About this Document
This document outlines learning objectives and key learning
points supported by the IBM Innov8 2.0 BPM “Serious Game”
and provides instructions for installing and playing the game.
Contents
Recommendation for Incorporating INNOV8 and associated collateral
into a curriculum .................................................................................................... 2
Goals:................................................................................................................... 2
Objectives: .......................................................................................................... 2
Target Audiences: ............................................................................................. 2
Collateral includes: ............................................................................................ 3
How to get started:............................................................................................ 3
Updates from Version 1.0 ..................................................................................... 4
Accessing and Installing Innov8 on Windows® Platforms ................................ 4
Innov8 2.0 Learning Objectives, Game Scenario Synopsis, Activities and
Discussion Points..................................................................................................... 8
Learning Objective 1: Understanding the Business Process Management
(BPM) Lifecycle ...................................................................................................... 8
Suggested Activities: ....................................................................................... 12
Learning Objective 2: Glossary of BPM-Related Terminology ...................... 13
Learning Objective 2: Additional Learning Points Illustrated within Innov8
2.0........................................................................................................................... 20
Suggested Activities: ....................................................................................... 22
Tips for Playing Innov8 ......................................................................................... 23
BlueWorks .............................................................................................................. 31
Want More?.......................................................................................................... 33
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Recommendation for Incorporating INNOV8 and associated collateral into a curriculum
Goals:
The goals of INNOV8 are
- To introduce the basic concepts of Services Oriented
Architecture (SOA) and Business Process Management
(BPM) to future business and IT leaders
- To address a skills gap in SOA and BPM
- To provide a complimentary education offering that can
be incorporated into IBM’s existing BPM curriculum
Objectives:
Upon successfully completing the game and subsequent
classroom activities and discussion points, the student should
be able to:
1.
Understand the basic business process management lifecycle, from process discovery and modeling
through process monitoring and management.
2.
Understand additional key business process management terminology and concepts
Target Audiences:
1. Business school professors and students (undergraduate, MBA and Executive MBA programs)
2. Computer science professors and students
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3. Customers: Current business / IT analysts
4. Customers: Call center agents
5. Customers: Operations specialists
Collateral includes:
1. INNOV8 2.0 Academic Edition downloadable game
2. Two mini games: supply chain & traffic (online)
3. Smart Work: 3D Interactive case studies (online)
4. Pre and post usage surveys (online)
5. developerWorks Communities (online)
6. Instruction Manual
7. BlueWorks Models
How to get started:
Step 1: We recommend that the course begin with the Innov8 2.0 Academic edition of the game in a facilitated
environment, using this manual as a guide. Review this
entire guide for suggested activities and discussion points
based on key insights spread throughout the game.
Please have your students complete the surveys linked to
from the final score page. The data from these surveys will
help prove our case for the creation of more games of this
nature.
Step 2: Upon completion, the game will show a final
screen with links to the online mini games. These mini
games are a great way to extend the BPM learning into
new scenarios.
Step 3: Ask your participants to experience Smart Work: 3D
Interactive to see how real customers tackled the problems showcased in the online mini games.
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http://www01.ibm.com/software/solutions/soa/innov8/smartwork.htm
l
Step 4: Finally, our developerWorks communities are a
great way to share experiences post-gameplay. These
communities will include thought leaders who are practicing within the areas of traffic, supply chain and customer
service and who will be mingling with students and professionals alike.
Updates from Version 1.0








Puzzle interface redesign for all levels
Glossary Addition
3D Interface upgrade
Toolset upgrade
Surveys (online)
Community (online)
Additional Mini games (online)
New events in Nerve center
Accessing and Installing Innov8 on Windows® Platforms
1. Customers: Innov8 is available at no charge to IBM customers through our Customer Ambassador Program but is not
available for public distribution or resale. IBM ambassadors
must register their customers in order for their customers to be
able to use Innov8. Customers must agree to the license
terms before playing.
2. Academics: Innov8 is available at no charge to academic
faculty for teaching or research purposes. It is currently being
distributed through the IBM Academic Initiative. If you are
not already a member of the IBM Academic Initiative, you
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will be required to join to gain access to INNOV8. Membership is free. Beyond providing access to Innov8, the AI program provides faculty members with many benefits, including free use of an extensive portfolio of IBM software products and education assets. You can join the IBM Academic
Initiative at
http://www304.ibm.com/jct09002c/university/scholars/academicinitiative/
3.
Note the following Innov8 Technical Requirements
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista/XP/2000/Me/98
RAM: 128 MB RAM
Disk space: Approximately 750MB
Processor: Pentium III or Athlon 800 MHz or greater
Sound: 16-bit DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card and drivers
CD-ROM: 4x CD-ROM drive and drivers
Video card: 3D hardware accelerator card, for optimal performance:
- nVidia GeForce2 or equivalent ATI card (or higher);
- DirectX 9.0c (compliant 32 MB Video card and drivers)
4.
Steps have been taken to enable Innov8 to run on systems
that do not meet the precise video card (nVidia and ATI)
specifications stated above. Generally speaking, if your system is DirectX 9.03c compliant, there is a reasonable expectation that the game will run. Inevitably, there will be exceptions to this rule-of-thumb. Moreover, in some environments –
where key graphics card functions have been emulated
within the software – Innov8 may run but with unacceptably
slow performance.
5.
