Requirements for a resource model

In my new book, the following requirements apply to resource models:

We should cover all internal resources of a company that can be assigned to a task for execution, like people, machines, robots.

In the age of platforms and ecosystems, it is of critical importance to include resources that are external to the company, like customers, suppliers, partners, participants of platform business models etc.

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A Resource Metamodel

For our purpose, we would like to model all types of resources available in a company. So, we build a resource metamodel, which is a data model containing all types of resources.

Each task in the model gets business resources assigned that execute the task. Business resources are all task owners required to execute the tasks of the business process model, such as internal and external employees, suppliers, customers and partners of the company under consideration, but also the locations where the target operates and the companies in which the target operates, as well as all machines, application systems and IT equipment used[cf. FeSi, 97].

So, let us start with the people side first. In the following figure you see the people resources and how they are embedded into the datamodel. You will find the people resources on the right-hand side of the following figure.

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Digitization leads to a categorization of  tasks via assigned resources. Fully automated tasks only have machines or software as task owners. Semi-automated tasks have people and machines/software as task owners. Manual tasks only have people assigned. Here are examples of different application systems of the target company that could be assigned to tasks for a higher degree of automation. You will find some examples of application systems on the right-hand side of the next figure.

Figure : Applications metamodel

Together, people and applications metamodel form the resource metamodel. From a resource metamodel, you can build several frequently used views, such as an HR view that shows all employees and their managers, an IT view that includes all IT equipment, and a manufacturing view that shows all the machinery in a production plant. A location-based view that shows all devices, buildings, people, and IT equipment in a location, can also be derived. You can also build a process automation view by looking at processes and if and how they are automated.

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