|
|
Advanced
How To Guides
Systems Integration
BPI - Business Process Integration
There is a wealth of technology on the market that can
integrate systems in a way that enables an end-to-end
business process to flow across applications. This is
very similar to BPM, except without the business level
management capabilities. If the tool does not include
a business level dashboard, process analytics, the ability
to define and track business metrics across a process,
impact analysis, simulation, or other management level
capabilities, it's a BPI tool and not a BPM tool.
BPA - Business Process Automation
BPA is often used as a synonym for BPI and certainly
requires integration. However, it may not include support
for long-running processes or manual processes. BPA
tools generally focus on automating transactions that
cross multiple applications. They may not support long-lived
transactions that take hours, days or weeks to complete.
If you want to automate an end-to-end factory process
that will run in a lights-out environment, then BPA
is probably what you're looking for.
WFA - Workflow Automation
If your processes are manual to a significant extent,
your process management solution may benefit from the
introduction of workflow automation capabilities. This
involves the automation of business procedures or "workflows"
during which documents, information or tasks are automatically
passed from one participant to another in a way that
is governed by computerised rules or procedures. Workflow
automation can be configured to suit a wide range of
business applications.
A good example of this can be found in specialist subcontract
work on major construction sites, such as the installation
of Cleanrooms in factories, where the design and installation
work can be different for every site. Once the decision
is made to proceed with the preparation of a tender
for new work, all documentation relating to a tender
are filed, logged and identified with the tender title
- these can consist of paper and electronic documents,
drawings and correspondence. Each tender must be delivered
by a specified date and time, to a specified location
and person, so all activities involved in the preparation
of the estimate and the tender must be scheduled to
ensure timely completion. The detailed proposal requires
sign-off by many different people and departments -
Design, Estimating, Project Management, Production,
Accounts, as well as senior management. Workflow automation
allows management to set up the schedule for each person
involved: apart from automatically sending reminders
when dates are imminent, it can generate and send warning
messages to senior management when key approvals are
not signed-off by the designated date and time.
More sophisticated capabilities include, but are not
limited to, workflow balancing that automatically routes
tasks to people based on their role and length of their
work queue, and a robust interface for managers and
employees to manage assignments beyond just an email
message.
BAM - Business Activity Monitoring
This is a recent Gartner term that combines business
process management with historical analytics. The goal
is to send an alert to the appropriate person when a
business process is in need of intervention, along with
historical and analytical information required so the
decision maker can make a faster and more informed decision.
A BAM system can monitor for literally any type of business
or systems related condition - the list is endless:
- Invoices
that a past due
-
Customers who have not been contacted in 30 days
- Sales
reps who are not following the defined sales methodology
-
Engineering changes that are tied up pending approval
- Orders
from your sales channel dropping below a specified
threshold
-
A web site that is offline
You
simply define that problem that you are trying to manage,
and the conditions which tell you that a problem exists,
and it will automatically monitor the problem 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
|
|
