ABSTRACT
Business function-task analysis is particularly valuable when an application or a system development project starts from scratch, when a company is faced with a massive reorganization, or when a company’s data resources change substantially. The results of a business function-task analysis can be used to prioritize information system development projects or as a structure for defining information system strategy. Business function-task analysis was developed by IBM in the 1960s to establish the relationships between an organization’s data, processes, and organizational units. Business function-task analysis is performed by a focus group composed of managers from all the functional units in the entire company. Analyzing the wealth of information summarized in the unit-process matrix and the process-data element matrix often reveals indirect relationship between the organizational units, the functions, the processes, and the data elements. Additional cross-checks and walk-throughs can help reduce redundancies and resolve conflicts.
