Organizational versus Operational:

Different levels can be identified in business process management, ranging
from high-level business strategies to implemented business processes. These
levels are depicted in Figure 1.6. At the highest level, the strategy of the
company is specified, which describes its long-term concepts to develop a
sustainable competitive advantage in the market. An example of a business
strategy is cost leadership for products in a certain domain.
At the second level, the business strategy is broken down to operational
goals. These goals can be organized, so that each goal can be divided into a
set of subgoals. Reducing the cost for supplied materials is a sample goal that
contributes to the realization of the business strategy mentioned.
At the third level, organizational business processes can be found. Organizational
business processes are high-level processes that are typically specified
in textual form by their inputs, their outputs, their expected results, and
their dependencies on other organizational business processes. These business
processes act as supplier or consumer processes. An organizational business
process to manage incoming raw materials provided by a set of suppliers is
an example of an organizational business process.
Informal and semiformal techniques are used at these high levels. The
strategy of a company, its goals, and its organizational business processes
can be described in plain text, enriched with diagrams expressed in an adhoc
or semiformal notation. A forms-based approach to express organizational
business processes is discussed in the next chapter.
While organizational business processes characterize coarse-grained business
functionality, typically there are multiple operational business processes
required that contribute to one organizational business process. In operational
business processes, the activities and their relationships are specified, but
implementation aspects of the business process are disregarded. Operational
business processes are specified by business process models.
Operational business processes are the basis for developing implemented
business processes. Implemented business processes contain information on
the execution of the process activities and the technical and organizational
environment in which they will be executed.