The current set-up should allow the game to launch regardless of the video feature set available on your system. If
a warning message appears, there is a chance the game
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will exit shortly after that message. Otherwise the game
should function correctly.
6.
If your system is DirectX 9.03c compliant and you still experience problems installing or launching the game, please
use the following procedure to collect information for our
developers.
a)
Click “Start” on the Windows taskbar at the bottom of
the screen.
b)
Click “Run”
c)
Type in “dxdiag”; without the quotes
d)
Click “Ok”.
e)
Click the third tab labeled “Display” to view your video
card and driver information
f)
Click “Save all information” to save the screen information to a new file on your computer.
g)
Send the saved file to Michael Buss
(mbuss@us.ibm.com)
7.
If you are replacing a previously-installed version of Innov8, go to Start > Settings > Control Panel and use Add or
Remove Programs to remove the previous installation of Innov8 from your system before installing the new version.
8.
Once a member of IBM Academic Initiative (see #1), you
can download Innov8 by following the instructions at:
http://www.ibm.com/innov8
9.
Note: We request that you do not provide this link directly
to students, but instead distribute the zip file and instructions
using your own means.
10. Navigate to the down-loaded zip file. Right-click on it and
click Extract All… and use the Compressed Folders Extraction
Wizard to extract the contents of the zip file.
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11. Find the extracted setup.exe file and double-click to invoke the Innov8 InstallShield Wizard.
12.
Click Next on the InstallShield welcome screen.
13. Accept the terms of the IBM license agreement and click
Next.
14. Click Next to install to the selected folder, or click Change
to install to a different folder.
15.
Click Install to begin the installation.
16. Click Yes to accept the Microsoft DirectX Software License Terms.
17.
Click Finish to exit the InstallShield Wizard.
18. The install process should create a shortcut on your Windows Desktop. Click the shortcut or navigate to where Innov8 has been installed, find INNOV8.exe, and double-click
to launch the game.
19. If a shortcut is not automatically created on your desktop,
to expedite launching in the future, right-click on INNOV8.exe and click Create Shortcut, then drag the Shortcut
to INNOV8.exe file to your desktop. As long as you install future copies of Innov8 in the same location, the same shortcut
should work.
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It is possible to run Innov8 in full screen mode. We do not recommend full screen mode at this time, as performance is slower and can result in situations where you ‘lose’ your cursor.
However, if you want to test it or just see how it looks, you can
go to Start > Run, click Browse to locate the INNOV8.exe file,
and then add the switch “/fullscreen” (without the quotes) after
the path/file name. Then click OK to launch the game.Innov8
2.0 Learning Objectives, Game Scenario Synopsis, Activities and Discussion Points
This section provides the learning objectives, game scenario
synopsis, and suggested activities and discussion points for use
in both an academic and training environment.
Upon successfully completing the game and subsequent classroom activities and discussion points, the student should be
able to:
1. Understand the basic business process management
lifecycle, from process discovery and modeling through
process monitoring and management.
2. Understand additional key business process management
terminology and concepts
Learning Objective 1: Understanding the Business Process Management (BPM) Lifecycle
The Innov8 storyline and game flow are meant to portray the
progression of the game’s main character through and around
key activities over the life of a virtual process improvement project… and hence through the stages of the BPM Lifecycle:
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BPM Lifecycle
Activity
Game Level 1
Game Level 2
Game Level 3
Understanding the As-Is
Business Process
Building the To-Be Business
Process
Monitoring and Managing the New Business
Process
BPM Lifecycle Over- “BPM 101” video shown on
the large screen in the Level
view
1 entry area illustrates and
explains the BPM lifecycle
at a high level
Prioritizing Process
Improvement Projects
Process Discovery
Opening Cinematic: Mike
provides Logan with a
Component Business Model
Heat Map to guide the
process improvement effort
Logan obtains an existing
process map from the
computer on Stavros’ desk.
Stella helps Logan understand how the As-Is process
has changed.
Logan discovers data to
populate the process model:
- KPI’s from Operations
- Headcount levels from HR
- Labor costs from Finance
- Call statistics from Operations
As data is collected, Logan
incorporates it into the As-Is
model. (Player can view by
clicking Net > Model)
Process Model Construction
Logan initially imports a
process map
Stella helps Logan create a
new model by dragging
and dropping elements into
process model swim lanes.
Logan selects design elements that match stated
requirements.
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BPM Lifecycle
Activity
Game Level 1
Game Level 2
Game Level 3
Understanding the As-Is
Business Process
Building the To-Be Business
Process
Monitoring and Managing the New Business
Process
Logan participates in
global collaboration to
collect To-Be process requirements from colleagues.
Process RequirementsGathering
Sharon shares input on
process issues goldcustomer input on current
process issues
Process Analysis
Logan finds a proposal on
Virtual Agent (VA) technology which contains analysis
of potential VA effectiveness.
Logan uses simulation to
analyze the performance of
the As-Is model and validate it against empirical
data.
Process Design
Colleagues provide Logan
with information that they
have derived through their
own analysis:
Logan uses simulation to
analyze use cases and answer “what-if” questions
from Mike.
Logan can review and analyze process metrics within
the KPI VIEW, to determine
necessary process adjustments.
Logan publishes simulation
results to colleagues to
garner validation and
feedback.
Logan selects design elements that match stated
requirements.
Logan publishes step-bystep model refinements to
garner feedback.
