Integrated process management: from planning to work execution

They are also able to implement processes between
software systems not requiring user communication but
perform by invoking software services directly.
Furthermore, since WfMS automates a business process
as a repeatable sequence of subtasks, it makes each
process explicit and well defined in the information
technology infrastructure. This makes it amenable to
monitoring and change in a way that is not possible when
a process is simply built into specific application code.
Workflow technology typically involves integrating other
information technologies (such as document management,
product data management, and collaboration technologies)
to support the management and execution of business
processes.
3. Benefits of Integrated Process
Management
The benefits of modeling the best practices not only
derived from the automation of time-consuming
administrative tasks (such as tracking, monitoring, and
notification), but also by the detailed, on-line
documentation of those processes, which increases their
visibility and reusability throughout the enterprise.
In order to realize these benefits, the business processes
managed by workflow technology should be amenable to
being understood, modeled (i.e., represented as sequential
flows of tasks), executed (i.e., carried out by a identifiable
participants), monitored (i.e., identifiable as having being
started and completed), coordinated, (i.e., having some
sequential constraints on the order of subtasks), shared
(i.e., having subtasks that may be carried out by different
participants), repeated (i.e., executed many, separate times
in an organization), and, in some cases, simulated (i.e.,
able to estimate performance metrics). If a business
process meets these criteria, then the level of benefit from
workflow management often depends on the degree to
which the business process can take advantage of the
other information technologies that are integrated with the
particular workflow manager.
The key benefits of integrated process management are as
follows:
• Tool/Vendor Neutral Workflow Process Definition -
define once, execute any where.
• Reusing library of Process Components and
knowledge captured in the PM. Enabling fast
workflow development in accordance with PM and
vise-versa.
• Workflows are executed according to schedule - no
arbitrary workflow execution.
• Schedule changes reflected in WFMS - real work
execution affected.
• Ad-hoc changes in WFMS reflected in schedule -
additions / deletions / modifications sent to schedule.
• Schedule shows always correct status and history
• Improved efficiency - by the detailed model of long
running processes one can find clues to process
inefficiency. Furthermore, automation of business
processes results in the elimination of timeconsuming,
manual steps, such as routing documents
between subtask participants.
• Better process control - improved management of
business processes results from standardizing the
subtasks involved in a process and in the availability
of audit trails.
• Improved visibility and documentation – participants
are better able to monitor upcoming tasks and to
understand their interfaces with the participants of
other subtasks.
• Flexibility – using software to manage business
processes enables their re-design with changing
business needs and the tracking of any ad hoc
modifications to the processes.
• Business process improvement – design and
simulation tools facilitate the modeling of coherent,
efficient business processes.
4. Integrated Process Management
Architecture
The integrated process management architecture addresses
integration of scheduling systems (such as Primavera P3e)
with workflow management systems (implemented using
a tool such as PTC Windchill or Enovia) and process
modeling tool – (MS) 2 .
Scheduling and workflow systems both manage the flow
of work, but they emphasize different aspects of the work.
Scheduling systems emphasize analyzing the
dependencies between tasks and using those dependencies
to plan the human and temporal resources required to
perform the work. These systems enable management to
determine what resources will be required, when they will
be required, and how long it will take to complete a
project. The systems may also provide a prioritized
activity list or work list to the people responsible for
performing the work. Workflow management systems
emphasize the implementation of the work via the process
flow, including conditional branches and loops in the
process. These systems provide management with
visibility of the current status of every process instance
and assurance that the work is done in accordance with the
process. Workflow management systems alert the people
who must do the work of the tasks assigned to them, and
they also provide a work list of these tasks. Workflow
systems are generally well integrated with the work
objects, and they provide links from an item in a work list