TechTalk: Introduction to the business process catalog

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Welcome to a comprehensive exploration of the business process catalog. This guide is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the catalog, particularly focusing on how you can use the catalog for a Dynamics 365 implementation project.

We based this article on a TechTalk that you can find online in the Dynamics 365 channel on YouTube.

Thumbnail of the TechTalk Series: business process catalog and Guidance presentation slide.

The business process catalog serves as a critical tool for organizations that aim to enhance their processes through Dynamics 365. Download the latest version of the catalog from https://aka.ms/BusinessProcessCatalog. We update the catalog at least four times each year. Learn more at Business process contributions.

What are business processes?

The term business process covers a wide range of structured, often sequenced, activities or tasks to achieve a predetermined organizational goal. The term can also refer to the cumulative effects of all steps progressing toward a business goal. These processes are vital across all industries and provide a blueprint for efficiency, consistency, cost reduction, risk management, scalability, and data-driven decision-making.

Screenshot of a slide with the six key points called out before the image.

When properly defined and implemented, business processes can significantly enhance organizational productivity, ensure quality, and reduce operational costs by optimizing resources. Additionally, well-documented processes help in identifying and mitigating risks, allowing organizations to scale and adapt to changing demands while making informed decisions based on accurate data.

The importance of business process modeling

Business process modeling is a graphical representation of an organization's processes, typically using flowcharts. This practice is recommended for any organization implementing technology like Dynamics 365, as it helps visualize the current state of operations and provides a prescriptive guide on how processes should function. This modeling not only helps track and document processes but also prescribes the rules and guidelines for executing them effectively.

At the beginning of a project, business process modeling starts with a high-level overview of the organization and gradually becomes more detailed as the project progresses. By the time a project reaches the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase, the business process models are fully detailed and ready to guide the final stages of implementation.

The evolution of the business process catalog

Before we created the business process catalog, there was no public catalog available for Dynamics 365. Implementation teams inside Microsoft used partial catalogs, and partners often developed their own frameworks. However, they all lacked a unified, process-focused approach, leading to inconsistent documentation and implementation practices.

Microsoft set out to create a comprehensive business process catalog that transcends product boundaries and applies across industries. The goal was to create a business-savvy catalog that could serve as a baseline for process-focused solutions in Dynamics 365 implementations.

The catalog is now available in the public domain and consists of 15 end-to-end processes. The end-to-end processes are broken down into 98 process areas, nearly 700 individual processes, and over 2,000 patterns and use cases. This hierarchy allows organizations to navigate the catalog easily, using business terminology rather than software-specific language, ensuring its applicability across different sectors.

Screenshot of the business process catalog presentation slide, outlining objectives, sessions, contributors, and more.

Access and use the business process catalog

You can download the business process catalog in Excel and CSV formats, with the latter designed for easy import into Azure DevOps. This flexibility allows organizations to integrate the catalog into their existing project management tools, facilitating process scoping and estimation. Download the latest version of the catalog from https://aka.ms/BusinessProcessCatalog. We update the catalog at least four times each year. Learn more at Business process contributions.

Screenshot of a slide that maps work item types to business processes, with other columns for sequence and state categories.

If you want to use the catalog in Azure DevOps, we provide guidance on how to map the various levels of the catalog to Azure DevOps work items. For example, you can map end-to-end processes to area paths, process areas to epics, and individual processes to features and user stories. This mapping ensures that organizations can maintain a clear and organized view of their processes throughout the project lifecycle.

Future developments and community involvement

Microsoft continues to evolve the business process catalog and welcomes community contributions. You can suggest new patterns, request changes, and provide feedback through the GitHub repository, helping to expand and refine the catalog for broader use.

While the current focus is on creating a robust foundation, future updates may include more detailed mappings to technical objects, forms, and classes, further enhancing the catalog's usefulness for developers and technical consultants.

Conclusion

The business process catalog is an invaluable tool for organizations looking to optimize their use of Dynamics 365. By providing a structured approach to documenting, modeling, and implementing business processes, the catalog helps ensure that organizations can achieve their goals efficiently and effectively. As the catalog continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly become an even more powerful resource for the global business community.

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