Business modelling: Understandable patterns, practices, and tools

Abstract

The paper discusses the key role of abstraction and explicitness in modelling, and argues that abstract, precise, and explicit business domain and process models based on a small system of concepts described in the work of classics of systems thinking, economics, and computing science make possible successful communications between business and IT stakeholders, and thus lead to successful projects. The simple and elegant business models substantially use a system of reusable patterns (relationships), from fundamental (applicable to all models) to business-generic and business-specific. The stable invariants of the business domain are clearly separated from the volatile business processes and especially from the IT-imposed requirements (often restrictions). Modelling practices including the need for human decision often forgotten in modelling, the barriers to adoption of formal modelling, and the overly complex or otherwise inadequate tools used by or imposed on modellers are also described.