The model is functional. Model building "as is" and "as will be"

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Organization as a living organism is a system of organized information processes coming from outside, circulating inside, created as a result. At the same time, not all of them are consciously formed by management and / or employees, objective reality plays its significant role.

A functional model is a system of connected systems: in addition to the planned, many structural elements, processes and functions arise, among other things, as a result of management errors, misunderstanding of the task by the employee or a biased assessment of the result achieved by the manager. Inadequate analysis of external influences, duplication of tasks, the diversity of decisions, the psychology of decision-making and many other circumstances are the grounds for a study that analyzes organization management models and proposes effective solutions.

At any point in time, you can determine howthe functional organization model looks like in the “as is” state (AS IS). From the point of view of the established methods, it is possible to analyze the received ideas and formulate ways for more efficient work and further development of the organization.

Existing experience and methodologies

The core IDEF0 (Integrated Definition Function Modeling) modeling technique is currently represented by various variations and real good experiences. It is based on the idea of an indivisible particle - a block that displays some business function. The sides of the block are its roles. Left - input, right - output, top - control, bottom - mechanism.

This formal attitude to the organization allows us to present it in the form of interconnected blocks (business functions). Consequently, the structural model of the organization is represented by a set of simple elements. The principle of functional decomposition: one block - one business function. The complexity constraint principle limits the number of elements in each diagram. The context principle - the essence of the business function of the organization itself is presented as a combination of ideas about what was planned to be created, what is and how it works.

For an objective construction of an organization management model, the experience gained in the development and implementation of automated workplaces is also important, which was stimulated by the progress in the development of computer technology, the emergence of local and global networks.

The result of applying the methodology: “to be” (TO BE) usually represents howone or another information system is being introduced, and the process of company development is considered as a transition from the current state to the predetermined one. By itself, the application of the technique does not always give a significant result. Not every functional management model can be adapted to a particular modern information system.

Foundation of the beginning of modeling

The functional organization model is a very difficult task. To simplify the work, it should first be assumed that the material component is in a normal state and functions flawlessly, and the technical services of the organization provide it with everything necessary, control engineering structures and the supply of the necessary types of energy in sufficient quantities.

With this assumption, you can determine how the functional model looks like for a given organization in the "as is" (AS IS) position in its purest form. If later it turns out that the material component did not perform well, another modeling will be required.

To be successful, it must be assumed that the outlet has the correct voltage before turning on the appliance.

Initial simulation target

Having formulated the business function of the organization, its position in the surrounding socio-economic space, it is possible to determine the range of incoming information processes and outgoing traffic. Materials, tools, equipment, as well as the result of the functioning of the organization: products, services, socially useful activities are secondary andare presented during the simulation as descriptions, information about acting real objects.

A common business function as a system that combines many elements and processes is represented as a set of blocks that implement simple business functions. At this stage, duplicate blocks are determined, a range of tasks to be solved is formed.

Understanding organization management patterns is very important.

Management in an organization

The organization provides management to the owner, director, managers, leaders of various levels. But the functional model should reflect the real state of affairs and consider the company's personnel as a specific active resource.

It doesn't matter who builds the model. This may be a third party organization or your own division. The distinction is significant: managing an organization is one thing, modeling is another.

To accurately determine the state "as is", one should not be guided by the opinion of employees - in this case, the personnel in all its positions is primarily the subject of research. They are described by the functional model of the process, which ultimately gives a complete picture of all processes.

Guiding and directing…

The influence of management and owners significantly slows down the modeling process, which worsens the functioning of the organization. This is evidenced by the experience of using the technique. Building a model "as is" in the context of understanding itleadership is of a specific personal nature.

Choosing the performer should be accepted as an absolute fact: it is he who is responsible for his actions and is not obliged to follow the advice, recommendations or direct instructions from the organization.

