Browse By by Author by Title List All Links Categories Home Based Small Business Bookkeeping Mail Order General Legal Guides Entrepreneurship Budgeting New Enterprises Franchises Capital Generation The Practical Guide to Business Process Reengineering Using Idefo Review   The old saying about not being able to understand something until you can quantify it is generally true, but can be superseded by a more accurate statement. 'If you can diagram it, then you can understand it, more particularly you can make someone else understand it as well.' While most humans can think numerically, a large percentage have some difficulty with quantitative data. However, nearly all can follow directed diagrams, so they are generally a superior way to describe complex structures. IDEF0 is a set of rules for diagrams that are simple, yet allow for enough complexity so that the most complex of processes can be represented. This book is an explanation of the IDEF0 syntax and structure and how to apply it to business operations. No previous experience is necessary, the diagrams are largely self-explanatory and what little extra explanation that is needed is provided. As a long-time user and instructor of the Unified Modeling Language, I am familiar with complex diagrams. Yet, I was surprised with how simple and effective the IDEF0 'language' is to use and understand. Using little more than boxes, arrows and labels, very complex structures can be described in a compressed format. The last two chapters describe how to use it and how to avoid making some common mistakes. Business Process Reengineering is where previous business processes are modified to conform to changes in the environment. In order to be able to do that, you must be able to define what your previous business process was. The IDEF0 will allow you to do that, and I recommend that you read this book if you are currently in the process of altering your business practices.