IMM™ Approach

IMM™ Approach page

By John Owens • April 2nd, 2009

“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 [...]

“The Integrated Modelling Method is probably the most imaginative approach to business analysis and modelling that I have seen.
John Owens built an international reputation for delivering real business benefits in all the work he did in enterprises of all sizes.
He has a gift for seeing the simplicity hidden in the complexity of any business and [...]

“I’ve read the excerpt of your ebook on this subject, and it is one of the clearest explanations of the topic I’ve ever read.”
Larry Maccherone: Manager of Software Assurance Initiatives and PhD Student at Carnegie Mellon, Instructor and Coach (Contractor) at Intuit

“In developing the Integrated Modelling Method, John Owens brought together the very best modelling techniques in a totally innovative way that adds immense value to each one.

The integration that IMM™ provides, which is unique among modelling methods, brings simplicity, elegance and power to the world of business analysis and modelling.
Using this IMM in business will [...]

“The Integrated Modelling Method makes business analysis and modelling simple, yet very powerful. Its emphasis on modelling what the business OUGHT to be doing helps our students organise their thoughts and better know what information to extract from the stakeholders.
Having the Function Catalogue as the core model enables the entire business to be easily modelled [...]

[See podcast  at bottom of page][See youtube video here]
“Use a Fad to Fix What’s Bad” - the new mantra of business process modeling and  IT worlds.
In these worlds as new approaches emerge they quickly turn to fads that are seen as the panacea for all of the ills that plague these worlds.
These “advanced”, and often [...]

IT systems development is an ever increasing financial burden for most business with a failure rate that is horrific, producing systems that bring stress (and often misery) to those condemned to use them.
It is appalling that after all these years IT Departments are still failing to deliver quality systems.  External software houses are not doing [...]

I wrote this response to as a result of being asked the question “what is a Systems Analyst?”
The term ‘Systems Analyst‘ is now outmoded.  It used be applied to those analysts who did ‘requirements analysis’ prior to computerizing a part of the business.
These people usually worked in the IT Department of large enterprises and saw the world only in [...]

In the building industry, before a building is ever erected you will have an architect’s plan defining in full each of its facets. You would then have wiring diagrams and plumbing diagrams. Last of all a decoration and furnishing plan. All of this before a brick is laid.
No builder would consider building a [...]

A network colleague is going to putting together  a paper on the benefits that can accrue from having an integrated information system provided by a Virtual Private Network (VPN) as opposed to an unintegrated Local Area Network (LAN).
Some of the benefits he initially listed were data integrity, reduced auditing, etc.
My advice to him was to [...]

The integrated modelling method was born in Queenstown, New Zealand in 2003.
My career was a Consultant Business Analyst working in enterprises of all sizes from family businesses to international corporations in Ireland, Europe and the UK.
In December 2000 I travelled to New Zealand for my 50th Birthday and fell in love with the country.
Over 20 [...]