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BPM Lifecycle
Activity
Game Level 1
Game Level 2
Game Level 3
Understanding the As-Is
Business Process
Building the To-Be Business
Process
Monitoring and Managing the New Business
Process
Sam and Tomas mention
various implementation
tasks during global collaboration.
Staged implementation of
improvements occurs as
Business Rules, Knowledge
Base, Virtual Agent technology, and customer interfaces are introduced separately over time.
Process Implementa- The As-Is process has altion and Deployment ready been deployed
when Logan is first introduced to the situation.
Sam refers to implementation and deployment in first
interaction with Logan.
In IT, Logan (optionally) discovers software product
boxes for tools used by IT to
implement and deploy
processes.
Logan (optionally) discovers
Business Process Execution
Language (BPEL) diagram
on whiteboard within IT
Process Monitoring
Logan finds KPI’s during (optional) interaction with Sharon and posted on wall
within Operations.
Logan can monitor process
effectiveness through the
HOLISTIC VIEW within the
Nerve Center User Interface
(UI).
Logan can review “realtime” Key Performance Indicators within the KPI VIEW.
Logan receives “real-time”
process alerts.
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BPM Lifecycle
Activity
Game Level 1
Game Level 2
Game Level 3
Understanding the As-Is
Business Process
Building the To-Be Business
Process
Monitoring and Managing the New Business
Process
Process Management
Sam mentions dynamic
business rules capability
during collaboration on
routing schemes.
Logan adjusts business rules
to modify process flow dynamically.
Logan adjusts human resource levels.
Logan makes investment
decisions regarding Virtual
Agent technology.
Logan can switch in-flight
workload between partners.
Continuous Improvement and Optimization
Mike reconvenes the
global collaboration team
to consider feedback from
gold customers and make
further process improvements
Mike sees the need for continued process refinement
after the initial To-Be model
is put into production.
Suggested Activities:
1. Discuss the reasoning behind decisions made in the
game.
2. Discuss possible resource allocations as a group, and try
running through game again with levels decided by consensus.
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Learning Objective 2: Glossary of BPM-Related Terminology
Innov8 introduces the student to a number of terms and phrases associated with Business Process Management:
Word or Phrase
Activity
Alert
Architect
Definition
Context within Innov8
Mentioned by Sam during the Drag &
A unit of work performed in a business Drop tutorial and by Stella as she describes how the process really works.
process. Sub-processes, tasks, and
services are examples of activities.
In the context of BPM, an automatic
notification from the process server
that a significant event has happened or a key threshold has been
reached.
The panel in the upper right of the Level
3 Nerve Center monitor screen shows
“real-time” process alerts.
In the context of IT, 1) (verb) to map
available hardware, software, message protocols, etc, against application or process requirements, in an
effort to meet key metrics around performance, security, budget, etc. 2)
(noun) a specialized role within the
software development community
that concerns itself with the above.
Architecting processes is mentioned in
the BPM video that plays on the screen
in the Level 1 entry area.
“As-Is” Process Model A model of a business process as it
exists currently, prior to process improvement efforts.
In the Level 2 Collaboration exercise,
Logan meets Tomas, Lead IT Architect
Mentioned by Sam when Logan first
meets her, and again by Mike at the
beginning of the Level 2 Collaboration
meeting.
Business Agility
The ability of a business to respond
At beginning of the Level 2 Collaborarapidly to marketplace dynamics,
tion meeting, Mike indicates he is seekwithout delay due to required IT infra- ing greater Business Agility.
structure changes
Business Analyst
A specialist who analyzes business
At the beginning of game play, Stavros
needs and problems, consults with
introduces himself as “Business Analyst
users and stakeholders to identify op- Extraordinaire”.
portunities for improving business return through information technology,
and transforms requirements into a
technical form.
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Word or Phrase
Definition
Business Architecture “The grouping of business functions
and related business objects into clusters (“business domains”) over which
meaningful accountability can be
taken” (Wikipedia)
Business Process
Any activity or set of activities performed within a company or organization. In the context of modeling
software, a process is a progressively
continuing procedure consisting of a
series of activities that are systematically directed toward a particular result or end.
Context within Innov8
Mike provides Logan with a “Business
Architecture Heat Map” during the
opening cinematic.
Once game play begins, the player
can view AFTER Inc.’s Business Architecture by clicking Net>Heat Map
Mike introduces the term in the Opening Cinematic as he gives Logan her
mission.
A definition and illustration are provided
within the BPM movie shown on the
screen in the entry area of Level 1.
A BPEL diagram appears on a whiteBusiness Process Exe- A business process modeling language used by IT for the formal speci- board on the rear left wall in the main IT
cution Language
fication of business processes and
room.
(BPEL)
business interaction protocols. BPEL is
an executable language that orchestrates actions; for example, when to
send or wait for messages. BPEL extends the basic Web services interaction model to support Business-toBusiness exchanges.
Business Process Man- A structured, often cross-functional
approach - combining management
agement (BPM)
methods with information technology
- to improving business processes over
time or adapting them to meet new
customer or market needs.
Mike introduces the term in the Opening Cinematic as he gives Logan her
mission.
A definition and illustration are provided
within the BPM movie shown on the
screen in the entry area of Level 1.
Referred to and illustrated within the
Business Process Man- The lifecycle of managementinitiated activities that lead to contin- BPM movie shown on the screen in the
agement Lifecycle
uous process improvement over time. entry area of Level 1.
