June 2004|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-3-540-22235-4|pages=202–}}</ref><ref name="ceiton">{{cite web|url=http://ceiton.com/CMS/EN/workflow/introduction.html#Task_Management|title=Task management in a workflow|publisher=ceiton.com|accessdate=2015-03-20}}</ref>
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#A SMART City Modelling Software component where the expert can create and work with many different types of modelling and architecture components; and
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#A Knowledge Management system where the SMART City models, views and standards can be posted for anybody within and across the teams. You can also publish content and pages where citizens can comment on the program, project, initiative or concept. This provides a whole new SMART City development and continuous improvement possibility between the city and the citizens. Who feel they are part of developing and enhancing the SMART City concept, providing a whole new experience to modelling, publishing, referencing, commenting and continuous improvements in a collaborative and user-friendly environment.
  
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Business processes are designed<ref>William Bentley, Peter T. Davis, Lean Six Sigma Secrets for the CIO, p. 19</ref> to add value for the customer and should not include unnecessary activities. The outcome of a well designed business process is increased effectiveness (value for the customer) and increased efficiency (less costs for the company).
 
  
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Business Processes can be modeled through a large number of methods and techniques. For instance, the [[Business Process Modeling Notation]] is a [[Business Process Modeling]] technique that can be used for drawing business processes in a [[workflow]].
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== The SMART City '''Modelling Software''' Component ==
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To transform itself into a smart city, any city has to direct its objectives, program and projects along a SMART City direction, considering multiple dimensions:
  
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==History==
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*'''SMART City Strategy''': one of the most basic, but also relevant areas, is defining the directional components. Specifying the smart city vision, strategy and objectives. This also sets the basis for the SMART City initiatives and thereby the portfolio management.
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=== Adam Smith ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Division of labour]] -->
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*'''Urban Planning''': It can be labelled as the structural scaffolding of a smart city; its maintenance system as well as the adjusted blueprint concept of the city. A smart city is an urban development concept to incorporate multiple information and communication technology (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.
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An important early (1776) description of processes was that of economist [[Adam Smith]] in his famous example of a [[pin (device)|pin]] factory. Inspired by an article in [[Diderot|Diderot's]] [[Encyclopédie]], Smith described the production of a pin in the following way:
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*The '''SMART Economy''': it is a city that wants to position itself as a capital of the new economy and innovation as well as a centre that draws people to it.
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<blockquote>
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*'''SMART Government''': it is a city whose public services have entered the digital era with efficient online services, wifi and the use of digital data produced in the city.
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”One man draws out the wire, another straights it, a third cuts it, a fourth points it, a fifth grinds it at the top for receiving the head: to make the head requires two or three distinct operations: to put it on is a particular business, to whiten the pins is another ... and the important business of making a pin is, in this manner, divided into about eighteen distinct operations, which in some manufactories are all performed by distinct hands, though in others the same man will sometime perform two or three of them.”
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*The '''SMART Environment''': it is a city which reconciles its roles as a living space, for mobility, an economic centre… while reducing its footprint on the planet (reduced consumption of energy and natural resources and reduced polluting emissions).
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</blockquote>
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*'''SMART Mobility''': it is the city which organises itself to offer an alternative to car congestion and pollution by promoting the effectiveness of means of collective and sustainable travel.
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Smith also first recognized how the output could be increased through the use of [[Division of labour|labor division]]. Previously, in a society where production was dominated by [[artisan|handcrafted goods]], one man would perform all the activities required during the production process, while Smith described how the work was divided into a set of simple tasks, which would be performed by specialized workers. The result of labor division in Smith’s example resulted in productivity increasing by 24,000 percent (sic), i.e. that the same number of workers made 240 times as many pins as they had been producing before the introduction of labor division.
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*The '''SMART Population''': it is a city which fosters the development of its citizens by levelling out inequalities and encouraging them to acquire skills.
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*The '''SMART Living Environment''': it is a city which pushes itself up to the highest level in terms of health and safety for example.
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*'''SMART Technology''' usage: Smart cities all share the characteristic of acting on their services and activities to make them more efficient. The ways they achieve this are very diverse, but they often have in common to use of digital technology resources (or ICTs, information and communication technologies). The degree of integration of ICTs in the urban functions is sometimes even considered as the criterion that marks out smart cities from other cities.
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</div>
  
