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Use Simulation When Optimizing Business Processes

Let's talk briefly about process simulation. Project teams often simulate the modeled process-running hypothetical scenarios or historical information through the model-so they can gauge overall performance and identify possible bottlenecks. Before a team begins this process, which occurs between the BPMN model creation and BPEL implementation, it must assess the amount of time required to execute each activity, the resources required for each task, and the probability that various events or conditions will occur in the flow. Simulations typically:

• Provide average elapsed time per transaction, end-to-end throughput, and standard deviation to determine if these are within acceptable Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Think about a telecommunications line provisioning process in which the telco guarantees the customer a 48-hour setup. Simulations can give practitioners and developers greater confidence that implemented processes will be able to fulfill such SLA.
• Identify bottlenecks in the process and resource utilization. For example, there could be bottlenecks in processes that involve human workflow interactions, such as managerial approvals.
• Determine the number of employees and employee hours required to complete tasks to reach specified SLAs.
• Calculate expected failure rates and Six Sigma service-level ratings.