Anybody can model

Conventional wisdom has it that a model can only be created by an expert in modeling. A basic assumption behind COMA is that anybody can create a model. I have shown that this assumption is true in a large number of case studies where everybody from call-center workers to engineers and managers developed sophisticated models of business processes.

For me that is not really surprising because, after all, if a domain expert can write down the five most important steps in his/her process, how difficult is it then to make bubbles around them and connect them with arrows?

Modeling is mainly about negotiation

Drawing a model of a well-known process is easy (as shown above). But the views of different participants on the same process can be different. Negotiating the “right” view, or, more precisely, a common view is the real name of the game. COMA supports this with two instruments: scoring and consolidation (see methodology handbook).

Modeling is fun, when done right

Let us face it: Most people think that modeling is f...ing boring. And they are right, as far as brown-paper sessions are concerned. COMA introduces gaming elements into modeling (such as scoring) to make modeling more fun. Most participants in COMA sessions claimed that they enjoyed it a lot. Thanks go to my good friend and colleague Stijn Hoppenbrouwers for providing this fundamental and important idea.