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It is worth noting that Smith did not advocate labor division at any price and ''[[wikt:per se|per se]]''. The appropriate level of task division was defined through experimental design of the production process. In contrast to Smith's view which was limited to the same functional domain and comprised activities that are in direct sequence in the manufacturing process, today's process concept includes cross-functionality as an important characteristic. Following his ideas the division of labor was adopted widely, while the integration of tasks into a functional, or cross-functional, process was not considered as an alternative option until much later.
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'''UPDATES & TUTORIALS'''
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=== Frederick Winslow Taylor ===
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Here you can find a list of quick links that takes you directly to the tutorial page of each subject. Please find the list of tutorial subjects below:
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American engineer, [[Frederick Winslow Taylor]] greatly influenced and improved the quality of [[industrial processes]] in the early twentieth century. His [[Principles of Scientific Management]] focused on standardization of processes, systematic training and clearly defining the roles of management and employees. His methods were widely adopted in the United States, Russia and parts of Europe and led to further developments such as “time and motion study” and visual task optimization techniques, such as [[Gantt charts]].
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*[[Media:Working_with_Objects_in_E+.pdf|Download Working with Objects in E+]]
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*[[Media:E+_Bug_Reporting_Template.docx|Download the Bug Reporting Template]]
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*[[Media:LEADing_Practice_-_Best Practice_&_Tips_&_Tricks_.pdf|Download the Best Practice & Tips & Tricks]]
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*[[LEAD_Reference_Content:E%2B_GBI_Production_%26_GBS_Retailer_Case|E+ GBI Production & GBS Retailer Case]]
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*[[LEAD_Reference_Content:Working_with_KM_%26_Templates|Working with KM & Templates]]
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*[[LEAD_Reference_Content:Working_with_the_EnterprisePLUS_Modelling_Tool|Working with the EnterprisePLUS Modelling Tool]]
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*[[LEAD_Reference_Content:Creating_Maps_%26_Matrices|Creating Maps & Matrices]]
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</div>
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</div>
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[[File:SMART City-01.png|600 px|link=|alt=|center]]
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</div>
  
