# A Petri Net Approach for Business Process Modeling and Simulation
## 6 Business Processes of a Water Operating Agency  
A Water Operating Agency (WOA) is tasked with operating, conserving, and managing the drinking water, sewage, and other service systems in a city or region, ensuring their availability to the local population. These agencies are dynamic entities that must adhere to distribution standards, including maintaining appropriate quality, quantity, pressure, and consistency. The systems they oversee distribute drinking water to communities and treat wastewater for disposal from both urban and rural areas. To achieve optimal performance, companies need to consider various pieces of information related to suppliers, customers, employees, invoices, payments, and their products and services. The activities within the organization should be organized in a manner that promotes efficiency and enhances overall performance. Business processes (BPs) encompass the organization, coordination, and orientation of work towards the production of goods or services. They involve the flow of materials, information, and knowledge, ensuring that the right resources are utilized effectively to achieve desired outcomes. A selection of the business processes for an example WOA are established below using the Value Chain concept [19]. **The primary activities to be considered for this WOA are as follows:**  
* **Customer registration** Refers to the registration process of new users to use the services of the operating agency. This implies providing basic information, a feasibility study, and creating an account. This process is a key component of the growth strategy. The main objective is to increase the user base, which leads to an increase in revenue. * **Installation of water intakes** After hiring, the water intake is installed, which essentially consists of making a connection from the general conduction line to the internal conduction line of the residence in question. The objective is to ensure that the water supply is granted without interruption. * **Taking readings of the water consumption measuring device** The process of measuring and recording the amount of water consumed by a user. This activity allows for the billing of water services and monitoring the water usage on a property. In most cases, the water reading is taken using a water meter installed on the property that measures the flow of water entering the property and records the consumption in units of cubic meters. * **Calculation of amounts to be paid for use of the service** The reading information is used to calculate the amount that the user must pay for water consumption. Rates may vary depending on the amount of water consumed and the policies of the operating agency. Consumption is calculated by subtracting the current month's reading minus the previous month's reading. * **Delivery of invoices** The process of providing a (physical) document with the details of water consumption and the amount to be paid for the service. The water bill includes additional information such as the expiration date and rate applied. * **Receipt of payment for the service** The process by which users make the corresponding payment for the consumption of water they have used. This process allows the operating agency to receive the necessary funds to operate and maintain the water supply system. After making their payment, users receive confirmation of a successful transaction. Payment can be made at different financial institutions, convenience stores, or the agency's own offices. The agency updates the user's records to reflect the payment having been made. * **Debt agreement** This is the formal agreement between the WOA and a user who has an outstanding debt for water consumption. This agreement is generally established to recognize the debt accumulated by the user to allow them to regularize their financial situation while continuing to receive water supply services. A detailed payment plan is established describing how the amount owed is to be divided into smaller payments and in what terms they are to be made.