You architect and build a base process, implement the process, observe
and analyze process performance,
and then make changes to improve
the process. And then you repeat the
cycle, over and over, until the process
is eventually retired.
Business Process Mod- An abstract or conceptual represen- First mentioned by Sam when meeting
tation of a business process usually
Logan.
el
developed for understanding, analyzing, improving, or replacing the process being represented. A model can
Page 14 of 34
Word or Phrase
Definition
Context within Innov8
include representations of activities,
relationships, information flows, and
constraints.
Business Rules
In the context of BPM, a programming device by which business strategies are implemented and automatically enforced by the application or
Process Server. Modern BPM systems
often allow the Line of Business to
modify business rules “on the fly”
without having to modify the underlying IT infrastructure.
CIO (Chief Information A commonly used job title for the
highest-ranking executive who overOfficer)
sees the information technology
group within an enterprise.
Collaboration
Connection
Business Rules are mentioned first by
Sam during the Level 2 Collaboration,
as a means to route calls to Partners
under certain conditions.
When Logan first meets Sam, Sam indicates that the CIO has mandated the
use of the modeling software Logan will
use.
“A structured, recursive process
where two or more people work together by building consensus and
sharing knowledge in an intellectual
endeavor toward a common goal
which is typically creative in nature.
Collaboration does not require leadership and can even bring better results through decentralization and
egalitarianism.” (Wikipedia)
Collaboration is first mentioned by Sharon if/when Logan meets her in the
Level 1 entry area.
A link between two elements in a
process map or diagram. Connections are typically used to specify the
chronological sequence of activities
in a process.
Mentioned by Sam in the Drag and
Drop tutorial. Then, as Logan builds the
As-Is model, we see the model elements auto-connect.
She and Mike co-host the “Global Collaboration” meeting that is the basis for
Level 2.
Connections also appear in various
model diagrams in the BPM video and
throughout Levels 1, 2, and 3.
During the Collaboration, Mike asks his
Core Activities (a.k.a. Strategic business capabilities that
must
be
performed
well,
in
order
for
team to identify non-core activities that
core competencies)
the business to thrive. Businesses often can be minimized.
seek synergy with one another, by
outsourcing their own non-core activities to external partners who view the
very same activities as their core activities.
Dashboard
In the context of IT, a business management tool used to visually ascertain the status (or "health") of a business process or enterprise via key performance indicators.
The monitor screen that Logan sees in
the Level 3 Nerve Center (with its KPI
panel) is representative of a business
dashboard.
Page 15 of 34
Word or Phrase
Decision Symbol
Definition
A process element that routes an input to one of several alternative outgoing paths, depending on its condition. A decision is like a question that
determines the exact set of activities
to perform during a process run.
Questions might include "What type
of order?" and "How will the order be
shipped?"
Context within Innov8
The “decision” symbol is defined and
first used during the Drag and Drop
challenge in Level1.
It also appears in model diagrams in the
BPM video and throughout Levels 2 and
3.
Flexible Infrastructure An IT infrastructure that has been ar- Mike suggests in the Level 2 Collaborachitected specifically to provide busi- tion that proposed changes are resultness agility - capable of responding
ing in a more Flexible Infrastructure.
dynamically to both planned and
unplanned business events.
“Heat Map”
“Import”
In the context of Component Business
Modeling, a graphical representation
of data wherein the concentration of
multiple factors under investigation is
illustrated by a corresponding concentration of colors in the model. A
heat map can be used to identify the
greatest opportunities for reducing
costs, delivering competitive advantage, or other factors.
Mike provides Logan with a “Business
Architecture Heat Map” during the
opening cinematic.
To bring a model design – created
within one tool – into a second tool,
thereby saving time and reducing
human errors due to re-keying. For
example, a model developed by a
Business Analyst may be imported into
development or integration tooling
used by IT.
Near the end of the Level 2 Collaboration, Sam indicates she will import Logan’s To-Be model into tooling used by
IT.
Key Performance Indi- A significant measurement used to
track performance against a business
cators (KPI’s)
objective. A key performance indicator has a target or ranges, or both, to
measure the improvement or deterioration in the performance of an activity that is critical to the business.
Once game play begins, the player
can view AFTER Inc.’s Business Architecture by clicking Laptop>Files>Heat Map
First mentioned by Sharon if/when Logan meets her in the Level 1 entry area.
Later, Logan finds AFTER Inc Call Center
KPI’s posted on a wall in Operations.
Knowledge Base
(a.k.a. Repository)
“A special kind of database for
knowledge management. It provides
the means for the computerized collection, organization, and retrieval of
knowledge.” (Wikipedia)
Mentioned by Sam during the Level 2
Collaboration as a means to collect
and store call information for later retrieval.
Merge Symbol
A process element that recombines
multiple processing paths, typically
after a decision. A merge brings sev-
A “merge” symbol is defined and first
used during the Drag and Drop challenge in Level1.
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Word or Phrase
Definition
Context within Innov8
eral alternative paths together.
Portal
“A Web framework for integrating in- The monitor screen that Logan sees in
formation, applications, and process- the Level 3 Nerve Center is representaes across organizational boundaries.” tive of a business portal.
(Wikipedia)
Process Automation
A process that businesses use to con- In Level 1 play, Logan may discover a
tain costs, by deploying and integrat- proposal for Virtual Agent technology
ing software applicationss and cutthat automates call-handling.
ting labor wherever possible.
