Variant copy

Posted by c c

Posted on Wed, 09/14/2016 - 17:54 in Professional ARIS

Hello everyone,

I would like to ask you your suggestion about using or not Variant copy.

I haven't used this functionality before and am trying to figure out if or not I should use it.

Here is the issue:

I have 1 process, and I would like to create a “to be” process that basically will follows similar steps and will have few additional steps.

Do you think make sense to use a variant model or is better to create a new model?

thanks

27.5k

by M. Zschuckelt

Posted on Wed, 09/14/2016 - 18:47

Hello,

Variants are a feasible way. You should observe a few things or you will find some pitfalls:

1. Together with the variant copy of the model make variant copies also of ALL the steps and events in the process. Do not reuse any of them, even if they don't change. Reason: At definition level the process model would not be valid any more and some other nice features would break.

2. Do not make variant copies of the satellites, unless they change between as-is and to-be. As they generally are library objects you have to manage the libraries as well. E. g. if a data object changes you probably create a variant copy of the data model as well (only creating variant objects of the objects that change). So you have the master data model for the present and in "Next Release" you develop the future data model.

Hint: if you create extra groups for the variants, you have a place for the new variant definitions, so you see what changes in your to-be-world. With extra groups you also have the possibility to prevent the developers accidentally changing any of the as-is objects.

Best regards

by c c Author

Posted on Thu, 09/15/2016 - 09:49

Thank you so much.

What do you mean with satellites?

I am facing a new same dilemma. The "to be" process basically come from two different "AS- IS" processes. Can i create a variant copy linked to both of them?

Thank you again for your help

by M. Zschuckelt

Posted on Thu, 09/15/2016 - 11:48

Satellite is the colloquial term for all objects shown in the process but which are not part of the process flow. They are linked to the objects of the process flow, such as role, input/output object, application system type, service, capability, screen, business rule, KPI etc. in short: everything you could hide in a function allocation diagram.

The variant relationship is always a relationship between 1 master and one or more variants of the master. The relationship can exist between models and between objects. So what you could do for your to-be process:

Create a variant copy of one of the models (no master link to the second is possible). In the model use variants of objects from one or the other as-is process as needed. You can mix freely.