Abstract. As approaches and tools for process and enterprise modelling are maturing, these techniques are being taken into use on a large scale in an increasing number of organizations. In this paper we report on the use of process modelling in connection to the quality system of Statoil, a large Norwegian oil company, in particular, on the aspects found necessary to be emphasized to achieve the appropriate quality of the models in this organization. Based on the investigation of usage statistics and user feedback on models, we have identified that there are problems in comprehending some of the models. Some of these models has poorer syntactic quality than the average syntactic quality of models of the same size. An experiment with improving syntactic quality on some of these models has given mixed results, and it appears that certain syntactic errors hinder comprehension more than others.

International audienceAs approaches and tools for process and enterprise modelling are maturing, these techniques are in an increasing number of organizations being taken into use on a large scale. In this paper we report on the use over many years of process-modelling in connection to the quality system of Statoil, a large Norwegian oil-company, in particular on the aspects found necessary to emphasis to achieve the right quality of the models in this organisation. The Statoil-guidelines for enterprise structure and use of standard notation are mapped to the levels of SEQUAL, a generic framework for understanding the quality of models. Guidelines for modelling are found on most levels. More detailed guidelines than in general work on quality of business process models are found in particular on the physical, empirical, and syntactic level, where the number of detailed guidelines in Statoil has increased over the years due to needs identified

Abstract. Modelling has been used as a general technique in many companies for the last decades. Some already started using modelling in the eighties, trying out the first industrial CASE-tools. Their usage of modelling techniques has evolved over the years, finding new uses, and thus using the modelling techniques for supporting new goals. In our case company semi-formal modelling techniques have been taken into use on a large scale as a backbone for the company' quality system. In this paper we report on the use of process modelling in particular on the aspects found necessary to emphasise to achieve the right quality of the models in this organisation, and how the understanding of needed quality has evolved as the usage of modelling has evolved. A recent evaluation of the use of models in the company is reported, using the SEQUAL framework as an analytical lens for understanding and assessing the quality of models. Whereas earlier a focus has been on objective quality characteristics, with detailed guidelines for empirical and syntactic quality of models, the later investigations have identified the importance of also supporting the process to achieve and keep higher level quality on the semantic, pragmatic and social level.

No abstract