During the Level 2 Collaboration, Mike
asks if it is not possible to automate the
handling of certain calls.
Process Deployment
The actions that IT takes, to move a
process from the development and
test environment into production.
Deployment is mentioned in the BPM
video that plays on the screen in the
Level 1 entry area.
In the main IT room, Logan may examine product boxes for software that AFTER Inc apparently uses to “deploy and
run business processes.
During the Level 2 Collaboration, Sam
Process Implementa- The actions that IT takes, to convert
the business process model into work- mentions implementing Virtual Agent
tion
ing application code that runs on
and Knowledge Base technologies.
specific computer hardware and
software.
Process Improvement 1. A proactive set of management
activities aimed at identifying, analyzing, adapting and improving existing
business processes to meet specific
goals and objectives. 2. An incremental result of such activity.
During the BPM video shown on the
screen in the Level 1 entry area, process
improvement is mentioned as a basic
objective of BPM.
Process Innovation
A change in a process which results in
a radical shift in process metrics
and/or structure, typically in response
to evolutionary changes in the marketplace.
During the BPM video shown on the
screen in the Level 1 entry area, innovation is mentioned as a means to dramatically reduce the cost and time of
business adaptation.
Process Map (a.k.a.
Process Diagram)
A diagram that depicts the activities
and decisions that are performed
within a business process and the order (chronological time sequence) in
which they are performed. Process
maps are augmented with various
element attributes, such as costs and
durations, to yield more comprehensive process models to support simulations and other process analysis
tasks.
When Sam first meets Logan Sam advises to look for someone in Operations
who may have a Process Map to use as
a starting point.
Logan retrieves one of several process
maps from the computer on Stavros’
desk.
Page 17 of 34
Word or Phrase
Process Model
Process Model Elements
Definition
A typically visual representation of a
real business process that is composed of the individual steps or activities that make up the process, contains the conditions that dictate when
they occur, and identifies the resources required for its performance
or run.
Context within Innov8
First mentioned in the BPM video that
plays on the screen in the Level 1 entry
way, and again by Sam when Logan
first meets her.
Distinct, self-contained units of a busi- Sam discusses the various model eleness process map or model. Examples ments during the tutorial for the Drag
of elements are tasks, decisions,
and Drop exercise.
merges, and connections.
Process Server
Specialized software platform for executing and “choreographing” business processes during run-time (i.e. in
production).
During the Level 2 Collaboration, Tomas
mentions the Process Server as the
group discusses dynamic selection of
services.
“Publishing”
In the context of process modeling,
the notion of posting a copy of a
modeling project or some of its elements to a server for review and reference by process stakeholders.
First mentioned by Sam when Logan first
meets her.
A capability – typically external to an
organization - that can be utilized repeatedly within the processes of that
organization, using a prescribed interface. Services typically implement
functionalities most humans would
recognize as services, such as checking an individual’s credit history, or
placing an airline ticket order. Services that can be invoked over the
World Wide Web are referred to as
Web services.
Logan mentions services in the context
of SOA if/when she finds the book in the
Level 1 entry area.
Services Registry
A software facility for storing basic
information about services, including
how to interact with the service, who
has access rights to the service, and
which applications currently use the
service.
Mentioned by Tomas, during the Level 2
Collaboration, as a mechanism for enabling dynamic service selection.
Simulation
A key analytical capability providing
faster-than-real-time execution of a
process in a virtual environment. Simulation enables organizations to observe how a process is likely to perform in response to variations of inputs
to the process. Simulation output can
First mentioned by Sam when Logan first
meets her.
Service
Then, Logan has to publish her intermediate results during the Collaboration
meeting.
She mentions services again if/when
she finds the Service Lifecycle or the
BPEL diagram in the main IT room.
Then, Sam and Tomas mention services
several times in the Level 2 Collaboration.
Logan uses simulation to validate the
As-Is model.
Logan uses it again to explore To-Be
Page 18 of 34
Word or Phrase
Definition
provide detailed information regarding resource usage levels and the results of cost and cycle-time calculations.
SOA (Services Orient- A business-centric IT architectural approach that supports integrating busied Architecture)
ness as linked, repeatable business
tasks, or services. SOA helps users
build composite applications, which
are applications that draw upon
functionality from multiple sources
within and beyond the enterprise to
support end-to-end business processes.
SOA Governance
SOA governance is an extension of IT
governance that focuses on the
lifecycle of services and composite
applications in an organization’s service-oriented architecture (SOA). Key
functions of SOA governance are 1)
to define decision rights for the development, deployment and management of new services, and 2) to
monitor, capture and communicate
results.
Context within Innov8
model use cases during the Level 2 Collaboration.
The book lying on one of the tables in
the Level 1 entry area is titled “SOA and
Web 2.0 – The New Language of Business”.
Logan’s corresponding “thought dialogue” expands on the SOA acronym.
Mentioned in Logan’s “thought dialogue” if/when she finds the Services
Lifecycle screen saver in the main IT
room.
When Logan first meets Sam, Sam indiStandards-Based Tool- The notion that some tooling implements and enforces accepted indus- cates that the CIO has mandated the
ing
try standards – including protocols
use of standards-based tooling.
and user interface elements - that
enable interoperability and exchange of information between tools,
and facilitate rapid assimilation of the
tooling by new users.
