Work Unit

Definition

Work Unit

a core abstract method component that models a functionally cohesive operation that may be performed by one or more producers as part of one or more endeavor-specific processes

Classification

As illustrated in the preceding figure, work units are part of the following inheritance hierarchy:

• Type: Abstract
• Superclass: Process Component Class
• Subclasses:
  • Activity,
    which is work unit consisting of a cohesive collection of tasks that produce a related set of work products.
  • Work Flow,
    which is work unit consisting of a cohesive collection of tasks that produce a single work product.
  • Task,
    which is a work unit that models a single assigned job that may be performed by one or more producers.
  • Technique,
    which is a work unit that models a way of performing a task (i.e., an implementation of a task using the Strategy Pattern).

Responsibilities

The typical responsibilities of work units are to:

• Model the work that may be performed by producers.
• Define the activities, workflows, tasks, and techniques to be performed.

Guidelines

• Although a functional concept, OPF reifies the concept “work unit” (i.e., models it as an object) in order to:
  • Emphasize units of work as major process components.
  • Provide the necessary flexibility during the instantiation and tailoring of the delivery process.