OPM (Object Process Methodology) is a methodology for system modeling that unifies function, structure, and behavior of systems into a single modeling paradigm. OPM was developed by Professor Dov Dori at the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) and at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and has been internationally standardized since 2015, initially as a publicly available specification ISO/PAS 19450:2015 and, since 2024, as an international standard ISO/IEC 19450:2024 (International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission). The OPM methodology has also been translated into Czech and localized as ČSN ISO 19450:2024. OPM is based on a similar object-oriented philosophy as the BORM method and therefore adopts and further develops many of BORM's principles. Although OPM and BORM originated completely independently, concepts known from BORM now find their application within OPM.
OPM is unique in that it places objects and processes on the same level and provides both graphical and textual perspectives on the model. In the 1990s, during the so-called “methodology wars” at MIT, OPM author Professor Dov Dori advocated for the future UML to also encompass systems modeling. However, this was rejected by software engineers, and UML remained focused primarily on describing the internal structure of the software part of an information system, rather than the entire system and its system logic. OPM fills this gap, allowing easy zooming between levels of detail and offering a full view of the collaboration between people and processes.
Moreover, OPM includes a built-in mechanism that ensures automatic logical consistency. Every process added to the model must be meaningfully connected to certain objects, and conversely, every object must be involved in some process. As a result, one cannot simply throw isolated elements into the model without clear purpose. OPM guides us to ensure that every element has justification within the system, and the model remains clean and comprehensible. OPM modeling tools often offer simulators, allowing domain experts to verify how the model behaves through scenario simulations and to easily detect potential inconsistencies.
Additionally, OPM is simpler in that it uses only a single type of diagram. This diagram is highly symmetrical, meaning that links between processes and links between objects operate on the same principle. Thanks to its ability to zoom between levels of detail, OPM fully replaces 14 diverse UML diagrams, eliminating the need to learn different notations because everything is integrated into one unified view.
OPM also proves effective as a replacement for BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation). While BPMN focuses solely on modeling business processes and workflows, OPM integrates not only processes but also objects and their states into a single coherent model. This provides a more comprehensive perspective that includes not only workflow, but also the entities themselves and their mutual relationships. Thus, OPM offers a unified, consistent way to describe entire business processes without needing to rely on additional specialized notations like BPMN.
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