“Swim Lane”
Task
Derived from an analogy to lanes in a
swimming pool, a visually separated
row in a process flow diagram that
groups all the activities in the process
that are performed by a particular
combination of roles, resources, organizations, or locations.
Swim Lanes are explained by Sam during the Drag and Drop tutorial and illustrated during the Drag and Drop challenge.
The lowest unit of work (activity) rep- The “task” symbol is defined and used
resented in a process model diagram. during the Drag and Drop challenge.
The symbol is also used in process diagrams throughout Levels 1, 2 and 3.
“To-Be” Process Model A model of a business process as it is
intended to look in the future, following process improvement efforts.
Mentioned by Sam when Logan first
meets her, and again by Mike at the
beginning of the Level 2 Collaboration
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Word or Phrase
Definition
Context within Innov8
meeting.
Specialized software for modeling,
designing and building applications
or entire business processes.
First mentioned by Mike in the Opening
Cinematic when he tells Logan to acquire needed tooling from Sam. Sam
later explains the function of the tooling
Logan will use.
Validation
In the context of business process
modeling, ensuring that a model is
correct syntactically and that it accurately reflects the process as it is or as
it is expected to be. Automatic syntax
checking (validation) is often provided within the modeling tooling. But
determining model accuracy requires
inspection by true process experts
and/or comparison of simulated results to empirical data.
When Logan first meets Sam, Sam advises Logan to make sure she validates
the As-Is model with a true process expert.
Web 2.0
A set of “second generation” webbased technologies, communities
and hosted services — such as socialnetworking sites, wikis, etc — which
aim to facilitate collaboration and
sharing between users. (Adapted
from Wikipedia)
The book lying on one of the tables in
the Level 1 entry area is titled “SOA and
Web 2.0 – The New Language of Business”
“Wiring”
Connecting services together within a
process or composite application.
Some BPM tooling enables the Integration Developer to “wire” services
to one another through a graphical
user interface - connecting the output interface of one activity with the
input interface of the next activity
within the process sequence.
Logan mentions wiring in her thought
dialogue if/when she finds the BPEL diagram in the main IT room.
Tooling
Later, Sam mentions wiring services during the Level 2 Collaboration.
Learning Objective 2: Additional Learning Points Illustrated within Innov8 2.0
Learning Point
Successful implementation of BPM
usually requires a strong partnership between the Line of Business
and IT.
Context within Innov8
Logan finds a poster describing the partnership between business
and IT in the main IT room, and wonders if it is all “just fluff”. Then, in
the Level 2 Collaboration, IT and the business work together to recommend and eventually implement needed process improvements. IT provides the tooling and implementation support, while
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Learning Point
Context within Innov8
the LoB supplies process expertise.
To help maximize ROI, process
improvement efforts should be
guided by some overarching
strategy, based on methodologies
like Component Business Modeling hot-spot analysis.
In the Opening Cinematic, Mike provides Logan with a Heat Map
which assesses various business areas with respect to opportunities
for lowering costs, gaining revenue, etc.
The point is not that a specific methodology must be used, but rather that an organization should have some rational approach to
prioritizing potential improvement projects.
There are many ways to help re- Logan and AFTER Inc manage risk in a number of ways, including:
duce risk during a business pro- Executive sponsorship from Mike; recruitment of Logan to drive the
project (she supposedly is uniquely qualified for her mission); group
cess improvement project.
collaboration during process re-design; use of simulation to test ToBe model variants; etc.
Sam advises Logan to look for someone in Operations who might
You don't always have to start
from scratch. Often there is some- have an existing process map which can be used as a starting
one who can provide a helpful point.
starting point.
You may get erroneous and even
intentionally misleading inputs
from some individuals and you
have to be able to sort that out
somehow.
Logan obtains a process map from Stavros, a self-described “Business Analyst extraordinaire.” But Logan learns from Call Center guru
that the map is out-of-date. Logan might have guessed there
would be problems with Stavros’ map, given his poor attitude towards work and his lack of eagerness to help Logan in her quest.
You should always validate As-Is This is a corollary to the point above.
process flows with real experts,
The point is, you can't always trust supposed experts who may have
i.e. people that know the real
personal agendas, nor information sources like procedures manuals
business flow first-hand.
that are often obsolete and may never have been accurate in the
first place. Too often, “current” process maps portray processes as
they used to be, or are thought to be, or as they should be, rather
than as they are.
Successful modeling typically re- Logan puts this critical skill to use in the Drag and Drop exercise of
quires translating verbal or text Level 1 and the Collaboration exercise of Level 2.
requirements into representative
diagram segments and/or elements.
A standard set of modeling symbols helps to communicate effectively & to share design information between tools seamlessly.
Sam stresses that the modeling software is standards-based and
mandated by the CIO, partly because it enables better communications. Stella leads Logan through the Drag and Drop exercise
where standard symbols are used to construct the As-Is model.
Then, in the Level 2 Collaboration, individuals from all areas of the
business are able to quickly understand model changes which Logan has made.
In the real world, there is no one standard set of symbols used by all
modeling software vendors, although the industry appears to be
moving in that direction with the growing acceptance of Business
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Learning Point
Context within Innov8
Process Management Notation (BPMN) – a standard proposed and
maintained by the Object Management Group.
There are typically many varia- Sam makes this point with Logan, following the Drag and Drop chalbles (resource levels, event arrival lenge. Logan must visit all four departments within Level 1, in search
of data to populate the model.
rates, etc), within the process,
which must be specified correctly
if the model is to reflect reality.
