jfdeclercq.com

The TO-BE diagram aims at improving the business efficiency by for example automating certain tasks. The Business Process Modeling Notation is the standardized notation for such Process Diagrams. Once the process is modeled in BPMN it can be implemented using the Business Process Execution Language (BPEL).

BPMN seems to be the way to go to manage a company's business process.

So the question is : Is BPMN the panacea (a cure to all pains) for Business Process Management ?

I dont think so. Here is why...

If the BPMN approach sounds logical, it has nevertheless some drawbacks:

How to get non architects draw their processes, they prefer natural language = to talk about it. Drawing and agreeing the right process is a painful exercise in most companies.
Some of the Process Drawing tools like ARIS, MEGA, System Architect require some training before they can be properly used. They are perceived as complex.
BPMN diagram don't represent the reality. It's sometimes very difficult to draw the reality because there are numerous exceptions to the process (exceptions are the rule...)

Alternative approaches to BPMN are than very useful. One can find at least 2 types of alternatives : Middelware and Applications.

Middelware (other than BPEL Engines) allow businesses to manage their processes. Here are some examples:

Business Rules Engines allow to determine what is the best next step to be executed in a process (decision), or determine how an activity should be performed (planning). At IBM this would be the iLOG BRMS.
Business Activity Monitoring and Complex Events Processing allow to monitor a process though relevant events (product purchased, payment completed...). At IBM we implement this with Websphere Business Monitor and Websphere Business Events.
Business Intelligence tools allow to create reports and dashboards which help Business Managers to lead their teams to execute the processes in the right way.

Companies have also been managing their business processes without modeling them. They have purchased applications or frameworks which contained ready to use processes:

Horizontal Applications like ECM solutions include standard document flows for publication and approval of information
Vertical Applications Packages like SAP, Temenos T24 or PTC Windchill include pre-canned business processes that "just" need to be customized to the company needs.
Industry Specific Frameworks include Business Processes. For example IBM proposes the Insurance Process Acceleration Framework. I the Media sector, IBM proposes the Media Hub.

The drawbacks and the alternatives of BPMN, demonstrate that BPMN isn't the Panacea for Business Process Management.

So, If you are interested in BPM, I would recommend you the following :

If you want to be closer to the business?

When thinking about BPM

Don?t think immediately BPMN, AS-IS and TO-BE

Rather, think

Natural Language
Business Intelligence
Business Events
Business Activities

Go to the page | Comment | 844 | Thursday 22 Oct 2009, 17:11

Bordeau-Bayern Mireille says 1-1, I say 2-1

Go to the page | Comment | 842 | Wednesday 21 Oct 2009, 19:14

Madrid-Milan tonight, Mireille predicts 3-1, I say 3-2.

Go to the page | Comment | 843 | Wednesday 21 Oct 2009, 19:12

Some HTML for the WII

What to do when there is nothing on TV ? Play with your WII.

I did that yesterday but not as you would expect.

I tried to develop web pages for my WII opera browser in order to:

play web radios on the WII. I developped the page thanks to some hacking pages but... on the same pages they explain there is a memory leak in the WII flash player that makes that the music stops after a few minutes. I also tried http://www.wiihear.com/ but it seems also to suffer the memory management problem.
Display photos on the WII. This works great thanks to Picasaweb.

I also tried iGoogle and Netvibes and it works, except when there is too much Flash.

Too bad there is this Flash memory leak because otherwise the WII could become a really great platform. My experience is that much of the new technology seems to have some glitch somewhere.

I just hope Adobe and Nintendo will upgrade Opera with a new flash player soon.

Go to the page | Comment | 841 | Tuesday 20 Oct 2009, 21:52

Entreprise Modernization : Switching between Web Applications with JavaScript

Some IBM customers have a lot of assets on "older" (or shouls we say more mature) platforms as zSeries or iSeries. Traditionnally those applications have "green screens".

Rational Host Access Transformation Services allows to easilly convert those 5250 or 3270 screens into Web pages exposing exactly the same functionality.

This allows to extend the reach of the i or z code.

End users also have an easier way to switch between their different screens. They can do that by:

having several browsers and using ALT-TAB to switch between them
having a browser with Multi-tab (like FireFox or IE7)
toggle between web applications in a page using javascript and iFrames for instance

I have built a small demo to show the last possibility.

By showing or hiding a div containing an iframe, one can easilly navigate between different web apps and stay logged in and in context (the hidden iframe just stays on the same page, until i is shown again).

You can test it here in 2 different flavors:

Of course this is a very simple and cheap solution, the ultimate way to do this would be to use Lotus Mashup Center.

Go to the page | Comment | 840 | Tuesday 20 Oct 2009, 18:09

Entreprise Modernization with IBM HATS : Switching between Web Applications with JavaScript http://bit.ly/XRs5t

Go to the page | Comment | 839 | Tuesday 20 Oct 2009, 16:23

@lowett le site de Jean-Marc Morrandini ? http://bit.ly/1KXk6j

Go to the page | Comment | 838 | Monday 19 Oct 2009, 12:01

Si un #Twelge est un Twitter Belge, ok. Mais twelge veut dire autre chose en anglais...

Go to the page | Comment | 836 | Saturday 17 Oct 2009, 14:53

Older : Dans Paris à vélo... http://bit.ly/24K7tr via Blogasty09

|| >> September 2009 >>

October 2009