University of North Yorkshire Business Modelling and Simulation Task 1

This document presents a comprehensive solution for a Business Modelling and Simulation assignment focused on the University of North Yorkshire's (UNY) Computer Centre. The assignment centers on modeling and analyzing the center's business processes, specifically "New Client Service Registration" and "Service Problem Resolution." The solution utilizes BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) diagrams to represent these processes, including orchestration BPDs, swimlane diagrams, and collaboration diagrams. The document addresses key BPMN elements like triggers, process flows, decision points, and outcomes, providing explanations and justifications for the chosen notations. Furthermore, it delves into a detailed low-level scenario of the New Client Service Registration process, requiring the creation of a collaboration diagram with swimlanes and pools. The solution explores the advantages of different diagram representations and aims to demonstrate the application of business modeling and simulation techniques to real-world scenarios.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Main Objective of the assessment.......................................................................................................................1
Description of the Assessment.............................................................................................................................1
Learning Outcomes and Marking Criteria.............................................................................................................4
Format of the Assessment...................................................................................................................................5
Submission Instructions.......................................................................................................................................5
Avoiding Plagiarism..............................................................................................................................................5
Late Coursework..................................................................................................................................................5
Assessment Title Business Modelling and Simulation Assignment Task 1
Module Leader Dr. Simon Taylor
Distribution Date 17/10/2016
Submission Deadline 05/12/2016
Feedback by 16/01/2017
Contribution to overall module assessment 20%
Indicative student time working on assessment 35 Hours
Word or Page Limit (if applicable) 3000 Words (not including references)
Assessment Type (individual or group) Individual
MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSESSMENT
The main objectives of this assessment are to (a) learn contemporary business modelling and simulation tools
and techniques in the context of hypothetical business scenarios (b) consistently apply these skills in analysing
and proposing viable solutions to the given scenarios and (c) give reasoned rationales and explanations for the
use of the tools and techniques, thus demonstrating an understanding of their underlying principles and
guiding concepts.
These objectives satisfy all the learning outcomes of the module as re-stated below:
LO1: Describe the concepts, principles and perspectives that underpin business analysis and the
development of associated models.
LO2: Produce conceptually sound models that represent typical business analysis problems using
appropriate business analysis tools and techniques.
LO3: Critically evaluate issues and problems that arise during the representation of organisational
processes and knowledge while providing reasoned explanations to attempt to resolve them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSESSMENT
This document gives details about Task 1 of the Business Modelling and Simulation Coursework Assignment.
For details related to Task 2 of the coursework assignment, a separate document has been prepared entitled
“CS2006 Assessment Brief Task 2 2015-16.doc”.
Read carefully the following case study then follow the instructions given.
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CS2006 Business Analysis and Process Modelling
Assessment/Coursework for 2016/17

Computing Support at University of North Yorkshire Case Study
Business Analyst Rajiv Gohel has been recently hired by the University of North Yorkshire (UNY). He has been
given the job of analyzing the Computer Centre processes at the university. In order to understand how the
Computer Centre works, Rajiv wants to create simple high level diagrams of the main business processes of
the Centre based on his interviews, observations and interactions with staff and with their activities. He has
prepared the following high level business scenario outlining two main processes:
High-level Business Scenario for UNY’s Computer Centre:
New Client Service Registration
The UNY Computer Centre is responsible for providing basic computing services to the staff and students of
the university (for example Email, Networking, VPN, Blackboard, etc.) Any new staff member or student
joining the university is registered for these services and is given an account name and password by which to
access these services. The process works as follows: the staff member or student (called a client by the UNY
Computer Centre) fills in a form with information required by the Computing Centre; the Centre then
processes the form (called a New Client Service Request Form) and gives access to all of the computing
services; they then issue a username and password. The username and password are put onto the original
form submitted by the client and returned to them. A copy is kept by the Computing Centre.