The better the inputs, the more
reliable the outputs.
Best practice usually suggests val- This only makes sense, because the To-Be model is typically an adidating the As-Is model before aptation of the To-Be. And validating the As-Is can build needed
embarking on the To-Be process. credibility in the face of difficult process changes.
Logan validates the model flow with process expert Stella, and then
uses simulation to validate the complete model against empirical
data (KPI’s).
Collaboration can greatly accel- The Collaboration meeting of Level 2 brings together individuals
erate process improvement and from several areas of the business, each contributing their own perspectives, expertise, ideas and values.
innovation.
Flexible business rules make a In the Level 2 Collaboration, the team decides to implement busiprocess more dynamic and re- ness rules to control call flow, allowing Logan to react to new inforsponsive to changing conditions. mation and “tweak” performance, in response to changing arrival
rates and call mix.
Simulation can help identify bot- In the nerve center level, Logan can adjust the business rules and
tlenecks prior to implementation. simulate prior to implementation.
There is no such thing as an “optimal” process because, in theory,
there is always some way to reduce costs, shorten durations, etc
for particular process activities.
In this case, for example, AFTER Inc. could always spend more
money on call-taker education, seek a new business partner who is
willing to undercut the prices set by Partner 1, or invest more money
in Knowledge Base and Virtual Agent software to achieve greater
efficiencies.
For a given business process and In the Level 3 Nerve Center challenge, there are many combinascenario (use case), depending tions of business rule setting and resource levels which will result in
on the objectives there can be KPI values that meet Mike’s objectives.
multiple “good”, "right", or “acceptable” solutions.
Suggested Activities:
1. Complete each of the puzzles in the game in teams of 2-3
participants with one game “driver”.
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After each puzzle, discuss learning points as listed above
Tips for Playing Innov8
1. You can reposition the game window after the game
launches. When you click Start Game the Opening Cinematic will play (1 minute and 40 seconds).
2.
If you have already played the game and want to skip
the introduction, you can right-click during the Cinematic to
end it and go directly to game play.
3.
When game play begins, note the NET button in the lower
right of the UI. You can click to view the assets you have collected (initially, only the Heat Map that CEO Mike has provided). You can also view your To-Do List, which will be automatically updated as you progress. So in theory, if you forget what your next mission is, you check your to-do list.
4.
There is also a Menu button which includes player control
options. Go to Menu>Options>Controls. The Menu section
will eventually enable the player to Save/Restart, but that
function is not yet activated.
5.
Below are repeated the key assignments for player controls. I find it easiest to control movement using the “w” and
“s” keys with my left index finger while controlling direction
using my right hand fingers on the left and right arrow keys.
Note that we may change this navigation scheme later, as
our use of “s” for jogging forward is considered non-standard
w = up arrow = “walk forward”
s = shift+up arrow = “jog forward”
Ctrl + s = “run high speed forward”
d = right arrow = “turn right”
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a = left arrow = “turn left”
space bar = “jump”
6.
As you approach a character, you will automatically engage him/her when you get within their “zone”.
7.
When you come near a “Point of Interest”, you will see an
option to “Examine” it more closely. Just click the message
on the screen. “Thought dialogue” appears as Logan examines each item.
8.
As you move through the game, you can adjust the camera angle/direction by right clicking and moving the mouse
simultaneously. This will allow you to see into cubicles and
peek around corners but can sometimes be difficult to direct
precisely.
9.
The UI for the drag and drop challenge with Stella has
been improved. The idea is to create the model to look like
the image below, one column at a time, starting from the
left.
Stella gives a hint, a column will be highlighted, and you
point, click and drop the appropriate shape(s) into the column. You select from the choice of labels provided. You
have to click “Next” to move to the next column. After the
last activity, the model transforms and you are off to the next
challenge. If the player doesn’t get a column right after a
few tries, Stella takes over and completes that column, and
you advance to the next column.
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Correct Answer.
10. Following the drag and drop, you have to locate and download four assets to advance. We plan to introduce some character interactions into this part of the game, but in the meantime,
 Performance data (KPIs) are posted on a wall as you enter Operations.
 Call Statistics are in a spreadsheet on a desk in IT
 Resource Levels (HC) are in the left-rear cubical in Human
Resources.
 Resource Costs are on a desk in the front-right cubical in
Finance.
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11.
Level 2 (Collaboration: Follow the dialogue by clicking
“Continue”, when prompted by Mike, use the large up and
down arrows scroll vertically and select the appropriate design
element. Press COMMIT.
12. SIM LEVEL: The objective is to get both KPI gauges at or below target values.
It is critical to click on the BLUE BALLOONS for more information.
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In this first scenario, the power outages has affected your partner and you need
to balance the calls across your own internal queues. By distributing the difficult
and average calls to the high skilled workers as well as a small portion of the low
easy calls, you maximize output. By studying the distribution of avg call service
time between the high and low skilled employees the most optimal distribution of
calls is shown below:
First Scenario: Correct Answer.
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In this challenge you are now introducing a Business Partner whose employees
work out of their homes. By clicking on the blue balloons for more information
you can get a better understanding of the costs and throughput of the employees. In this case, high skilled employees should again handle all the hard calls
and most of the average calls, whilst sending all your easy calls to the new BP.
Definitely go paperless to minimize carbon footprint.
Second Scenario: Correct Answer.