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=== Peter Drucker ===
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<div style="clear: both;"></div>
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In the latter part of the twentieth century, management guru [[Peter Drucker]] focused much of his work on simplification and decentralization of processes, which led to the concept of [[outsourcing]].
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=== Other definitions ===
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SMART cities, except for a few rare smart cities created from scratch, all have a past during which regulations or customs have gradually developed… sometimes obsolete, sometimes counterproductive and often out of phase with the simplicity of internet enabled concepts and services. Wherever you are at the moment, we know that It is extremely critical to develop the As Is and To Be state of various SMART City programs, projects and initiatives. The SMART City E+ tool has as the first tool incorporated standards from ISO, OMG, LEADing Practice and IEEE to support the following standards:
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In the early 1990s, US corporations, and subsequently companies all over the world, started to adopt the concept of [[business process reengineering]] (BPR) in an attempt to re-achieve the competitiveness that they had lost during the previous decade.
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Davenport (1993)<ref>Thomas Davenport (1993). ''Process Innovation: Reengineering work through information technology''. Harvard Business School Press, Boston</ref> defines a (business) process as:
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'''Modelling Standards needed with SMART City development:'''
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<blockquote>
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”a structured, measured set of activities designed to produce a specific output for a particular customer or market. It implies a strong emphasis on how work is done within an organization, in contrast to a product focus’s emphasis on what. A process is thus a specific ordering of work activities across time and space, with a beginning and an end, and clearly defined inputs and outputs: a structure for action. ... Taking a process approach implies adopting the customer’s point of view. Processes are the structure by which an organization does what is necessary to produce value for its customers.”
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</blockquote>
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This definition contains certain characteristics a process must possess. These characteristics are achieved by a focus on the business logic of the process (how work is done), instead of taking a product perspective (what is done). Following Davenport's definition of a process we can conclude that a process must have clearly defined boundaries, input and output, that it consists of smaller parts, activities, which are ordered in time and space, that there must be a receiver of the process outcome- a customer - and that the transformation taking place within the process must add customer value.
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Hammer & Champy’s (1993)<ref>Michael Hammer and James Champy (1993). ''Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution'', Harper Business</ref> definition can be considered as a subset of Davenport’s. They define a process as:
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*Value Modelling Notations (VMN) – the ability to capture and documents the smart city value components such as citizen value proposition, services as well as also document and relate relevant programs that need to be considered.
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<blockquote>
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*Strategy Modelling Notations (StMN) Value Modelling Notations (VMN) – the ability to capture and documents the smart city vision, mission, strategy, objectives, and goals that need to be considered.
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”a collection of activities that takes one or more kinds of input and creates an output that is of value to the customer.”
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*Planning Modelling Notations (PLMN) – it can capture urban planning, financial plans, detailed development plans and relate them all together (as needed)
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</blockquote>
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*Policy Modelling Notations (PoMN) – documents and relate relevant policies, guidelines, procedures and rules that need to be considered.
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As we can note, Hammer & Champy have a more transformation oriented perception, and put less emphasis on the structural component – process boundaries and the order of activities in time and space.
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*Reporting Modelling Notations (RPMN) – interlink performance measures, such as KPIs, PPIs, SPIs together and relate them to relevant reports.
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*Risk Modelling Notations (RiMN) – capture and document applicable risk factors and components
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*Rule Modelling Notations (RuMN) – document appropriate rules, that can relate to functions, processes, services, devices, infrastructure. Making this an advanced rule repository that can relate to all the other important subjects
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*Quality Modelling Notations (QMN) – documents and define your quality aspects and relate them to any applicable component.
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*Requirement Modelling Notations (ReMN) – you can document your requirements and sort them by groups of various stakeholders, from users, groups, executives or citizens.
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*Capability Modelling Notations (CMN) – the ability to document As Is capabilities, measure the maturity of the capability and define the needed To Be capabilities.
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*Blockchain Modelling Notations (BcMN) – Create your models and Blockchain concepts, allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, blockchain technology created the backbone of a new type of SMART City interaction.
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*Service Modelling Notations (SMN) – defining and modelling the existing as well as the needed service model is one of the foundational components of developing a new smart city concept
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*Business Process Modelling Notations (BPMN) – document, capture and model your smart city flows and processes.
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*Robotic Automation Modelling Notations (RAMN) – the ability to define where and when Robotic Automation makes sense and adds value is bringing the smart city to a whole new level and advanced modelling and development
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*Application Modelling Notations (AMN) - Smart cities are all about automation and information sharing. The ways they achieve this are very diverse, but they often have in common to use of the ability to model where what needs to be automated and or integrated.
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*Data Modelling Notations (DMN) – Data integration and sharing is the backbone of any smart city, the ability to develop data sequence and date distribution models are very important. But also, the ability to relate these components to all of the above discussed aspects.
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*Platform Modelling Notations (PMN) - The degree of integration of the existing (As Is) platforms as well as the definition and development of new platform technology (To Be) needed is sometimes even considered as the criterion that marks out what your smart city will be able to do.
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*Infrastructure Modelling Notations (IMN) – Interaction of existing infrastructure (As Is)  and the enhancement, or new development of the cities infrastructure are at the heart of any smart city development. All enabled by SMART City E+
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*Industry 4.0 Modelling Notations (I4MN) – how to make use of the industry 4.0 technology and internet of things in order to lift the cities technology capabilities, are foundational important components.
  
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Rummler & Brache (1995)<ref>Rummler & Brache (1995). ''Improving Performance: How to manage the white space on the organizational chart''. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco</ref> use a definition that clearly encompasses a focus on the organization’s external customers, when stating that
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We listed some of the important and unique capabilities of the SMART City E+ tool, but in addition to the above mentioned modelling techniques, can it develop enterprise architecture views, among them:
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<blockquote>
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”a business process is a series of steps designed to produce a product or service. Most processes (...) are cross-functional, spanning the ‘white space’ between the boxes on the organization chart. Some processes result in a product or service that is received by an organization's external customer. We call these primary processes. Other processes produce products that are invisible to the external customer but essential to the effective management of the business. We call these support processes.”
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</blockquote>
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The above definition distinguishes two types of processes, primary and support processes, depending on whether a process is directly involved in the creation of customer value, or concerned with the organization’s internal activities. In this sense, Rummler and Brache's definition follows Porter's [[value chain]] model, which also builds on a division of primary and secondary activities. According to Rummler and Brache, a typical characteristic of a successful process-based organization is the absence of secondary activities in the primary value flow that is created in the customer oriented primary processes. The characteristic of processes as spanning the white space on the organization chart indicates that processes are embedded in some form of organizational structure. Also, a process can be cross-functional, i.e. it ranges over several business functions.
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*Business Architecture Notations (BAN)
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*Information Architecture Notations (IAN)
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*Technology Architecture Notations (TAN)
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*Enterprise Architecture Notations (EAN)
  
