In BusinessOptix each time you save a model a verify check is run to see whether there are any opportunities for you to improve the quality of the information you have captured. In BusinessOptix Author you can review the issues by selecting Actions...Verify.

An explanation of the more common issues and how to resolve them is below.

Missing required property

Overview of Issue

This model is missing required properties.

This happens when a model is created and saved without providing details for all the mandatory fields (the ones marked with an asterisk). BusinessOptix allows you to save models with missing required fields as we know that some of the information can take a number of iterations to gather.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

Required fields can help users understand your model more by providing context. E.g. a name can help users understand the purpose of the task if appropriately named.

The lane title can be used to indicate the role that's accountable for all tasks in that lane, clearly showing all users who to address their concerns to.

To resolve this issue, make sure all required fields (marked with *) are populated.

User or manual task has no role responsible

Overview of Issue

This model has a user or manual task that doesn't have a responsible role assigned.

A manual task is performed by humans, without the use of an application. The responsible role identifies the person (or persons) who should perform the task.

A user task is performed by humans, using an application. The responsible role identifies the person (or persons) who should perform the task, and systems identifies the application.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

When a task doesn't have a responsible role, no one knows who is supposed to be carrying it out and this can create a number of issues. E.g. the task can go undone because no one is assigned to it, the task might be carried out by someone who isn't fully qualified for it potentially reducing the quality of the output, users will not know who to address their questions to regarding the task, etc.

Adding a responsible role is the best way to mitigate all the issues listed above and it makes it very clear who should be doing what and who the responsibility for a task lies with.

Activity type is undefined

Overview of Issue

This model has one or more activities whose type hasn't been defined.

This usually happens when an activity's type is left as undefined i.e. you haven't indicated whether the activity is a manual task, a user task, an automated task, etc.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

When an activity's type is undefined users don't know who or what is performing the task.

This can hinder any process improvement initiatives because you won't know what needs to be changed. E.g if it's an automated task then you might need to look at the software performing the activity, which is completely different from a manual task where you might need to look at the human element of it.

In essence, defining the activity type is important because it can help you figure out what needs to be changed to improve an activity's metrics.

The component name is overly long

Overview of Issue

This model has components whose names are too long.

This happens when the model has components whose names are more than 10 words long.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

Long names aren’t accessible to other people and can make the process model cumbersome to go through. Names should adopt a verb-noun approach e.g. complete credit check. Component names should be signposting rather than providing an explanation about the component.

A good name provides clarity of understanding for the component/task.

See the Hints and Tips for Creating Clear Activity Name / Labels section here for more information.

User task has no system defined

Overview of Issue

This model has at least one activity defined as a user task but doesn't have a system assigned.

This usually happens when an activity's type is entered as 'User task' but the System field in the 'Details' section is left blank.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

Since a user task requires both a human and an application, it's important to name the application the human is using.

This will be useful when you want to understand how the activity is performed, the application being used and what role that application is playing. If you want to optimize the activity because e.g. it's taking too long, knowing what application is in use will be pivotal as you can look up the metrics for the application and see how much of your work time for the activity is due to the application.

As there is a clear benefit to knowing what application is being used to perform the activity, you can resolve this issue by adding the application to the Systems property under the Details section of the property panel.

The specified user does not exist in the library so won't receive notifications

Overview of Issue

This model has a user(s) who no longer has access to the library.

This usually happens when a user has left the business and no longer has access to the library. However, they still have a stakeholder role in the model. They could be listed as a model owner, author, reviewer or approver.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

Leaving users in the library that are no longer members can create all sorts of issues. Here are some examples of where this can be an issue:

1. You send a model for approval to 4 approvers where at least 3 of them need to sign off but 2 of them are not members of the library anymore. This means the approval can never be completed because you will never get the 3 sign offs required.
2. A process’ ownership belongs to someone who isn’t a member of the library anymore which means there isn’t anyone accountable for that process as the system says there is an owner but they don’t exist anymore.

To resolve this issue, you need to ensure correctness of the information in your library through regular updates and removal of people who no longer have access.

This path might not complete unless the process is terminated

Overview of Issue

The process may loop indefinitely when going through this step.

This usually happens when there is a path from the step, via one or more intervening steps, back to itself, and all the links on the path are either unconditional, or conditional but with a probability of 100%.

It is also possible (but very unusual) for this to happen simply because one or more probabilities are so high that the simulation never failed to reach it in the (configurable) number of times it ran the process.

Probabilities are used by the simulation to decide how to route each iteration of a process. You can set the probability of a conditional link on the Metrics properties page.

Note that there is a category of process which is never expected to complete. This is unusual in a business process and may indicate that the process is being modeled at too conceptual a level.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

This error is a result of you having created an infinite loop in your process that means once the loop stage in the process has been reached, the process will repeat the steps in that stage repeatedly because you have not facilitated an exit route, so the flow can move forward.

If you assign a probability of 100% to the step that feeds back into the loop it means there is a 0% probability for the exit step so the loop will keep executing until terminated.

You can resolve this issue by making sure there is a valid exit step by assigning appropriate probabilities guaranteeing that the chance of exiting the loop is more than 0%.

Step is never reached

Overview of Issue

This step will never be reached.

This usually happens when the probability of one of the conditional paths leading up to it is zero. It is also possible (but very unusual) for this to happen simply because one or more probabilities are so low that the simulation never reached it in the (configurable) number of times it ran the process.

Probabilities are used by the simulation to decide how to route each iteration of a process. You can set the probability of a conditional link on the Metrics properties page.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

If you have e.g. a gateway and there are two links coming out of it and you assign a probability of 100% to one of the links, it automatically means the other link has a probability of 0% so that path will never be followed.

If you are sure the second path will never be followed, then you do not need a gateway since there is a 100% chance the flow will only follow one path.

Always pay attention to your probabilities when you have multiple links emerging from the same component, making sure they all add up to 100% and there isn't one with a 0% probability.

Component name has not been changed from the default

Overview of Issue

This model has at least one component whose name hasn't been changed from the default assigned when that component(s) was added.

This usually happens when a component is added and the Author doesn't change the name from the default e.g. Activity 1, Gateway 1, Event 1 etc.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

A name can help users understand the purpose of the component if appropriately named.

The lane name can be used to indicate the role that is accountable for all tasks in that lane, clearly showing all users who to address their concerns to.

To resolve this issue, make sure all new components you add are named appropriately instead of sticking with the default names.

See the Hints and Tips for Creating Clear Activity Name / Labels section here for more information.

Non-end event has no output path

Overview of Issue

This wait or output event has no outgoing links.

Any step without any output links is treated as an end step, on completion of which the process is completed. For an event, this should always be an end event. If this is a wait event, you should add a link from it to whatever should happen after the event occurs (which may itself be an end event). If it is an output event, you can either do the same or else consider changing it to be an end event.

You can change the type of an event (to Start, Wait, Output or End) on the Event properties page.

Understanding the issue, resolving it and the benefits of resolution

Not adding an end event can make it look like your process is incomplete. This can be confusing for the end users of the process you have created.

Without an end event, users won't know how many more steps, if any, they need to take and this can delay execution as they might need to wait for confirmation that they have done everything they are required to.

To ensure your end users know the process is complete and doesn't have any missing steps, you should add an end event after the last step to be executed.