Bringing Flowcharts to Life

ProcessModel's advanced business modeling package is expensive, but it can save you time, money, and resources.

Richard Jantz, special to PC World

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As with the previous edition, ProcessModel 3.01 combines the simplicity of flowcharting with the power of simulation in a package designed to help you document, analyze, and improve business processes. These processes typically include production, order fulfillment, warehousing, distribution, retail and office operations, as well as purchasing, accounting, and collections.

The High Cost of Business Simulation

ProcessModel is one of the most expensive products of its type. Even the basic version costs $1495--and you can pay as much as roughly $3000 for versions that add advanced training, a process-analysis optimization module, and network capabilities. The company justifies its high-ticket pricing by saying that its package is capable of saving companies many thousands of dollars a year. And users of ProcessModel 2.01 get off easy, with an upgrade cost of $354.

ProcessModel 3.01 combines the easy interface of Micrografx's $299 FlowCharter Version 7.0 with the same powerful simulation engine that's used with Promodel--a $17,000 product from ProcessModel's parent company. ProcessModel runs as an OLE application built on FlowCharter--giving you the benefits of strong flowcharting along with ProcessModel's add-on tools for running "what if" simulations. To analyze results, you can view them in text and chart formats.

Visualize Your Business

The first step in using ProcessModel is to create a drawing of your workflow or other process with the FlowCharter front end. I found this task to be pretty easy. I just dragged and dropped shapes and images from the ample palette of pre-drawn objects and icons. I also found I could easily import graphic objects from other programs or edit existing flowcharts. (ProcessModel comes with several useful sample charts.) Double-clicking on the objects gives fast access to an object's Properties box, allowing you to define everything from cost information to processing time and capacity. Although there's also an excellent on-line tutorial that explains these procedures in detail, first-timers should expect to spend some time learning how to use its various features.

It's only after you've created your flowchart that you see the true twenty-first century functionality of ProcessModel. The program's Simulation menu lets you turn the flowchart into a live animated simulation, where you clearly see each part of a workflow or business process run its course. When the simulation is done, you can also view the results in text and chart formats--enabling you to get a different look at bottlenecks and other problem areas. These multiple views of the same process are surprisingly helpful when seeking ways to correct problems and improve your company's efficiency.

Although there are other software products that offer similar features (such as Process Charter, Clear Process, and Optima), ProcessModel still does the best job of helping you visually analyze a workflow or business process. While other programs just use blinking boxes and colors, for example, ProcessModel's animation displays specific objects (such as human resources, telephones, papers, products, and more) that enhance the reality and readability of its simulations. Animated objects can also change size during the animation to represent growth or to create visual impact.

In a business world where managing workflow and business process reengineering has become critical, ProcessModel's time may have come. If you're a first-time business-process analyst interested in making your company as competitive as possible, consider adding this package to your business efficiency toolbox.

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