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Terminology Categories

10Sep

Digital Forms

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

Digital forms are an important component to any BPM or workflow application.  Electronic forms present information and allow data entry, and facilitate the “people to system” interaction between end users and the BPM/workflow engine.   Most BPM systems have 4 pillars:

  • Data
  • Workflow
  • Forms
  • Reports

The digital forms pillar provides access to data, workflow and reports.

In any digital transformation project, the introduction of electronic forms can speed up the reduction in paper, and provide a path to a “paperless office” environment.   Both iWorkflow and K2 have forms pillars that provide a user interface, through the use of a web browser for forms.

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10Sep

Business Process Modeling

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

Business Process Modeling is an analysis effort that maps out the activities involved in any organizational business process.  The goal of this effort is to improve process, and add efficiency.  Business Process Modeling is performed by business analysts , who provide expertise in the modeling discipline, and facilitate the involvement of subject matter experts that understand the core business input and output.   Modeling has several goals:

  • To map the current process state and desired future state
  • To improve and architect a more efficient process
  • To eliminate waste and unnecessary steps in any workflow
BPMN Design

Example of Business Process Modeling

Business process modeling is an initial step in any IT process project, and accompanies the gathering of requirements.   BPMN is usually the notation used for the graphical design of any process.

 

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09Sep

Rules Engine

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

A rules engine is typically a component a workflow or business process management (BPM) application.  Typically referred to as a “business rules engine”, this component makes intelligent decisions on how to process and branch the flow of a process based on specific criteria.  An example would be the accounts payable invoice approval process where a manger may be able to approve invoice for a specific amount, but when exceeded, the approval is routed for a director level approval.   These business rules are critical to any organizational process, and provide a logic layer allowing for optimal automation through intelligent decision making.  Other examples below:

  • Routing of claims to specific adjusters based on state
  • When to escalate a customer support issue based on the critical nature
  •  Routing a mortgage for approval based on credit score

Most workflow engines have an embedded rules system, but there are also specific rules technology companies that can provide this service as an add on.

 

09Sep

Document Routing

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

Document Routing within an organization has historically been a manual process, routing physical paper files and/or folders.  Modern technology has introduced workflow document routing, which can facilitate the not only the routing of documents, but also an approval to one or multiple individuals.  Digitally routing documents has a number of benefits and advantages:

  • Creation of an audit trail
  • Ability to pass and collect data with the routed document
  • Version control and rework ability for changes
  • Approval and rejection email notification
  • Insight into the process

Most Business Process Management (BPM) suites have basic document approval and routing templates available, and they can be deployed quickly into any department or organization.

 

 

Read more on our Document Routing and Approval Solution

19Aug

K2 blackpearl

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

K2 blackpearl is a Business Process Management (BPM), workflow and Business Process Application (BPA) suite.   The product began as a framework for workflow on the Microsoft Development stack, and is now the largest BPM tool built specifically for Microsoft environments.  It is a standalone system that has a built in integration for extensive SharePoint Workflow.   The system is composed of four pillars: Data, Forms, Workflow and Reports.  The data layer, or smartobjects, is a patented integration bus technology that allows for reuse of data objects that can be built with no code.  K2 smartforms is an enterprise forms solution layered on top of smarobjects that can create powerful, data driven forms.  The system has no code design canvases that allow non-technical users to build and run applications composed of the four pillars.

Learn more about K2 blackpearl workflow

19Aug

smartobject

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

Smartobject‘s are the key components of the K2 BPM/BPA product blackpearl. Smartobjects are reusable data objects that can be configured without the need for custom development, and really help facilitate no/low code application solutions. This data integration layer forms the base layer or foundation, and then forms, workflows, and reports can be built on top.  Smartobjects auto-discover properties and methods of any line of business system, and present them within the workflow design canvas for access.   Below is a short list of supported systems:

  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft SharePoint Online/Office 365
  • SAP
  • Dynamics CRM
  • Box
  • Docusign
  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft SQL
  • Oracle
  • AS400/DB2

Smartobjects are key to the function of K2 smartforms.
Learn more about K2 and smartobjects

17Aug

Business Process Management Suite (BPMS)

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

A Business Process Management Suite (BPMS) is an application or set of applications that is used to design, implement and improve business process within an organization.   BPMS software can help management gain deep insight into business processes by providing process discovery and modeling tools, business rules engines, workflow engines, simulation and testing tools. Business process professionals, business analysts, software developers and IT staff can all leverage a BPMS to effectively improve organizational productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and hopefully, profitability.

 
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17Aug

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a standard for business process modeling that provides a graphical/visual notation for outlining business processes in a Business Process Diagram (BPD).  The standard uses flowcharts to define process, and the technique is very similar to activity diagrams from other modeling languages.   The primary objective of BPMN is to support an overall business process management initiative within an organization, for both technical users and business users, and provide a standard that is intuitive to business users, yet is able to represent complex process mapping. The BPMN specification also provides a mapping between the graphics of the notation and the underlying code or execution language.

The primary goal of BPMN is to provide a recognized and standard notation that is readily understood by all business stakeholders. These include the business analysts who create and refine the processes, the technical developers responsible for implementing the process, and the business managers who monitor and manage them.

Since 2014, BPMN has been complemented by a new standard for building decision models, the Decision Model and Notation standard.

17Aug

Business Analyst (BA)

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

A Business Analyst (BA) is a critical individual to any workflow software or Business Process (BPM) project.   They analyze the organization and document the business and/or process and systems.  They then assess the business model and the overall integration with technology.  From the IIBA, here is a BA’s overall function:

The Business Analyst is an agent of change. Business Analysis is a disciplined approach for introducing and managing change to organizations, whether they are for-profit businesses, governments, or non-profits.

Business analysis is used to identify and articulate the need for change in how organizations work, and to facilitate that change. As business analysts, we identify and define the solutions that will maximize the value delivered by an organization to its stakeholders. Business analysts work across all levels of an organization and may be involved in everything from defining strategy, to creating the enterprise architecture, to taking a leadership role by defining the goals and requirements for programs and projects or supporting continuous improvement in its technology and processes.

In Business Process Management Software implementations, they play a critical role in transforming business, and digitizing process.

See our Platform for BA Process Mapping

17Aug

Intelligent Business Process Management System (iBPMS)

Written by Ken Kramer. Posted in BPM and Workflow, Terminology

Intelligent Business Process Management System (iBPMS)  is a term that defines the latest generation of enterprise Business Process Management (BPM), leveraging newer technological advances to attain optimal operational responsiveness and efficiency just not possible with yesterday’s business process or workflow software platform.

Today, companies of all types and sizes want faster and better insight into their operations and overall process. This growing demand for operational intelligence and information has given rise to a new, “intelligent” variety of business process management suites (BPMSs).

An intelligent BPM suite provides the framework, features and functionality required to support more intelligent business operations, including real-time analytics, extensive complex event processing (CEP) and business activity monitoring (BAM) technologies and enhanced mobile, social and collaborative capabilities.

Dubbed ‘iBPMS” by Gartner, who describes the intelligent BPM Suite as having 10 core components:

  • A process orchestration engine
  • A model-driven composition environment
  • Content interaction management
  • Human interaction management
  • Connectivity
  • Active analytics (sometimes called continuous intelligence)
  • On-demand analytics
  • Business rules management (BRM)
  • Management and administration for the suite’s technical aspects
  • A process component registry/repository

An example of an iBPMS is K2 blackpearl.

 
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