1. MODERN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT Session 4 12:15 - 12:45 Dr Deepak B Phatak, IIT Bombay

2. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment2 SESSION OVERVIEW u Modern Tools u Integrated Office Environment u Work Flow Management

3. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment3 MODERN TOOLS u CONVENTIONAL TOOLS –Word Processors –Spread Sheets –Simple Data Managers u More Advanced Facilities –E-mail, Bulletin Boards

4. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment4 INTEGRATED OFFICE ENVIRONMENT u Multiple Sessions In Different Windows u Single Environment –No Multiple log-ins –Browser Front-end

5. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment5 INTEGRATED OFFICE ENVIRONMENT u Cut And Paste Information Across Applications u Automatic Info Movement –E-Mail to Data Base to Graphics u Multi Media Capability u Project Management Office 2000

6. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment6 WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT u Coordinating –Multiple Activities / Programs –Many People u Examples –Application Processing For Credit Cards, Loans –Course Registration By Students

7. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment7 CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKFLOWS u Humans And Computers Are Involved u Integrated Office Environment Desirable u Code And Document Repositories u Can Be distributed

8. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment8 CREDIT CARD APPLICATION u Step 1: Receive Application u Decision Point [DP] Is The Information Sufficient? –Yes, Go To Step 2 –No, Receive More Information

9. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment9 CREDIT CARD APPLICATION u Step 2: Get Information From –Credit Reporting Agency –Applicant’s Bank –Applicant’s Employer u [DP] Is Information Satisfactory? –Yes, Ship Card –No, Reject Application

10. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment10 BENEFITS OF WORKFLOW u Increasing Quality of Service –Automated Routing, Work Division u Improved Productivity –Better Throughput –Elimination of Delays

11. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment11 BENEFITS OF WORKFLOW u Better Cost-Effectiveness –Efficient Resource Utilisation u Reducing Vulnerability –Better Monitoring and Investigating capabilities –Minimise Chances of Errors

12. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment12 PROBLEMS IN WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT u Each Person Must Understand –Individual Tasks –Their Invocation Sequence –Program Used By Each Task –Inputs To Each Such Program u None Of These (Usually) Well Documented

13. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment13 PROBLEMS IN WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT u Islands Of Automation u Goal: The Responsible Person Or System MUST Have the relevant Jobs And Pertinent Data At The Right Time

14. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment14 WORKFLOW STEPS u Define Jobs, Roles, Participants u Specify Workflow Structures u Verify Model Definition u Navigate, Ensure Work Distribution u Control And Monitor Flow of Work u Post Mortem Analysis And Correction

15. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment15 WORKFLOW TERMS u Workflow Model –Specification Of Activities –Connections Between Activities –Necessary Conditions u Activity –A Component Of The Workflow Which Is triggered By The Occurrence Of Events / Conditions

16. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment16 WORKFLOW TERMS u Role –Helps Assign Responsibilities –Depends On Capabilities u Worklist –List Of Tasks To Be Done At Run Time As A Part Of An Activity All These Maintained In A Workflow Database

17. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment17 WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT u Coordination / Scheduling of Workflow Activities –Includes Failure Handling u Action Scheduling –with finite-state automation –event-condition-action (ECA) interpreters

18. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment18 ECA INTERPRETER u When an automated activity is eligible for execution, WFMS starts the activity immediately u A human activity is added to the work list of the role responsible for that activity to be selected later by the role player

19. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment19 ECA INTERPRETER u An application agent - workflow client - supervises the actual execution of an activity

20. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment20 MODELING SUPPORT IN TRADITIONAL WFMSs u Workflow level details –WF, inputs, etc. u Step level details –Node, program, inputs, outputs u Data flow between steps u Control flow between steps u Staff definition and organizational hierarchy

21. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment21 DATABASES IN WORKFLOW u Data Bases That hold Application And Enterprise Data u Data Base that Holds the State Of The WorkFlows –Hidden From Workflow Application u Both These Data Bases Can Be Centralised Or Distributed

22. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment22 APPLICATION P PROGRAM WFMS ARCHITECTURE WF ADMIN & MONITORING TOOL WF ENGINE (SCHEDULER) APPLICATION AGENT INTERACTION AGENT WF DEFINITION TOOL HUMAN WORKFLOW DATABASE

23. Dr Phatak, IIT Bombay Modern Office Environment23 WORKFLOW PRODUCTS u Notes (LOTUS) u Link Works (DEC) u ProcessIT (AT&T) u InConcert (XEROX) u WorkManager (HP) u FlowMark (IBM) u Exchange (Microsoft)