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Johansson et al. (1993).<ref>Henry J. Johansson et al. (1993). ''Business Process Reengineering: BreakPoint Strategies for Market Dominance''. John Wiley & Sons</ref> define a process as:
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The E+ software tools thereby uniquely satisfies the most common enterprise modelling and architecture needs that a SMART City would need. What males the tool unique is that these components are all integrated.
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<blockquote>
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”a set of linked activities that take an input and transform it to create an output. Ideally, the transformation that occurs in the process should add value to the input and create an output that is more useful and effective to the recipient either upstream or downstream.”
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</blockquote>
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This definition also emphasizes the constitution of links between activities and the transformation that takes place within the process. Johansson et al. also include the upstream part of the value chain as a possible recipient of the process output. Summarizing the four definitions above, we can compile the following list of characteristics for a business process:
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# ''Definability'' : It must have clearly defined boundaries, input and output.
 
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# ''Order'' : It must consist of activities that are ordered according to their position in time and space (a sequence).
 
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# ''Customer'' : There must be a recipient of the process' outcome, a customer.
 
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# ''Value-adding'' :  The transformation taking place within the process must add value to the recipient, either upstream or downstream.
 
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# ''Embeddedness'' : A process cannot exist in itself, it must be embedded in an organizational structure.
 
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# ''Cross-functionality'' : A process regularly can, but not necessarily must, span several functions.
 
  
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Frequently, a [[process owner]], i.e. a person being responsible for the performance and continuous improvement of the process, is also considered as a prerequisite.
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== The '''Knowledge Management''' system ==
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The combination of a Modelling Software and Knowledge Management system is what differentiates SMART City E+ tool, from any other modelling, engineering and architecture tool. It is the combination of where the smart city modeller, engineer and/or architect can share the views/models created with each other as well as with others who don’t need to have the software access i.e. citizens. This can include uploading training content, quality parameters, own developed standards as well as time aspects, measures, reports, policies, procedures etc to a specific function, process or service. Or even upload the specific smart city program, project or initiative, so that citizens can comment on them. Making it a continuous improvement cycle. The SMART City E+ knowledge management component thereby creates and addresses the real knowledge issues around a smart city. KM Users and citizens can comment, provide feedback/suggestions to the uploaded content/views. As the SMART City E+ KMS content related back to the smart city objects and view (models), can the content be continuously be improved. While traditional content management databases contain only text and documents which computers can neither understand nor evaluate, the SMART City E+ KMS adds semantic annotations that allow any content to function as a collaborative database that recognizes cross relations. Making sure that there is a semantic relationship between the relevant subjects. The reason the SMART City E+ citizen users are free, is that we believe that there is no, need for costly users, when all they need to do is to view, follow instructions, provide input, document changes and also offer feedback. Making the SMART City E+ tool an effective and cheap tool for collaborative SMART City development.
  
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==Related Concepts==
 
  
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===Workflow===
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== The E+ Demo Case ==
  