Service Problem Resolution
The Computer Centre also provides support services to both registered staff and students. These support
services are related to the computing services listed above. For example, if the email service does not work,
the centre will investigate and fix the problem. This process works in the following way. If the client does not
have computer access (e.g. locked out of their account), then they need to go to the Computer Centre’s
Customer Service Office and report the problem by filling in a form. If the client has computer access, then
s/he emails the Computer Centre with the problem. Whether the problem is reported by a form or by email,
the problem is entered onto a database by the Computer Centre staff. They then check to see if there is an
existing solution on the database to this type of problem.
If a solution exists, then the solution is deployed (e.g. fixing the email access) and feedback is requested from
the client. The client would have provided contact details in their form or email which the Computer Centre
uses in order to contact them. Once the user responds with their feedback, if the solution has worked, the
problem is recorded as solved in the database and an email sent to the user confirming that the problem is
solved. If the solution did not work, then the staff will update the database record and start the process again
from the point where they check for existing solutions.
If no existing solution exists in the database, then the Computer Centre staff have to research the problem.
This can be done by searching the Internet, looking at technical forums for this type of problem or searching
the supplier’s website for known issues. If a solution is found through the research, the solution is deployed
and the whole process is repeated from this point as outlined above.
If no solution is found through the research, the supplier (e.g. the original manufacturers of the software or
hardware) are informed of the problem and the Computer Centre will await a response from the suppliers for
at most 10 days. If the response received indicates that there is a solution to the problem, the Computer
Centre staff will deploy the solution and the whole process is repeated from this point as outlined above. If
the response from the suppliers indicates that there is no solution, the problem is updated in the database as
not having any known solution and the client is informed by email or by phone that there is no solution to the
problem.
Instructions for Completing the Task
The instructions for this assignment are based on the case study above.
Read all the questions before you attempt any solutions. The questions have different parts therefore ensure
that you read all parts of a particular question before answering it. All diagrams are to be represented in
BPMN notation.
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Question 1 is a threshold question. If you obtain a PASS in this question, you will meet the learning outcomes
of the module and pass this task with at least a D-.
Question 1 (LO1, LO2, LO3):
Attempt all parts of this question:
a) Using the most appropriate BPMN notation, represent as an orchestration BPD the process New Client
Service Registration.
b) Using the most appropriate BPMN notation, represent as an orchestration BPD the process Service
Problem Resolution.
c) Describe in your own words the following BPM elements that are present in any BPM diagram:
i. A trigger that starts a process
ii. A process flow of tasks
iii. A decision point
iv. An outcome of a process
d) From your business process model diagrams (a) and (b), for each of these BPM elements identified in c)
explain how it is represented in the diagrams, i.e. what BPMN notation was used to represent the BPM
element and why that BPMN notation was used. You may cut and paste portions of the diagrams to
answer this question.
e) Assume that a Customer Service Representative (CSR) deals with all New Client Service Registration issues
and that the Service Problem Resolution process is dealt with by a Computer Support Officer (CSO).
Assume also that a client (staff/student) is considered as an external entity. Represent in one diagram
with swimlanes and pools, how clients request New Client Service Registrations and Service Problem
Resolutions. Remember that only if a client is registered already by the Computer Centre will they be
able to log a service problem and have it resolved. It is expected that you would use a blackbox pool to
represent the client in this diagram.
f) Explain what further information the diagram in e) offers, and why this representation has advantages,
over the ones done in a) and b).
Questions 2 to 4 will be used to determine the student’s attainment of the higher grades of C, B or A. They
should be attempted after full completion of question 1.
Question 2 (LO2):
BA Rajeev is now interested in looking in more detail at one of the processes in the Computer Centre. He
gathers information about how new staff members undergo the New Client Service Registration process.
From his enquiries the following detailed scenario is written up:
Low-level Business Scenario for UNY’s Computer Centre:
New Client Service Registration
A new staff member requests computing services from the Computing Centre using the New Client Service
Request Form. The form requires the staff member’s full name, college, Staff ID number, office telephone
number and mobile number. The staff member fills in the form and hands it over to a Customer Service
Representative (CSR) in the Computer centre. The CSR then processes the request form. This involves first
verifying the staff information given by checking the University Staff Database. If the staff information is
correct, the rest of the activities can continue but if not the process will abort and the new staff member will
be informed that the registration process has been cancelled.