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In this scenario you are introducing a new product. Whenever there is a
new product introduced, there will probably be a considerable amount
of new calls of people who need help. You are also introducing a new
business model where you would like the agents to be able to cross-sell
and up-sell products and services to customers. That being said, it is more
cost-effective to leverage your highly skilled employees who are better
trained at cross-selling and upselling than their lower-skilled counterparts.
The Virtual agent handles many of the easiest calls automatically.
Third Scenario: Correct Answer
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These solution combinations will give you positive or ‘win’ situations for
each event.
Customer Service Event 1
High Skill Employees: 15
Difficult Calls: 100%
Average Calls: 100%
Easy Calls: 40%
Low Skill Employees: 6
Difficult Calls: 0%
Average Calls: 0%
Easy Calls: 60%
Customer Service Event 2
High Skill Employees: 12
Difficult Calls: 100%
Average Calls: 100%
Easy Calls: 0%
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Low Skill Employees: 2
Difficult Calls: 0%
Average Calls: 0%
Easy Calls: 30%
Partner
Difficult Calls: 0%
Average Calls: 0%
Easy Calls: 70%
Go Paperless
Customer Service Event 3
High Skill Employees: 10
Difficult Calls: 100%
Average Calls: 100%
Easy Calls: 35%
Low Skill Employees: 4
Difficult Calls: 0%
Average Calls: 0%
Easy Calls: 65%
13. If you get stuck or have any questions, go to our discussion
forums at
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/groups/service/html/commu
nityview?communityUuid=21276fb8-a2f7-428e-9a3b-e1d6d8484dc3
BlueWorks
BPM BlueWorks provides business users an easy on‐ramp to
business process management (BPM) with cloud‐based process
and strategy tools. Business Leaders and Business Analysts can
create, share, and collaborate ‐ leveraging pre‐built BPM content and contributions from BPM experts and users around the
world to move quickly from strategy mapping to process execution. Now that you have played INNOV8 and are familiar
with the As‐Is and To‐Be Customer Service models from the
game, you should be able to recognize these same models
which we have made available to you here in BPM BlueWorks.
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Feel free to login, modify and simulate on these same models
available here within BlueWorks.
BPM BlueWorks allows you to work with various asset types:
 Define a business strategy using Strategy Maps
 Design a business structure or what the business does, using Capability Maps
 Design a process, how the business performs its capabilities, using Process Maps
For the After Inc. Customer Service scenario, a capability map
is provided which describes at a high level some of the business
capabilities of the customer service domain. These would be
capabilities that exists irrespective of the business processes
and business structure that provides the capabilities.
Next, you’ll find a process map that corresponds to the starting
point of the Customer Service scenario in Innov8 2.0. We’ve
used the term “To‐be” to denote that this represents the flow of
the process before we improved the process via the gameplay. It is common when applying BPM methods to first
understand the current process in order to help gain the understanding and insights to find improvements.
The last two assets provided at this time are a strategy map
and a process map that represents the final process as it
looked when completing the gameplay to implement process
improvements. We’ve used the term “To‐be” to denote that the
assets represent where we want to take the “as‐is” process.
The strategy map helps us document organizational strengths
and weaknesses, as well as goals and associated actions to
take to realize our goals. Along with these, we can document
measures so that we’ll know how we want to measure and
track business effectiveness.
BPM BlueWorks provides the tools needed to view, modify, and
create brand new assets of any of these
types.
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 BlueWorks INNOV8 Asset Manual
 INNOV8 Maps on BlueWorks
Want More?
Let our Learning Innovation Practice and Center of Excellence
help you transform education and training programs with 21st
century “Serious Games” and other Learning 2.0 and 3D Immersion strategies within our patented optimized blended learning
model and method.
In our experience, a well-crafted and designed “Serious
Game” like Innov8 2.0 combines the instructional power of scenario-based role play simulations with the engaging appeal of
quest-and-mastery-based video games designed for single
players (stand-alone interactive program) or multiple players
(team(s) engaged at the same time in 2D, 2.5D and/or a 3D
delivery format). “Serious Games” place learners in a graphically-rich simulated world of virtual characters (or avatars) engaged in a compelling storyline through which they:
 Achieve desirable goals and recognition of
achievement, or levels of mastery, for targeted, rolebased competencies (e.g., effective partnering,
team building, informed risk-taking, etc.)
 Exhibit the relevant behaviors and traits/attitudes
needed to address challenges and solve problems
 Practice and build targeted knowledge and skills
through the various levels of challenge (including 'fail
forward' learning through errors)
We also recognize that a successful Serious Game occurs in the
greater context of a curriculum or training program, and is dependent on addressing specific requirements and constraints,
including:
Page 33 of 34

Criticality of the targeted roles and competencies
for the curriculum or training program
 Complexity of the real-world environment and experiences to be simulated
 Budget and timeline for solution implementation
IBM’s Learning Development organization consists of a worldwide team of over 600 highly-skilled learning and technology
professionals with development teams located in 10 countries
across the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. Our Learning
Development teams use common processes, platforms and
tools to effectively support work on a 24x7 basis using a “Work
follows the Sun” approach in order to best accommodate customer requirements, timeline and budget for optimal blended
learning solutions.
To explore how you can incorporate learning innovations today, contact:
Dr. Janis Morariu, IBM Distinguished Enginer
Director, Learning Innovation Practice and Center of Excellence
jmorariu@us.ibm.com
1-877-289-5124
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