Information systems: the functionality you need

Ascertaining the achievements in the development of information systems for electronic document management, accounting, logistics, etc., we have to admit that the rigidity of decisions has become a tradition. So far, there are no such systems that could go beyond the limits of the tasks formulated at the beginning. Tasks evolve, software solutions don't evolve.

Taking any existing system (for example, "1C: Accounting", "1C: Document Management", eDocLib), you can not only see the level of the developer's ideas about its functionality, but also immediately encounter restrictions in the implementation of certain business functions.

But we must take into account the fact that, without applying at least one of the existing methods, it is impossible to get an idea of what kind of functionality is needed and what is obviously redundant.

Having implemented this or that information system, it is often necessary to refine the algorithms and develop additional software. This is a very important point in modeling the core business function of an organization.

Company information server

For the effective application of established methods and the formation of a functional model as ideal(desired) structure of functions and processes, it is convenient to consider the company in the form of, for example, a website. This allows you to create your own internal infrastructure (main office and remote divisions), implant the programs used in it (accounting, logistics, document management) and provide functionality in accordance with the job responsibilities of employees.

In this form, it is convenient not only to formalize the functions of each element (personnel, equipment, programs used, important tables, etc.), but also to ensure their development in the course of the company's work.

Current electronic "vinaigrette"

It is difficult to underestimate the contribution that spreadsheets and Word documents have made to the organization of electronic document management. From the point of view of modeling and building a functional model of an organization, analysis of information processes, the tables and files used are important.

By systematizing information about the resources used, it is easy to determine the source of their changes, the consumer, and, above all, the current content. The established tradition often leads to the fact that full-fledged electronic documents in their formats are included in certain document management systems. From an implementation point of view, this is acceptable, but from an efficiency point of view, it is not.

Recently, tools for creating and processing spreadsheets and documents using PhpOffice libraries (PhpExcel and PhpWord) have appeared and developed. The use of these tools allows you to isolate from real documentsonly the necessary information and generate the desired results, which can be opened traditionally in MS Excel and MS Word.

Partial summary of results

The use of popular functional modeling techniques, selected information systems, accounting and logistics programs, combined into a single own information system (server), allows you to create the desired model of organization management. And with the help of tools like PhpOffice, you can give it flexibility, the possibility of development.

Unfortunately, it is rarely possible to build the desired information system without additional programming. However, it is very important to take into account the achieved understanding of the functionality in the software products used.

In particular, a modern spreadsheet is, first of all, the necessary functionality, and its real content is the actual reflection of one or another functional block on the structural model. If we take "1C: Accounting" as an example, then you can see that its structure and functionality fully reflect reality. At the same time, the technical support of the manufacturer levels the rigidity of the system, enabling the consumer to receive the necessary functionality that reflects changes in the information business space.

Force Majeure: Unforeseen Circumstances

By referring to force majeure circumstances in their internal and external relations, the organization reliably testifies to its ignorance of how it will come out of this or thatsituations. And thus automatically signs in the guaranteed withdrawal of obligations.

The ability of an organization to meet its obligations is of the utmost importance for partners, for customers and for its own employees, that is, for the surrounding socio-economic environment.

The formula for the perfect company

Nature is expedient, each of its organisms is thought out to the smallest detail and is able not only to adequately respond to any change in the environment, but also to recover on its own, without outside interference.

The ideal organization is one that, in fact, "does not exist", but its function is performed. When an organization organically fits into the socio-economic environment surrounding it, becomes its indispensable part and develops adequately, only then this environment will ensure the life of the company and take care of it as a part of its body.

Reverse cycle

The result of any simulation of any organization is above all a reason to repeat the process. Modeling is a higher level of programming reality, less formal and rigid than building information systems.

Any program (as experience testifies) can be improved because it is solved in itself. This gives grounds to revise the solution algorithm, its result and evaluate the input data more competently.

The constructed model is a program of a higher order. When implemented, it provides invaluable practical experience, is a good reasonreturn to the beginning.