After the CSR processes the request form, the next activity involves assigning the responsibility for setting up
the various services for the staff member to the relevant member of the Computer Centre. The Network
System Administrator (NSA) is responsible for setting up network logins and file storage space for the new
staff member. Once the NSA is assigned this task (by email), s/he first creates the username and password for
the staff member, creates an email account and then assigns him/her file storage space on the file server. He
also activates the network and telephone points (remotely) in the staff member’s office. Once the NSA is
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finished with these tasks, he sends an email back to the CSR to indicate that all the set up activities for
networking and file sharing are completed.
A Computer Support Officer (CSO) is responsible for setting up the staff member’s workstation with an
appropriately configured PC, telephone and printer. Once the CSO is assigned this task, he first configures a
PC by doing the following subtasks. He prepares the PC with a standard configuration image, installs network
printers, and does a quality control check on the PC. He will not deploy any PC that fails this quality control
check. If the configured PC fails, he will simply rebuild another one and carry out the checks again until he has
a fully configured, quality checked working PC. This PC is then taken along with a printer and phone unit to
the staff member’s office and all equipment is installed. The installation is checked on the network. If any
network errors are logged, the network officer is informed by phone (the CSO carries a mobile phone for this
purpose) and the NSA investigates and solves the error. Once this is done, he informs the CSO by phone, who
then completes the installation. Once the CSO is finished, he informs the CSR by phone that the job is
completed.
After the CSR receives the completion notifications from both the NSA and the CSO, she can then enter the
username, password and email information on the New Client Service Request Form, make a copy of the
form, store the copy and then inform the staff member that the registration is complete. Once the staff
member receives this information, she can start accessing and using her computing services. The process
terminates at this point.
Answer the questions below with reference to the scenario above.
a) Using the diagrams created in question 1 as a starting point, produce a collaboration diagram with the
staff member represented in one whitebox pool and the computer centre with its staff represented by
another pool with swimlanes. Assume that the BA makes the following assumptions about the
representation of the diagram:
i. The activity Process the Request Form will be represented as a collapsed subprocess in the
diagram and shown as an expanded subprocess in a separate diagram
ii. The activity Configure PC will be represented as a collapsed subprocess in the diagram and
shown as an expanded subprocess in a separate diagram
b) Take the diagram from part a) and produce a detailed organizational collaboration diagram showing the
detailed interactions between the Computer Centre employees. The following conventions and
elaborations are also employed in this diagram:
i. The staff member becomes a blackbox participant
ii. Data flows and message flows are explicitly shown in the diagram
iii. Task markers are used to show the nature of the activities, e.g. manual, user interfacing with
computer etc.
Question 3 (LO3):
a) Explain the relative advantages and disadvantages of the diagram representations done in Question
2 a) and b). You need to compare and contrast how useful the information represented by these
diagrams is for different types of views of the process and for different types of users in the
organization, e.g. technical, managerial (maximum 1 page).
b) Using both diagrams 2a) and 2b), identify and describe process inefficiencies (e.g. manual tasks that
could be automated, poor sequencing of tasks etc.) and explain your answers (maximum 1 page).
Question 4 (LO1):
a) For the process inefficiencies identified in question 3, explain and justify which approach, whether
Business Process Automation, Business Process Improvement or Business Process Re-engineering
would provide the best solution.
b) Redesign the process to eliminate the inefficiencies identified. You will need to incorporate the
following:
i. BPMN diagrams of your choice representing the redesigned process
ii. An IT system, diagrammed into the redesigned process
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iii. A written description of the new process to accompany your diagram
iv. Explanations of how the process inefficiencies were resolved by the redesigned process.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES AND MARKING CRITERIA
Threshold requirements:
Distribution of the learning outcomes to the questions:
 Question 1 (LO1, LO2, LO3)
 Question 2 (LO2)
 Question 3 (LO3)
 Question 4 (LO1)
To achieve a PASS in Question 1, students must answer all parts of the question by showing a sufficient
understanding of how to construct (a) a BPMN diagram to represent a business scenario and (b) sufficiently
structured arguments and explanations to the questions.
