Part of the Banner implementation involves analyzing and documenting the major processes on our campus that affect our student record system and forwarding that information to SunGard SCT. This gives the SunGard SCT consultants a heads up on our business practices before they arrive on campus for Banner training. Sixteen members of the campus community were recently trained to facilitate BPA sessions and to apply SunGard SCT's methodology for gathering information about, modeling and analyzing business processes.

What is the purpose of a BPA?

• To identify the process and any communication problems
• To facilitate interdepartmental understanding of joint processes
• To identify areas for process improvement before, during and after implementing new information systems.

What are the benefits of a BPA?

• Creates an open, non-threatening space for the sharing of knowledge about a process
• Promotes a cross-enterprise viewpoint
• Identifies key business issues and areas for improvement
• Aligns business processes with institutional goals
• Strengthens staff's ability to deal with change

Business Process Definition:
"A related group of tasks that together create a result of value to a customer".

Unlike a business function, which is usually departmentalized, business processes tend to operate horizontally - across functional boundaries, often involving multiple departments. Therefore, a BPA session done on campus will involve not only the "experts" from the office that is responsible for that process, but also "experts" from other offices that are also involved in that process. For example, the process "Evaluating Transfer Work" would need to have "experts" from Admissions, Graduate Admissions, Academic Advising and Registration to accurately describe the process of accepting transcripts, evaluating the credits, posting the credits to the system, etc. We want to describe how the paper work flows from the student through the offices and how our student record system is updated with the finalized evaluation. And, we want to describe the process in a format that SunGard SCT consultants can work with.

So, if you are lucky enough to be tapped on the shoulder by someone requesting your presence at a BPA session to be an "expert", here is what to expect:

BPA sessions are currently being conducted each Tuesday (for the most part) from January through the beginning of May (there are over 30 processes to be documented before Banner training starts). We are running two concurrent sessions from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm with an hour break for lunch (check the schedule for processes and locations). Each session has a facilitator, note taker and group of experts. The facilitators and note takers has been trained to use the following method:

BPA Information Gathering Methodology* -

1. Name the Process
2. Define the Business Objectives and Terms
3. Establish Process Boundaries and Identify Inputs and Outputs
4. Identify Process Customers and Actors
5. Identify Process Owner
6. Identify Process Stakeholders
7. Describe Tasks Associated with Process
8. Describe Decisions Associated with Tasks
9. Cross Check
10. Arrange Tasks in Sequence
11. Establish Metrics and Identify Additional Relevant Information
12. Identify Institution's Change Process

*Based on the work of Dianne Galloway: Mapping Work Processes

The facilitator will run the session and prompt attendees for information at each step of the way. You will see flip charts and post-its being used to create a visual image of the process and also as a way to document the session. Generalized tasks that fit the 80/20 rule will be written down on post-its (if the task addresses exceptions that only affect 20% of the volume or less, it should not be listed). At the end of step 9, the post-its will be placed on a diagram that will show the various tasks being done by each office/student and what documents/actions crossover from student to office to student, etc. This diagram is entered in Microsoft Visio to create a cross-functional flowchart diagram and tweaked until the diagram accurately represents the process according to the "experts". Once the diagram is agreed on, steps 10 through 12 are completed. The facilitator and the note taker will then take their diagram and notes and produce a BPA draft document to be reviewed and revised by the "experts" within a week. Changes are made to the document by the facilitator and/or note taker and by the end of the next week, forwarded to our Banner Project Manager and posted on the Administrative LAN campus drive (H). The project manager will forward the document to SunGard SCT.

Here are some terms you should know before attending a BPA session:

• Experts: the people working in the office that are involved directly with the process
• Actors: the offices directly involved with the process
• Customers: students
• Owner: the person who has the authority to make changes (usually VP level)
• Stakeholders: the offices who are not directly involved with the process but are affected by it
• Tasks: work which is typically done by one person, such as changing an address
• Cross Check: making sure all the actors have tasks in the process
• Swim Lanes: a horizontal lane representing an office in a Swim Lane Process Model diagram
• 80/20 Rule: most of the tasks described in the process should encompass 80% of the volume
• Visio: a software package that allows the creation of "flowchart" style diagrams

If you are invited to a BPA session, please make every effort to attend. Your expertise is greatly valued and it's important to get all the steps to the process done in the first day. The BPA schedule is very tight and therefore, not accommodating to changes. You do not need to bring anything with you but your sense of humor. This is not a session for details and manuals. Once the draft document is done, you will be invited to review the BPA and make any necessary changes. Each facilitator has two weeks to complete their BPA so changes need to be made in a timely fashion.

Please keep in mind that these are time-consuming processes for the administrative offices that are involved. They will be doing this in addition to their regular duties and may not always be available, especially during the Tuesday sessions.