Business process modeling should no longer be reserved for technical experts. Discover how the OSSAD method, integrated into Efalia Process, democratizes the representation of processes in business.
The challenge of process modeling
The limits of traditional approaches
Most businesses run into the same hurdles when modeling their processes:
- Technical complexity : languages composed of more than 100 concepts that are incomprehensible to businesses
- Communication gap between project management and project management
- Illegible representations : long flowcharts with too many diamonds
- Incomplete vision : roles poorly represented, business documents absent
- Lack of uniformity in the symbols used
The OSSAD method: an accessible and structured approach
What is OSSAD?
OSSAD (Office Support System Analysis and Design) is a method born from a European project that proposes a Common language easily assimilated by all actors of change.
OSSAD's 4 fundamental questions
The method structures the modeling around 4 essential questions:
- How to represent goals of the organism?
- How to represent the distribution of human resources to achieve these goals?
- How to represent the flow of information to achieve these goals?
- How to precisely describe all the means (human and material) and the flow of procedures?
The two levels of OSSAD modeling
1. The abstract model
- Objective : Describe organizational goals regardless of resources
- Questions : WHAT? WHY?
- Result : Visualization of flows between organizational functions
2. The descriptive model
- Objective : Describe human resources and technological resources
- Questions : WHO? HOW? (in what order, in how long)
- Result : Representation of procedures, roles and resources
The advantages of OSSAD compared to traditional methods
✅ What OSSAD brings:
- Several levels of abstraction for a complete vision
- Clear representation of roles and organizational units
- Business document integration (invoices, orders, contracts)
- Information life cycle with document statuses
- Uniformity of symbols and standardized language
- Accessibility for all trades
❌ What OSSAD avoids:
- Incomprehensible linear models
- Unreadable and too long flowcharts
- Technical representations reserved for experts
- Lack of shared vision between teams
- Multiplication of symbols and concepts
OSSAD in Efalia Process: the complete solution
Efalia Process natively integrates the OSSAD methodology to offer:
- Intuitive graphical modeling complying with OSSAD standards
- Simplified business collaboration with a common language
- Overview of the organization and of the information system
- Full support transformation projects (EDM, workflow, ISO certifications)
Concrete applications of OSSAD
The OSSAD method excels in many contexts:
- Choice of software packages : modeling needs and comparing solutions
- ISO certifications : formalization of quality processes
- EDM/Workflow projects : definition of documentary circuits
- Digital transformation : mapping of existing and target processes
Conclusion: OSSAD, the organization's “Swiss Army Knife”
The OSSAD method, royalty-free and standardized, combines Vocabulary, Syntax, and Grammar in a common-sense approach. Simple to understand but formal, it is the ideal tool to successfully carry out any organizational project.
In summary : OSSAD transforms process modeling from a technical exercise reserved for experts into a collaborative approach accessible to all professions.
