-
Introduction
This chapter
briefly
discusses the
importance of
Business
Process
Management and
provides the
roadmap to the
rest of the
book.
-
Workflow
Automation
This chapter
describes the
evolution of
workflow
automation and
its role in
automating
human-centric
business
processes. It
goes on to
define
workflow
processes and
their
significance
for automating
many types of
activities in
modern
organizations.
-
Enterprise
Application
Integration
This chapter
traces the
emergence of
Enterprise
Application
Integration (EAI)
and its roots
in automating
application-centric
business
processes. It
compares and
contrasts EAI
with workflow
automation
with goal of
highlighting
the
similarities
and the
differences
between these
two product
categories
that have
evolved
independently.
-
The
Emergence of
BPM
This chapter
discusses the
rise of BPM as
the
convergence of
workflow
automation and
EAI in
response to a
number of
technology
drivers such
as Web
Services. BPM
is a natural
evolution of
enterprise
computing. The
chapter
concludes by
discussing
some of the
major benefits
of business
process
management and
its component
technologies.
-
Inside
Business
Processes
In this
chapter, the
“nuts and
bolts’ of a
business
process and
its components
are described.
It gives the
reader a clear
understanding
of how any
existing,
paper-based
business
process can
translate into
an electronic
process map.
The goal is to
establish a
clear
understanding
of how
real-life
problems map
into processes
that can be
automated
using BPM
systems. This
chapter also
discusses a
number of
practical
requirements
of a BPM
solution that
are apparent
only after one
has started
down the path
of automation.
These include
requirements
such as
complex
business rules
that change
frequently,
handling
exceptions,
notifications
and workload
distribution.
-
Smart Ways
of Routing
Work
Routing work
to the right
individual or
application at
the right time
is a basic
function of a
BPM solution.
In a modern
organization
the routing of
work and the
selection of
the recipients
who will
perform the
work is
complex, and
the complexity
increases with
the size of
the
organization.
A BPM solution
provides
mechanisms to
accomplish
this without
constraining
the
flexibility
that is the
hallmark of
modern
organizations.
Various
constructs and
mechanisms for
routing work
and how they
can be used to
address
practical
needs are
described.
-
BPM
Solution
Architectures
This chapter
presents the
typical
solution
architecture
for a BPM
solution. It
highlights the
main
components of
a BPM system,
leaving the
details to
subsequent
chapters.
-
Business
Process
Modeling and
Analysis
Business
Process
Modeling and
Analysis (BPMA)
is the first
step on the
road to
business
process
management.
This chapter
discusses the
role and
benefits of
BPMA and how
it can be used
by business
process owners
to design,
model,
optimize and
document
business
processes.
BPMA also has
a strong
relationship
with Six Sigma
initiatives
for business
process
improvements.
The
relationship
between the
two is also
discussed in
this chapter.
An easy-to-use
software for
business
process
modeling and
optimization
software is
offered as
free download
to buyers of
the book. This
chapter will
illustrate the
techniques of
using this
software for
designing and
optimizing
processes
before they
are automated
using a BPM
system.
-
BPM Server
and
Administration
This chapter
describes the
major
capabilities
of a BPM
Server and
tools for
administering
the server.
-
BPM
Application
Development
This chapter
discusses the
design tools
that are
needed for
developing
complex BPM
applications.
It discusses
the various
requirements
of a design
environment
such as
simulation,
collaborative
design,
component
sharing,
component
reuse, and
version
control.
-
Workflow
Client: The
End-User
Experience
The Workflow
Client is the
“inbox” used
by workflow
participants
to perform
work. In this
chapter the
key
requirements
of a Workflow
Client are
discussed and
differentiated
from the
e-mail inbox
that readers
are most
familiar with.
The modern
Workflow
Client is not
only a
software tool
that enables
users to
participate in
business
processes, but
also a means
of managing
the activities
of
subordinates.
-
BPM
Reporting and
Monitoring
By virtue of
automating
business
processes, a
BPM solution
keeps track of
the time and
cost of
completing
every task in
the process,
and precise
status of all
the tasks and
activities. A
major
byproduct of
business
process
management is
that the
status and
activity data
gathered by a
BPM solution
can be used to
generate
metrics that
measure the
performance of
individual
participants
and the
organization
as a whole.
Business
process
monitoring and
metrics are
invaluable for
improving
business
efficiency and
establishing
the
expectations
of internal
and external
customers. In
this chapter
the reader
will be
presented with
various types
of generic
process
metrics and
how they can
be used to
improve
organizational
performance.
-
BPM and
Application
Integration
BPM has been
called the
“glue that
binds an
organization.”
This is
because it
provides an
information-driven
networked
platform for
involving
employees,
partners,
customers,
vendors,
departments,
organizations
and
third-party
applications
in business
processes.
Personal
productivity
applications
used at the
desktop, or
server-based
enterprise
application,
are valuable
corporate
assets. The
ability to
integrate
third-party
software
applications
in a business
process is an
important
benefit of BPM.
The
technologies
and techniques
that are used
by BPM
solutions to
integrate with
other
applications
are presented
in this
chapter.
-
Web
Services, BPM
and the
Internet
Web Services
and the
Internet have
made a
profound
impact on BPM
by increasing
its potential
and forcing a
convergence of
workflow
automation and
EAI. This
chapter
discusses the
nature of the
impact and the
significance
of Web
Services for
the future
growth of BPM.
It also
describes Web
Services from
a business
perspective
and its
importance to
BPM. Major
industry
trends and
efforts at
standardization
driven by the
use of XML are
also
discussed.
-
Case
Studies in BPM
This chapter
presents two
case studies
of live BPM
installations.
It gives the
reader insight
into tangible
and intangible
benefits of a
BPM solution
for specific
problems faced
by two very
different
companies,
namely
Bernstein AG
and Microsoft
Corporation.
Appendix: A
Method of
Characterizing
BPM Products
This Appendix
provides
method of
characterizing
BPM products.
Its purpose is
to provide
readers a
framework for
evaluating and
categorizing
the large
number of BPM
products and
create a short
list that
meets their
specific
needs.
Bibliography
Index