Business Process Management
Way Beyond Workflow
Roy Massie
Director
Enterprise Product Management
SunGard EXP
BPM - Way Beyond Workflow
Agenda
 What
does BPM look like?
 A Brief History of Business Process
Management
 BPM from an ECM Perspective
 BPM Benefits, Challenges and
Components
 Applications that are Enhanced by
BPM
Ex: Settling Overpayment Disputes
A Very Brief History of
Process Management

Wave 1: Industrial Revolution: Functional silos

Wave 2: 1980’s and 90’s BPR: Shake and bake

Wave 2.5: Workflow: Less code dependence

Wave 3: BPM: Big winners adapt processes
What is BPM?
Safe answer: Business Process Management
 Other names: Orchestration, POA…
 Entire organization is goal – some there now
 Serve the customer…Six Sigma, Kaizen, et al.
 Where are those V*#!o diagrams anyway?
 Tools for continuous improvement of process
 Monitor & maintain processes…consistently
 Mixing people and machines…more easily

Isn’t BPM Just Workflow?
Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve…but didn’t
 BPM –> M is for management
 Machines are people too
– Strong EAI component influences BPM
 Modeling, simulation
 Performance Dashboards are a natural
fit
 Empower BAs, reduce “baked-in” IT
processes
 BPM incorporates both workflow and EAI

Old Corporate Priority =
Efficiency
Goal is to Achieve Efficiency by Documenting,
Standardizing and Optimizing Business Processes
New Corporate Priority =
Efficiency and Compliance
Must be able to identify any document or data
– from anywhere in the workflow process – and
automatically retain or destroy based on
corporate guidelines
Some Flavors of Workflow in BPM


Predictable: BA designs the flow
– Rules engine/designer
Answer yes or no…
Statements and/or grids
– Graphical Process Designer
Flow cuts across/through organizational
landscape
Rules usually play a supporting role
Unpredictable: Circumstance dictates the flow
– Ad-hoc workflow
Preserve accountability at every stage
End customer can be told status no
matter how messy
Example of a rule…a good thing
Brief Demo
Example of a BPM engine…
 SunGard
EXP Process Director
Proforma Simulation
ProVision Integration – Staffing the “What If” Process
Proforma Staff “What-if” summary
Proforma Cost “What-if” summary
ProVision Integration – Export process to Process Director





ProVision and BPM Engine
are mutually independent,
but can interop
Analysts can create,
simulate in lab-environ
Export utility
sketches/updates PD map
for you
Sketch precisely matches
the process proven in
“What-if” simulator
Connect map to work
queues insuring
deployment of the
analyzed process
Barriers and Remedies for
Workflow/BPM Adoption
Start with a pilot, spread benefits organically

Cultural
changes
in the
organization
Locate
a process,
not just
a department
 Analysts,
analysts….analysts
 Find
all the process-thinkers
you already have
Who
has successfully
worked but
in multiple
areas?

Integration
is implied,
still not
Good
mid-managers often think this way
trivial
 Stay
close term
to standards,
use your
 Short
pressure
vs. vendors
invest in
 If necessary,
show a “near-death” experience
long term

BPM Engine Technology Options

Partner/Buy
– Experienced vendor
– Most are skilled in specific industries/processes, not all
– Most allow customization

Be aware and beware of BPM standards
– Several layers and competing standards
– BPMN (notation) has traction, a bit technical. Likely winner
of its niche
– BPEL (execution) popular but incomplete, good alternatives
exist

Build solution on your own
– Not from scratch !
– On top of jBPM, MS WWF, etc.
Recommended Reading for BPM
 Business
Process Management: The
Third Wave, Smith & Fingar
 Workflow Modeling Tools for Process
Improvement and Application
Development, Sharp & McDermott
 Workflow Handbook (2001-2005),
WfMC
 www.BPTrends.com (2005 BPM Suites
Rpt)
 www.brsilver.com