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Subject:Re: Process Modeling--Tool Selection From:"Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 3 Feb 1995 08:54:55 -0600
Good advice from Kevin Montgomery on modeling tools:
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I'm in the middle of a business process reengineering project using
using IDEF0 and IDEF1X modeling tools - Knowledge Based Systems, Inc.
(KBSI) and Erwin... My current project has about 400 pages of
output from the modeling tool in appendices describing the As-Is and
To-Be business processes. Additional diagrams are scattered throughout
the main sections of the document.
...Also, while the text can be dumped to an ASCII file, it
cannot be dumped in the same order that the tool would print it out.
So, I've had to import the disordered ASCII file into Word, assign
header styles to the activity names, and sort the text using Word's
Outline function.
Ask whoever is charged with selecting the tool to look for one that
can easily export soft copies of its product to a word processing
package. You may save many hours of labor!
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I haven't checked the graphics links yet, but there is a way to partially
solve the text problem. If your modeling tool can export its data to a
format MS-Access can swallow, you can load the data into MS-Access tables,
manipulate it (using queries) into a form that floats your boat, add
additional info through user-defined tables, etc. then insert the query to
Word using the Insert Database command. It enters as a table.
Skoal,
Doug "Did you really think that you could
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com conjure up the Devil, and then expect
him to behave?"
--Fox Mulder
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The preceding opinions and positions are mine alone, and are only
coincidentally related to those of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
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-Kevin Montgomery
kmontgomery -at- logicon -dot- com