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[[Workflow]] is the movement of information or material from one activity or worksite to another. Workflow includes the procedures, people and tools involved in each step of a business process. A single workflow may either be sequential, with each step contingent upon completion of the previous one, or parallel, with multiple steps occurring simultaneously.  Multiple combinations of single workflows may be connected to achieve a resulting overall process.
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If you wish a SMART City E+ tool demo, please click on the button below and fill out your email address. We are happy to share with you the knowledge and insight we have around the development of a SMART City, and how to use a tool for this.
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__NOTOC__
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===Business Process Re-engineering===
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[[Business Process Re-engineering]] (BPR) was originally conceptualized by Hammer and Davenport as a means to improve organizational effectiveness and productivity. It consisted of starting from a blank slate and completely recreating major business processes as well as the use of information technology for significant performance improvement. The term unfortunately, became associated with corporate “downsizing” in the mid-1990s.
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===Business Process Management (BPM)===
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[[Business Process Management]] also termed as BPM covers how we study, identify, change and monitor business processes to ensure they run smoothly and can be improved over time.  It is a continuous evaluation of existing processes and identification of ways to improve upon it, resulting in a cycle of overall organizational improvement.<ref>Aiim-Glossary: [http://www.aiim.org/What-is-BPM-Business-Process-Management What is Business Process management?]</ref>
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===Knowledge Management===
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[[Knowledge Management]] is the definition of the knowledge that employees and systems use to perform their functions and maintaining it in a format that can be accessed by others. The Gartner Group definition states that "Knowledge management is a discipline that promotes an integrated approach to identifying, capturing, evaluating, retrieving, and sharing all of an enterprise's information assets. These assets may include databases, documents, policies, procedures, and previously un-captured expertise and experience in individual workers."
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===Total Quality Management===
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[[Total Quality Management]] (TQM) emerged in the early 1980s as organizations sought to improve the quality of their products and services. It was followed by the [[Six Sigma|Six Sigma methodology]] in the mid-1980s, first introduced by Motorola. Six Sigma consists of statistical methods to improve business processes and thus reduce defects in outputs. The "lean approach" to quality management was introduced by the Toyota Motor Company in the 1990s and focused on customer needs and reduction of wastage.
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===Information Technology as an Enabler for Business Process Management===
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Advances in information technology over the years, have changed business processes within and between business enterprises. In the 1960s, operating systems had limited functionality and any workflow management systems that were in use, were tailor made for the specific organization.
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The 1970s-1980s saw the development of data-driven approaches, as data storage and retrieval technologies improved. Data modeling rather than process modeling was the starting point for building an information system. Business processes had to adapt to information technology because process modeling was neglected.
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The shift towards process oriented management occurred in the 1990s. Enterprise resource planning software with workflow management components such as SAP, Baan, PeopleSoft, Oracle and JD Edwards emerged.
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The world of e-business created a need to automate business processes across organizations, which in turn raised the need for standardized protocols and web services composition languages that can be understood across the industry. The [[Business Process Modeling Notation]] (BPMN) and [[Business Motivation Model]] (BMM) are widely used standards for business modeling. The Business Modeling and Integration Domain Task Force (BMI DTF) is a consortium of vendors and user companies that continues to work together to develop standards and specifications to promote collaboration and integration of people, systems, processes and information within and across enterprises.
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The most recent trends in BPM are influenced by emergence of cloud technology, the prevalence of social media, mobile technology and development of analytical techniques. Cloud based technologies allow companies to purchase resources quickly and as required independent of their location. Social media, websites and smart phones are the newest channels through which organizations reach and support their customers. The abundance of customer data collected through these channels as well as through call center interactions, emails, voice calls, and customer surveys has led to a huge growth in data analytics which in turn is utilized for performance management and improving the ways in which the company services its customers.
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==Importance of the process chain==
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Business processes comprise a set of sequential sub-processes or tasks with alternative paths, depending on certain conditions as applicable, performed to achieve a given objective or produce given outputs. Each process has one or more needed inputs. The inputs and outputs may be received from, or sent to other business processes, other [[organizational unit]]s, or internal or external stakeholders.
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Business processes are designed to be operated by one or more business functional units, and emphasize the importance of the “[[process chain]]” rather than the individual units.
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In general, the various tasks of a business process can be performed in one of two ways
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# manually and
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# by means of business [[data processing]] systems such as [[ERP system]]s.
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Typically, some process tasks will be manual, while some will be computer-based, and these tasks may be sequenced in many ways. In other words, the data and information that are being handled through the process may pass through manual or computer tasks in any given order.
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==Policies, processes and procedures==
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The above improvement areas are equally applicable to policies, processes and detailed procedures (sub-processes/tasks).  There is a cascading effect of improvements made at a higher level on those made at a lower level.
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For instance, if a recommendation to replace a given policy with a better one is made with proper justification and accepted in principle by business process owners, then corresponding changes in the consequent processes and procedures will follow naturally in order to enable implementation of the policies
