GHR's online KCard repository

KCard : Business modelling

Points of views

When studying a business it is necessary to analyse it under different perspectives. This provides a methodical approach which by being applied systematically avoids missing 'obvious' aspects and will help efficient analysis.

Note that this doesn't guarantee you will come to revolutionary efficient conclusions, but it does help, and especially avoids missing banalities.

The 4 points of views commonly considered are:

 Vision: strategy/vision statement, conceptual model, goal/problem model

 Process: process diagram, assembly line diagram, and use cases

 Structure: resource, information, organisation models

 Behaviour: statechart, sequence/collaboration, process interaction diagrams

The model

These four points of view constitute the model (also called 'business model' but not to be confused with the money making 'business model') and should give a good view of how the business is working and how it could be improved.

This model can be completed/improved with standard business modelling patterns which can be found in specialised literature. Reviewing these known patterns is rarely a waste of time during business modelling, as this alone can reveal valuable opportunities.

The model can be used for many purposes, for example:

 Business process improvement or reengineering

 Information system specification

 Industrial process duplication

 Strategic business development

Ideas to develop