IMM™ Approach

IMM™ Approach page

By John Owens • July 26th, 2010

I have put together a quick two minute video to explain how to remove duplicate functions from a Function Hierarchy.  This technique, although very simple, will work for a hierarchy of any size and will always give the correct results.

Click to access the video on Removing Common Functions from  Hierarchy.
If you like this video or [...]

I am passionate about bringing power and clarity to the worlds of Business and Data Modeling.
The Integrated Modelling Method (IMM) combines a complete set of modeling techniques in a uniquely integrated manner that no other method does. This will enable you to consistently deliver high quality products, first time, every time.
This website explains all of [...]

Postal addresses present data database developers with a constant challenge. Traditional approaches fail, either because they hard code in inadequate structures, or they provide the chaos of no structure at all. Generic data modeling can overcome both of these shortcomings and enable to expand and grow into multinational markets.

Is This a Silly Question?
Before we can say what business process modeling is we need to know what a Business Process is! This may seem like stating the obvious, however, “process” is one of the most widely misunderstood and misused terms in business and business modeling! Managers and analysts alike often use the term “process” [...]

Most Process Improvement Projects Fail.
Around the world businesses spend vast amounts of time and money trying to tune their existing processes and procedures in order to make their businesses more efficient.
Sadly, in far too many instances their efforts result in no improvement at all or, worse still, in an actual degradation of performance - and always in a huge bill.
All of this can be avoided by first building a Function Model for the business.

Far too many people confuse ‘Function’ and ‘Department’

The confusion that exists in many peoples minds over Business Function and Business Department is one of the greatest barriers to successful business modelling. Because they confuse “function” with “department”, they start in the wrong place.

The Function Catalogue will enable you to model up to 85% of your business with what is perhaps the simplest, yet most powerful, means of modelling business activity.
Using the Function Catalogue as your primary modelling technique for business activity will greatly reduce the number of models that you need to produce, yet will enable you [...]

In a discussion group it.toolbox.com a questioner open a discussion with “I need to know implementation issues with regards to WOA and its limitations”
Graham Beresford, a very experienced practitioner from the UK, instead of launching into a detailed response, very sensibly asked “What do you mean by WOA?” (read more at http://tinyurl.com/yd8xmlp)
“What do you mean by… [...]

Capability is a measure of the capacity of an organisation to provide a product or service that fulfills an existing or envisaged need to a customer or a market.
In this sense, Capabilities are derived by bring together existing functions, data, services, products, technologies, skills, etc. to effect the delivery of the need in the form [...]

Brand New Business Modelling Technique
Business Transaction Modelling (BTM) is the latest technique to be added to the Integrated Modelling Method.  Like all other techniques in IMM, BTM is fully integrated with the core techniques of the overall method.
What is a Business Transaction?
A business transaction is a series of steps (Business Functions) that must be carried [...]

Stage 1: Information Gathering: One to One Interviews
The one-to-one strategic in-depth interview is the most effective means of gathering information from senior directors and senior executives.
The purpose of these interviews is to find out from these key people what their opinions are regarding the business area in question and the project itself. 
Such interviews will give you [...]

Stage 1: Information Gathering
This stage consists of finding identifying the key people or other sources within the business that can tell you:

What the business OUGHT to be doing.
The order in which it ought to be done.
The information required to do it.
What this business modelling / systems development project ought to achieve.
Whether or not they support the [...]

In the Integrated Modelling Method there are five distinct stages to Business Modeling:

    Information gathering
    Analysis and investigation
    Modelling
    Feedback
    Implementation

All of these stages should be followed whether you are doing modelling in an organisation with 5 employees 5,000 employees or 25,000 employees. 
If you are doing work in a small organisation you might think that [...]

[I wrote the following comments in response to a blog that was advocating starting off by modeling the "as is" processes in the business as the starting point for business improvement.]
One of the major errors taken in business analysis and modeling is that of modeling the “As Is”, then the “To Be” and then trying [...]

“Integrated Modelling Method provides us with access to a coherent set of resources for students who are going through the modelling process for the first time.
Our previous experience with tools for teaching business modelling and data modelling tended to separate these two techniques.
The Integrated Modelling Method has enabled us to show the students how [...]