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==Manual / administrative vs. computer system-based internal controls==
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Internal controls can be built into manual / administrative process steps and / or computer system procedures.
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It is advisable to build in as many system controls as possible, since these [[controls]], being automatic, will always be exercised since they are built into the design of the business system software. For instance, an error message preventing an entry of a received raw material quantity exceeding the purchase order quantity by greater than the permissible tolerance percentage will always be displayed and will prevent the system user from entering such a quantity.
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However, for various reasons such as practicality, the need to be “flexible” (whatever that may signify), lack of business domain knowledge and experience, difficulties in designing/writing software, cost of software development/modification, the incapability of a computerised system to provide controls, etc., all internal controls otherwise considered to be necessary are often not built into business systems and software.
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In such a scenario, the manual, administrative process controls outside the computer system should be clearly documented, enforced and regularly exercised.  For instance, while entering data to create a new record in a material system database’s item master table, the only internal control that the system can provide over the item description field is not to allow the user to leave the description blank – in other words, configure item description as a mandatory field.  The system obviously cannot alert the user that the description is wrongly spelled, inappropriate, nonsensical, etc.
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In the absence of such a system-based internal control, the item creation process must include a suitable administrative control through the detailed checking, by a responsible officer, of all fields entered for the new item, by comparing a print-out taken from the system with the item data entry sheet, and ensuring that any corrections in the item description (and other similar fields where no system control is possible) are promptly carried out.
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Last but not least, the introduction of effective manual, administrative controls usually requires an overriding periodic check by a higher authority to ensure that such controls are exercised in the first place.
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==Information reports as an essential base for executing business processes==
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Business processes must include up-to-date and accurate [[business reporting|reports]] to ensure effective action.  An example of this is the availability of [[purchase order]] status reports for supplier delivery follow-up as described in the section on effectiveness above. There are numerous examples of this in every possible business process.
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Another example from production is the process of analysis of line [[wikt:reject|reject]]ions occurring on the shop floor. This process should include systematic periodical analysis of rejections by reason, and present the results in a suitable information report that pinpoints the major reasons, and trends in these reasons, for management to take [[corrective action]]s to control rejections and keep them within acceptable limits. Such a process of analysis and summarisation of line rejection events is clearly superior to a process which merely inquires into each individual rejection as it occurs.
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Business [[process owner]]s and operatives should realise that process improvement often occurs with introduction of appropriate transaction, operational, highlight, exception or [[Management information system|M.I.S.]] reports, provided these are consciously used for day-to-day or periodical decision-making. With this understanding would hopefully come the willingness to invest time and other resources in business process improvement by introduction of useful and relevant reporting systems.
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== Supporting theories and concepts ==
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=== Span of control ===
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The [[span of control]] is the number of subordinates a supervisor manages within a structural [[organization]]. Introducing a business process concept has a considerable impact on the structural elements of the organization and thus also on the span of control.
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Large organizations that are not organized as markets need to be organized in smaller units - [[departmentalization|departments]] - which can be defined according to different principles.
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=== Information management concepts ===
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[[Information Management]] and the organization design strategies being related to it, are a theoretical cornerstone of the business process concept.
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==See also==
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* [[Business analysis]]
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* [[Business Process Automation]]
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* [[Business Process Definition Metamodel]]
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* [[Business process improvement]]
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* [[Business process management]]
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* [[Business process mapping]]
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* [[Business process outsourcing]]
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* [[Information management]]
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==References==
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{{reflist}}
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== Further reading ==
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* Paul's Harmon, (2007). ''Business Process Change: 2nd Ed, A Guide for Business Managers and BPM and [[Six Sigma]] Professionals''. Morgan Kaufmann
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* E. Obeng and S. Crainer S (1993). ''Making [[Business process reengineering|Re-engineering]] Happen''. Financial Times Prentice Hall
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* Howard Smith and Peter Fingar (2003). ''Business Process Management''. The Third Wave, MK Press
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* Slack et al., edited by: David Barnes (2000) The Open University, Understanding Business: Processes
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* Malakooti, B. (2013). Operations and Production Systems with Multiple Objectives. John Wiley & Sons.
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* McKeehan, A. (2015). ''[http://www.paradigmrpa.com/what-is-business-process-management-2/ What is Business Process Management?]''. Paradigm Robotics
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{{Commons category|Business process management}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Business Process}}
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[[Category:Enterprise modelling]]
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[[Category:Process management]]
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[[Category:Business process]]
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Latest revision as of 11:56, 12 February 2021