To achieve a PASS in Question 2, students must answer the question by showing a substantial understanding
of how to construct a BPMN diagram to represent a business scenario.
To achieve a PASS in Question 3, students must answer at least part a or part b, of the question by showing
systematic arguments and explanations and appropriate analyses in answering the question.
To achieve a PASS in Question 4, students must answer at least part a or part b, of the question by showing
systematic arguments and explanations and appropriate analyses demonstrating a significant degree of
competence in the appropriate use of the relevant literature (from labs and lectures, e.g.) and tools to solve
the business problems given.
Marking Criteria Grades and grade
descriptors
No work has been submitted for assessment. NS
Non-submission
There is no evidence that the threshold requirements could be met by the work
presented.
F
Unacceptable
There is some evidence that the threshold requirements are close to being met,
however, fall short in attaining the expected standard, e.g. inconsistent use of correct
BPMN modelling notation, errors in the representation of the logic of the scenarios
given or persistent incorrect use of the modelling notation, lack of appropriate
explanations or answers to discursive questions.
E grades (E-, E, E+)
Unsatisfactory
Threshold requirements: The student has achieved a PASS in Question 1 D grades (D-, D, D+)
Acceptable
The requirements for D grades have been met and additionally, the student has
achieved at least a PASS in Question 2.
C grades (C-, C, C+)
Good
The requirements for C grades have been met and additionally the student has
achieved at least a PASS in Questions 3 and 4. In answering Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4,
students should demonstrate systematic and logical thinking as well as accuracy in
representing the business scenarios given with BPMN diagrams and show a high
degree of competence in their arguments and explanations.
B grades (B-, B, B+)
Very Good
The requirements for B grades have been met and additionally, all parts of all
questions should be answered. In answering Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4, students should
demonstrate excellence and advanced use of tools in representing the business
scenarios given with BPMN diagrams and show excellence in the arguments and
explanations as well as appropriate use of the relevant literature (from labs and
lectures, e.g.). Presentation of the work should be done with great clarity of
expression, focus, and excellent communication skills.
A grades (A-, A, A+)
Excellent
The requirements for A grades have been met and additionally, the student
demonstrates highly sophisticated and advanced use of tools in representing the
business scenarios given with BPMN diagrams and demonstrates strong abilities in
analysing problems and presenting cogently argued and appropriately supported
solutions. Presentation of the work is of an exceptional standard.
A*
Outstanding
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FORMAT OF THE ASSESSMENT
Students are expected to submit one report individually with their answers to the given questions. The
format for that report is presented here:
Title page: Be sure to include your student ID number, the title of the assignment, the name, module code
and year of the module and the submission date.
Body: FOUR separate sections, each addressing one of the four questions given. The relevant BPMN diagrams
must be embedded within the body of the report as “Figures” and labelled accordingly. See the example
below:
Supplier
Receive
Order
Accepted
or Rejected?
Close OrderFill Order
Accepted
Rejected
Send Invoice
Ship Order
Accept
Payment
+
Figure 1. Diagram of Fill Order Process
References: List all references (books, articles, web pages) used in the preparation of the report.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
You must submit your coursework as a PDF file on Wiseflow by the published deadline. You can follow the
link to Wiseflow through the module’s section on Blackboard Learn or login in directly
at https://uk.wiseflow.net/brunel. The name of your file should follow the normal convention set out in the
student handbook, and must therefore include your student ID number (e.g., 06123456.pdf ). It can also
include the module code (e.g., CS3607_06123456.pdf).
IMPORTANT: It is your responsibility to ensure that you have submitted the correct version of your
coursework. Failure to do so could result in disappointment at a lower than expected mark or a failure.
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
Please ensure that you understand the meaning of plagiarism and the seriousness of the offence. Information
on plagiarism can be found on the College’s Student Handbook.
LATE COURSEWORK
Please refer to the College’s Student Handbook for information on submitting late, penalties applied and
procedures in the case of mitigating circumstances.
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