MTAT Business Process Management (BPM) Lecture 9: Process Automation Marlon Dumas marlon.dumas ät ut. Ee (including slides by Remco Dijkman, TU/e)

2 Where are we?

3 Use data sharing (Intranets, ERPs) to: –Increase availability of information to improve decisions or visibility (subject to security/privacy) –Avoid duplicate data entry, paper copies Use network technology to: –Replace materials (e.g. paper document) flow with information flow E.g. querying government agency DBs replacing document flow –Increase communication speed: , SMS Note: s are unavoidable, but not always desirable –Enable self-service (e.g. online forms) (T+,Q+/-,C+/-,F-) Business Process Automation Possibilities

4 Use tracking technology to identify/locate materials and resources where reasonable –Identification: Bar code, RFID –Location: indoor positioning, GPS Use Business Rule Management Systems to automate decision tasks –Capture and automate business rules where effective Use Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) or related technology to automate end- to-end processes

5 Data-Driven vs. Process-Aware A data-aware system provides functions that allow users to do anything they wish and can… –Example: our study info system A process-aware system users figure out what needs to be done and when –E.g. insurance claims handling system

6 BPMS – General Architecture

7 Worklist

8 BPMS Landscape Big Vendors Oracle SOA Suite IBM BPM Microsoft BizTalk Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation SAP NetWeaver BPM Other closed-source BizAgi Progress Savvion OpenText BPM TIBCO ActiveMatrix BPM Commercial Open-Source Intalio|BPM Activiti BonitaSoft Community Open-Source YAWL Enhydra Shark

9 The Journey to Executable Processes more abstract more concrete more business oriented more technology oriented 1 Executable Model Process Model 2 3 Complete process Cover all aspects Adjust task granularity

10 1. Complete process A process often misses control-flow information, because the modelers: assumed that it is common knowledge didn’t know got contradicting statements just forgot/ were being lazy …

11 1. Complete process A process often misses control-flow information: missing time-outs? All possible loops/rework captured? ‘sunny day’ scenario but also ‘rainy day’ scenarios? Alternatives …

12 1. Complete process Sunny day scenario: there is no rejection accept receive application pay out Correct by adding a ‘rejection’. reject

13 2. Cover all aspects Work assignment rules Data Invoked applications enter request approve request Application case_id name details Approval case_id approved JohnSarah AdministratorChecker

14 What do we need to make a process model executable? 1.Control flow 2.Data flow 3.Resources >specify decisions, timeouts… >specify data types(e.g. XML Schema) and data mappings >specify org. model, allocation strategies, application APIs... Unfortunately, this is not enough…

15 Let’s get our hands dirty Fragment of equipment rental process in Bizagi

16 3. Adjust task granularity Make your tasks the right size, because: a workflow engine sends work orders. Should neither be too fine-grained nor too coarse-grained enter name enter street enter number enter place... enter application and have it approved (by somebody else)

17 3. Adjust task granularity A task of the right size should encompass work that a single person can perform ``uninterrupted’’ nothing less (not too fine-grained) nothing more (not too coarse-grained)

18 3. Adjust task granularity Consequently, split a task when work is handed over to: another role another person the system one task handover to new role enter client enter request approve request Administrator Checker

19 3. Adjust task granularity Consequently, split a task when work is handed over to: another role another person (due to work assignment) the system enter client enter request approve request Administrator Checker verify request (four eyes) Administrator one task handover to new person

20 3. Adjust task granularity Consequently, split a task when work is handed over to: another role another person the system –for a routing decision –before or after an automated task