Welcome to the SMART City E+ Tool

Each city is different. Each city must therefore meet specific essentials and challenges. These can be urban challenges, their infrastructure, the government services, mobility, prosperity, the growing population (or its ageing), the environment, good governance, etc. Each city therefore needs to identify, model and develop their own smart city concept. The SMART City E+ tool is a new breed of integrated modelling and architecture tool. It is offered as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, and consists of 2 major application components:

  1. A SMART City Modelling Software component where the expert can create and work with many different types of modelling and architecture components; and
  2. A Knowledge Management system where the SMART City models, views and standards can be posted for anybody within and across the teams. You can also publish content and pages where citizens can comment on the program, project, initiative or concept. This provides a whole new SMART City development and continuous improvement possibility between the city and the citizens. Who feel they are part of developing and enhancing the SMART City concept, providing a whole new experience to modelling, publishing, referencing, commenting and continuous improvements in a collaborative and user-friendly environment.


The SMART City Modelling Software Component

To transform itself into a smart city, any city has to direct its objectives, program and projects along a SMART City direction, considering multiple dimensions:

  • SMART City Strategy: one of the most basic, but also relevant areas, is defining the directional components. Specifying the smart city vision, strategy and objectives. This also sets the basis for the SMART City initiatives and thereby the portfolio management.
  • Urban Planning: It can be labelled as the structural scaffolding of a smart city; its maintenance system as well as the adjusted blueprint concept of the city. A smart city is an urban development concept to incorporate multiple information and communication technology (ICT) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.
  • The SMART Economy: it is a city that wants to position itself as a capital of the new economy and innovation as well as a centre that draws people to it.
  • SMART Government: it is a city whose public services have entered the digital era with efficient online services, wifi and the use of digital data produced in the city.
  • The SMART Environment: it is a city which reconciles its roles as a living space, for mobility, an economic centre… while reducing its footprint on the planet (reduced consumption of energy and natural resources and reduced polluting emissions).
  • SMART Mobility: it is the city which organises itself to offer an alternative to car congestion and pollution by promoting the effectiveness of means of collective and sustainable travel.
  • The SMART Population: it is a city which fosters the development of its citizens by levelling out inequalities and encouraging them to acquire skills.
  • The SMART Living Environment: it is a city which pushes itself up to the highest level in terms of health and safety for example.
  • SMART Technology usage: Smart cities all share the characteristic of acting on their services and activities to make them more efficient. The ways they achieve this are very diverse, but they often have in common to use of digital technology resources (or ICTs, information and communication technologies). The degree of integration of ICTs in the urban functions is sometimes even considered as the criterion that marks out smart cities from other cities.

UPDATES & TUTORIALS

Here you can find a list of quick links that takes you directly to the tutorial page of each subject. Please find the list of tutorial subjects below:

</div>

SMART cities, except for a few rare smart cities created from scratch, all have a past during which regulations or customs have gradually developed… sometimes obsolete, sometimes counterproductive and often out of phase with the simplicity of internet enabled concepts and services. Wherever you are at the moment, we know that It is extremely critical to develop the As Is and To Be state of various SMART City programs, projects and initiatives. The SMART City E+ tool has as the first tool incorporated standards from ISO, OMG, LEADing Practice and IEEE to support the following standards:

Modelling Standards needed with SMART City development:

  • Value Modelling Notations (VMN) – the ability to capture and documents the smart city value components such as citizen value proposition, services as well as also document and relate relevant programs that need to be considered.
  • Strategy Modelling Notations (StMN) Value Modelling Notations (VMN) – the ability to capture and documents the smart city vision, mission, strategy, objectives, and goals that need to be considered.
  • Planning Modelling Notations (PLMN) – it can capture urban planning, financial plans, detailed development plans and relate them all together (as needed)
  • Policy Modelling Notations (PoMN) – documents and relate relevant policies, guidelines, procedures and rules that need to be considered.
  • Reporting Modelling Notations (RPMN) – interlink performance measures, such as KPIs, PPIs, SPIs together and relate them to relevant reports.
  • Risk Modelling Notations (RiMN) – capture and document applicable risk factors and components
  • Rule Modelling Notations (RuMN) – document appropriate rules, that can relate to functions, processes, services, devices, infrastructure. Making this an advanced rule repository that can relate to all the other important subjects
  • Quality Modelling Notations (QMN) – documents and define your quality aspects and relate them to any applicable component.
  • Requirement Modelling Notations (ReMN) – you can document your requirements and sort them by groups of various stakeholders, from users, groups, executives or citizens.
  • Capability Modelling Notations (CMN) – the ability to document As Is capabilities, measure the maturity of the capability and define the needed To Be capabilities.
  • Blockchain Modelling Notations (BcMN) – Create your models and Blockchain concepts, allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, blockchain technology created the backbone of a new type of SMART City interaction.
  • Service Modelling Notations (SMN) – defining and modelling the existing as well as the needed service model is one of the foundational components of developing a new smart city concept
  • Business Process Modelling Notations (BPMN) – document, capture and model your smart city flows and processes.
  • Robotic Automation Modelling Notations (RAMN) – the ability to define where and when Robotic Automation makes sense and adds value is bringing the smart city to a whole new level and advanced modelling and development
  • Application Modelling Notations (AMN) - Smart cities are all about automation and information sharing. The ways they achieve this are very diverse, but they often have in common to use of the ability to model where what needs to be automated and or integrated.
  • Data Modelling Notations (DMN) – Data integration and sharing is the backbone of any smart city, the ability to develop data sequence and date distribution models are very important. But also, the ability to relate these components to all of the above discussed aspects.
  • Platform Modelling Notations (PMN) - The degree of integration of the existing (As Is) platforms as well as the definition and development of new platform technology (To Be) needed is sometimes even considered as the criterion that marks out what your smart city will be able to do.
  • Infrastructure Modelling Notations (IMN) – Interaction of existing infrastructure (As Is) and the enhancement, or new development of the cities infrastructure are at the heart of any smart city development. All enabled by SMART City E+
  • Industry 4.0 Modelling Notations (I4MN) – how to make use of the industry 4.0 technology and internet of things in order to lift the cities technology capabilities, are foundational important components.

We listed some of the important and unique capabilities of the SMART City E+ tool, but in addition to the above mentioned modelling techniques, can it develop enterprise architecture views, among them:

  • Business Architecture Notations (BAN)
  • Information Architecture Notations (IAN)
  • Technology Architecture Notations (TAN)
  • Enterprise Architecture Notations (EAN)

The E+ software tools thereby uniquely satisfies the most common enterprise modelling and architecture needs that a SMART City would need. What males the tool unique is that these components are all integrated.


The Knowledge Management system

The combination of a Modelling Software and Knowledge Management system is what differentiates SMART City E+ tool, from any other modelling, engineering and architecture tool. It is the combination of where the smart city modeller, engineer and/or architect can share the views/models created with each other as well as with others who don’t need to have the software access i.e. citizens. This can include uploading training content, quality parameters, own developed standards as well as time aspects, measures, reports, policies, procedures etc to a specific function, process or service. Or even upload the specific smart city program, project or initiative, so that citizens can comment on them. Making it a continuous improvement cycle. The SMART City E+ knowledge management component thereby creates and addresses the real knowledge issues around a smart city. KM Users and citizens can comment, provide feedback/suggestions to the uploaded content/views. As the SMART City E+ KMS content related back to the smart city objects and view (models), can the content be continuously be improved. While traditional content management databases contain only text and documents which computers can neither understand nor evaluate, the SMART City E+ KMS adds semantic annotations that allow any content to function as a collaborative database that recognizes cross relations. Making sure that there is a semantic relationship between the relevant subjects. The reason the SMART City E+ citizen users are free, is that we believe that there is no, need for costly users, when all they need to do is to view, follow instructions, provide input, document changes and also offer feedback. Making the SMART City E+ tool an effective and cheap tool for collaborative SMART City development.


The E+ Demo Case

If you wish a SMART City E+ tool demo, please click on the button below and fill out your email address. We are happy to share with you the knowledge and insight we have around the development of a SMART City, and how to use a tool for this.