In this paper a new process modelling method especially for public administrations is presented. With established generic process modelling methods reorganisation projects in this domain could only identify limited reorganization potential and just led to small local improvements [1]. Therefore, we have created the domain specific modelling approach PICTURE. The PICTURE-method applies the domain vocabulary to efficiently capture the process landscape of a public organisation.
So far process modelling in public administrations has mainly been performed with
generic (general-purpose) languages [
In this paper we present the process modelling method PICTURE. The PICTUREmethod consists of a modelling language and a procedure model which guides the application of the language. Both parts are implemented in a web-based tool. PICTURE allows for an efficient modelling of the entire process landscape of an organisation. As it is based on a simple, domain specific language, not only isolated processes can be represented but a complete overview on the practices of an organisation is accomplished. This overall view allows for reorganisation decisions that are based on the consideration of structural analogies, potential synergy effects, and economies of scale. PICTURE takes the specific legal and political constraints within public administrations into account and indicates technical and organisational measures to improve the efficiency of the process landscape.
The first step during an application of the PICTURE-method is to define the objectives of the project. Based on these goals the PICTURE-method can be customised for the specific properties of the situation. The second step of the PICTURE-approach is to model the entire process landscape. PICTURE focuses on a strong involvement of the officials of an administration in the modelling project. With the PICTURE-approach the modelling is performed in a distributed manner and the acquisition of process models is done in a coarse granular form to reduce time and effort for modelling. The third step is to analyse and use the process models.
Basic construct of the PICTURE modelling language is the so called process
building block. A process building block represents a certain set of activities within
an administrational process [
Process building blocks have been specifically developed for public
administrations and apply the vocabulary of this domain. As they are domain specific
the meaning of a process building block is characterised by a corresponding domain
statement [
In PICTURE the process building blocks are the only way to describe the
administrational processes. This simple syntax makes the modelling easy for the
method’s users. Furthermore, processes are represented as a sequential flow of
building blocks. Also this syntactical restriction guides the method’s user and
simultaneously promotes the construction of structurally comparable models. Since
only process building blocks can be used, the type of each model element is not just
syntactically but also semantically fixed. Problems like naming conflicts [
Additional facts about the processes can be collected with the help of attributes assigned to the process building blocks. For example possible attributes for the process building block “Enter Data into IT” are “Source”, “Source Medium“, or “Processing Time”. Altogether, PICTURE contains nearly 50 different attributes. Attributes provide the core information for a subsequent process analysis, in which, according to predetermined goals, corresponding weaknesses and potentials are detected.
In PICTURE a process can consist of several sub-processes (cf.
Fig. 1 a)). A sub-process is a process section being carried out by a responsible official or a position within a single organisational unit. Sub-processes can be linked together to visualise a whole process. The majority of the modelling activities take place on the sub-process level. Within the scope of the sub-process the responsible official can collect all relevant information and represent them in form of process building blocks and attributes. However, some processes contain only one subprocess (cf.
Fig. 1 b)). An example is the process “Notification on fees for a motor vehicle”. The modelling with the PICTURE-language is strictly sequential. PICTURE offers no language constructs to represent forks in the course of process building blocks. It is also not possible to model iterations. To describe technically important ramifications in the process flow, PICTURE offers two different ways: On the one hand attributes can be used to specify different cases with percentage values. For example an incoming document can arrive in 50% of the cases through the communication medium mail, in 30% per email, and in 20% per fax. On the other hand it is possible to specify process variants (cf. Fig. 1 c)). A process variant defines an alternative sequence within a sub-process. The frequency of a process variant can be weighted by percentage values.
In two case studies in the City of Münster and the University of Münster, the
PICTURE-method has proved to be viable and efficient. We collected altogether 340
process models in the two case studies. In comparison in the Regio@KomM project
processes of a municipal administration have been acquired with the modelling
language EPC [
Currently, the PICTURE-method is applied in the cities of Bielefeld and Hamm. It is an objective of the project to compare the different processes of the cities and consolidate them if significant variations are recognised.
Acknowledgements. The work published in this paper is partly funded by the European Commission through the STREP PICTURE. It does not represent the view of European Commission or the PICTURE consortium, and the authors are solely responsible for the paper's content.