The Practical Guide to Business Process Reengineering Using Idefo [Paperback]

Clarence G. Feldmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1998

Teaches the basics of IDEFO and defines the method's application in BPR efforts with diagrams, case studies, and practical appendices. Paper. DLC: Reengineering (Management).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The author is clearly writing from experience. . . . His experiences come through in the text." -- Elliot Chikofsky, Progress Software Corp.

Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: Dorset House (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932633374
• ISBN-13: 978-0932633378
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,395,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just as the title says..., April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Practical Guide to Business Process Reengineering Using Idefo (Paperback)

An excellent book that goes beyond the FIPS manual in terms of increasing the readers understanding of IDEFO concepts. More importantly, however, are the sections on the do's and dont's. These sections are very useful in improving ones authoring techniques and are very useful for a project manager. Great book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent language for describing business processes, May 15, 2003

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Practical Guide to Business Process Reengineering Using Idefo (Paperback)

The old saying about not being able to understand something until you can quantify it is generally true, but can be superseded by a more accurate statement. "If you can diagram it, then you can understand it, more particularly you can make someone else understand it as well." While most humans can think numerically, a large percentage have some difficulty with quantitative data. However, nearly all can follow directed diagrams, so they are generally a superior way to describe complex structures. IDEF0 is a set of rules for diagrams that are simple, yet allow for enough complexity so that the most complex of processes can be represented.
This book is an explanation of the IDEF0 syntax and structure and how to apply it to business operations. No previous experience is necessary, the diagrams are largely self-explanatory and what little extra explanation that is needed is provided. As a long-time user and instructor of the Unified Modeling Language, I am familiar with complex diagrams. Yet, I was surprised with how simple and effective the IDEF0 "language" is to use and understand. Using little more than boxes, arrows and labels, very complex structures can be described in a compressed format. The last two chapters describe how to use it and how to avoid making some common mistakes.
Business Process Reengineering is where previous business processes are modified to conform to changes in the environment. In order to be able to do that, you must be able to define what your previous business process was. The IDEF0 will allow you to do that, and I recommend that you read this book if you are currently in the process of altering your business practices.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best-written summary of IDEF0 presently in print, March 5, 2002

By 

Todd M. Owens (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Practical Guide to Business Process Reengineering Using Idefo (Paperback)

This is a book that is more about IDEF0 modeling than Business Process Reengineering (BPR). It is well organized with numerous diagrams and illustrations. IDEF0 conventions, benefits, and history are all well presented, but anyone seeking a "how-to" on BPR will not find much here.

The book provides chapters on the utility of IDEF0, its use by the Department of Defense (DoD) in process improvement, as well as IDEF0 syntax and semantics, their application (called pragmatics), and tips.

The appendices may well be the most useful part of the book. Appendix A describes the types of models and decomposition strategies. The next section provides many interesting sample models. A rather academic and dry treatment of SADT and IDEF0 is in Appendix C. In Appendix D, where SADT data modeling, IDEF0 and IDEF1X are positioned, the author asserts that "some amount of process modeling should be done before data modeling." The final section provides an insightful case study.

The primary concern about the book is its light treatment of BPR concepts. Also, the points made in the "Do's and Don'ts" section might have been better presented in the related sections of the text; the separate chapter seems redundant or confusing at times, making a single topic difficult to review. A detailed treatment of how to use activity based costing in process analysis and redesign would have been most welcome. Finally, the book seems incomplete without a listing of tools that support IDEF0 modeling.

All things considered, this book is recommended with reservations. It is the best-written summary of IDEF0 presently in print.