A Process is a defined business activity whose executions are identified in terms of the input and output of specific entities or data about specific entities.
Processes are lower-level activities. Unlike functions, which are large, broad-based activities that happen continuously, as in the case of the Manufacturing function, processes have a definable start and end.
Processes also accomplish work. From a modeling standpoint, work generally means they must create, update, or delete entities of an entity type. For example, in the real world, your business can have someone who sits at a counter and takes orders. Before they take an order, they have nothing. After they take an order, they have a completed order. In the modeling world, we would have a process called Take Order. After an execution of that process, we would have a new entity added to our Order entity type.
The first level of processes under a primitive function focus on one lifecycle state of the subject of that function. A primitive function corresponds to a primitive subject area, that is, a subject area that only has entity types within it.
Let us look at the lifecycle of a Doctor subtype within the XYZ Health Clinic. In this business, we first interview the doctor to evaluate their credentials. If we like them, we present them with a contract to work at our health clinic. Periodically, we evaluate their performance, and when we are through with them, we terminate them. Sound familiar? Every business object has at least two lifecycle states, a Creation state and a Termination state. Most have more. Think about the activities required in planning for acquiring the objects, usage of the objects, and ultimately disposal of those objects.
Given the brief introduction to previous process modeling, take a moment to determine the processes associated with planning for, acquiring, usage, and disposal of Golfers. When you are finished, move on to the next section.
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