bpm model preserving strategy vs. model transforming strategy

Copyright 2009

Model Strategy:Model Strategy:Preserving vs. Preserving vs. TransformingTransforming

Keith SwensonTechnical Committee Chairman WfMCVice President of R&D Fujitsu Computer Systems

http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Keith D Swenson http://kswenson.wordpress.com/

Overview

• Definition of Model Strategy– Model Preserving Strategy– Model Transforming Strategy

• Tradeoffs– Analytics– Simulation– Error Correction– Performance

• Designing for Change• Process Ecosystem• Dynamic BPM


Three Kinds of Change

• Business Process Enactment: – the business process as it moves from the beginning to the

end of handling a single case. The process definition does not normally change here, only the process instance or context that records the state of a particular case changes.

• Business Process Lifecycle: – these are the changes that a business process goes through

from initial concept, to modeling, to integration, and finally to deployment into an enactment environment.

• Business Process Improvement: – the change to a business process that occurs over time

through repeated use of the business process lifecycle followed by analysis of how well that version of the business process worked.


Lifecycle Example – 3 Key Roles

A Business Process Analyst has insight into the business itself, and also has skills being able to model that process.

A Systems Engineer performs the work of integrating the process with the other systems in the organization.

In the enactment environment are Administrators and Users who interact with the running processes.

MODEL MODEL MODEL


Model Transforming Strategy

• Transformed between domains• optimized for that domain• can take advantages of specific capabilities

Often is dramatic change without any apparentcorrelation between the parts of the different models.


Model Preserving Strategy

Preserving means that the model remains substantially the same in all domains.


Analytics

Analytics provides informationabout how long each activity takes, how oftenbranches are takenin the execution environment

?

Analytic results on a transformed modelmay not be meaningful to the business user.


Simulation & Optimization

Simulation attempts to estimate how well a processwill run in real environment.

Optimization attempts to findthe best configuration.

Simulation results on the business model may not be valid or meaningful if the execution model is different.


Round-Trip Difficulties

?Ability to return to original model with all the extensions ofthe system engineer is not always possible.Transformed model does not always contain all the informationfrom the previous domain.

With Model Preserving Strategy round-trip is a given.


Agile Development

Get 100% of businessdomain work done…

Business and System work can be done at any timewithout any time gap. System engineer can suggestchanges to business model. They work together on the same model because it is preserved.

Get 100% of system domain work done.

Forces a “fast waterfall”

approach.


Error Resolution

If a process hits a businessproblem that was not anticipatedby the process, then a person must get involved to determinethe correct resolution to the problem.

?

If may be difficult for a business person to recognize the error situation, or to determine thecorrect rule modification, if the executing model is different from what they originally drew.


Optimization & Performance – Within Domain

Model leveragesbusinessperson skills.

Model leveragesengineering and

programmingskills.

Model canuse specialexecution

optimizations


Tradeoffs

• Model Transforming Strategy– Preferred by systems engineers and

useful for high performance execution.

• Model Preserving Strategy– Best if you want the business person to be

in control of the processes.

– Enables better simulation, optimization, analytics, error correction, round trip, and agile development of business processes.

– Brings business and process together.


Process Design Goals Vary

• Facilitators– someone who diagrams a business process that

uses people to do things that cannot be automated.

– the facilitator needs a process diagram that describes what the people do, not what the computer does.

• Automators– someone who is taking a manual business

process and is attempting to replace humans with computer systems.

– focuses on the inputs and outputs of human activity, and writes software to produce the same outputs automatically.

– a.k.a. Straight Thru Processing


Comparison

• Facilitator Diagram– Good for training participants on what they

have to do, and what others are doing– Shows Roles and Responsibilities

• Automator Diagram– Good for programmers / system

administrators to understand what the system is doing

– Shows what data is flowing where

• Both Diagrams Drawn with BPMN!


Inescapable Conclusions

• The way that you model a given process in BPMN depends upon the methodology you use, and the assumptions you make about the technology that will support the process.

• A given BPMN diagram can execute only on a process engine that corresponds to the assumptions that are built into the diagram.

• Yet, BPMN is still extremely valuable in giving people a common set of symbols.


Modeling for a Change

• For change to be easy– Representation must be “natural”– Conceptually matching what people do– Mimicking organizational structure, job

functions, and roles

• Transforming the diagram into a “reduced” list makes it hard to change– Can actually reduce Agility

• E.g.: a “map” vs. “directions”


Process Design Ecosystem

Vendor FVendor E

SOA DesignWorkflow Design

Vendor C Vendor DVendor BVendor A

Process Discovery Process Simulation

Process Execution

Process Modeling

Process Model Repository

Process Optimization

Process Execution

Executable Model Repository (e.g. XPDL)

Executable Model Repository (e.g. BPEL)

Discovery Ownership/Issue

Resources/Time

Goals/Strategies

BPMN BPMN BPMN BPMN


Process Design Ecosystem

Vendor FVendor E

SOA DesignWorkflow Design

Vendor C Vendor DVendor BVendor A

Process Discovery Process Simulation

Process Execution

Process Modeling

Process Model Repository

Process Optimization

Process Execution

Executable Model Repository (e.g. XPDL)

Executable Model Repository (e.g. BPEL)

Discovery Ownership/Issue

Resources/Time

Goals/Strategies

BPMN BPMN BPMN BPMN

Lifecycle (To Execution)


BPM Suite

TrendsS

truc

ture

d

Fle

xibl

e

Uns

truc

ture

d

EnterpriseIntegration

Workflow

Email

BPMOrchestration

HumanOriented

BPM

Social Networks

1990’s Today

?

Dynamic BPMCase Mgmt


Dynamic BPM Use Case: Fighting Fires

• Challenge for Responders– Speed– Information– Coordination of Teams

• Unpredictable …– Fixed plan can not

anticipate changing needs– Plan elaborated as you work– Composed from fragments– Respond to situation


Social Network & Dynamic BPM

• No strong distinction between “designers” and “users”. Blending of domains.

• Design at the same time as running.

• Unified, continuously updated, process

Model Preserving Strategy is a Requirement


Review

• Definition of Model Strategy– Model Preserving Strategy– Model Transforming Strategy

• Tradeoffs– Analytics– Simulation– Error Correction– Performance

• Designing for Change• Process Ecosystem• Dynamic BPM


References & Discussion Sources

• Blog Entrieshttp://kswenson.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/model-strategy-preserving-vs-transforming/

http://kswenson.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/model-strategy-analytics/

http://kswenson.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/model-strategy-round-trip-agile-development/

http://kswenson.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/model-strategy-performance/

http://kswenson.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/model-strategy-simulation/

• Workflow Handbook 2009“Two Strategies for Handling Models:

Preserving vs. Transforming” pp197-210http://www.futstrat.com/books/handbook09.php


BPM In Practice: A Primer for BPM & Workflow Standards

• All of this and more is covered in this new book from Keith Swenson and Robert Shapiro available at:

http://www.lulu.com/content/2244958

• See the related blog at:

http://kswenson.wordpress.com/books


Process Thought Leadership

bpm model preserving strategy vs. model transforming strategy

Education

business process

business process

business model

workflow standards

robert shapiro

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