VOSibilities

Please believe me when I say, I am not trying to use $5.00 words just because I can.

But one I read recently in the paper that had me running for a dictionary– shibboleth — got me to thinking about one of the biggest, most often repeated fictions in BPM. What am I talking about? The idea that end users can, will and want to create their own executable process models.

Wiktionary defines shibboleth as “A common or longstanding belief, custom, or catchphrase associated with a particular group, especially one with little current meaning or truth.” WordNet at princeton.edu is even more blunt in defining shibboleth: “A favorite saying of a sect or political group.”

Both definitions capture the wishful thinking, IT-bashing and counter-organizational thinking inherent in the dogma that business process management suites (BPMS) will somehow “free” end users from the chains of IT and enable them to build enterprise-class, bet-your-entire-business processes by themselves. The WordNet definition, in particular, reminds me of the triumphalism one hears from some industry analysts who insist that this is really happening in the real world.

Uhhh, ’scuse us for interrupting the feedback loop, but we don’t think so.

We first debunked the BPMS-as-destroyer-of-IT-and-liberator-of-end-users idea with Sandy Kemsley in a webinar almost a year ago. Her “four myths,” stylized in the graphic in this post, remain the most perceptive distillation of what’s wrong with the idea. Her simple common sense (developing process applications is not in most end users’ skill sets) along with an understanding of what end users in business want to do (their jobs, not IT’s work) debunk the “world-as-we-want-it-to-be” thinkers who promote end user-driven BPM over collaboration with IT.

We think ActiveVOS BPMS has been growing rapidly because it strives to bring IT and the business together. We envision collaboration among an extended development team, using an architecturally-correct, standards-based BPM system. Yes, end users are involved. Yes, they “own” the process and the model. Yes, they use the BPMS. But, no, they don’t deploy, manage or operate the BPMS.

BPM has changed the way IT and business people work together. But it hasn’t — and won’t — replace IT.

This time on CTO Tuesdays, the BPMS podcast, we discuss what persistence of state offers process developers and BPM users. Michael Rowely, host of the podcast and CTO at Active Endpoints discusses what persistence is, how it works and what the potential performance costs might be.

We hope you enjoy this podcast. We’d love to hear your feedback on the series. Just email us or leave a comment here.

Remember: sign up for next week’s CTO Tuesdays here. We will be expanding on persistence to talk about BPMS support for long-running transactions.

 CTO Tuesdays #16: The state of BPMS state: persistence for process [50:18m]: Download (73)

 

 CTO Tuesdays #16: The state of BPMS state: persistence for process [50:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (65)
 CTO Tuesdays #16: The state of BPMS state: persistence for process [50:22m]: Download (28)

If you haven’t been attending our CTO Tuesdays BPMS podcast, we’d like to invite you to become one of our “regulars” starting next week. We’re doing something a little different next week…more on that in a minute.

CTO Tuesdays is, we think, something unique for users of business process management technology. Every Tuesday at noon ET, 9am PT, 17:00 GMT, our CTO Michael Rowley, delivers a short talk on a broad range of topics spanning the BPMN diamond to complex event processing to an introduction to BPMN 2.0.

These talks are detailed and technical. (Come with the rubber band on your propeller-head hat wound up very tight.) These BPMS podcasts are not ActiveVOS commercials (though we do demonstrate the concepts Michael is discussing in ActiveVOS). Each week, we tackle a single topic and try to limit content to about 30 minutes. After, we have a panel Q&A with attendees to discuss the content Michael  — or our guest CTO — has presented. Personally, I can’t wait for the Q&A because I think it’s where I learn the most about BPM technology. The overall idea for the podcast is that in less than an hour, you can learn enough about some aspect of business process management and BPM technology to enable you to continue to explore BPM on your own.

So far, we’ve presented and recorded 15 episodes. And the response from the BPM community has been overwhelmingly positive. (Access replays at www.ctotuesdays.com and the feed at www.ctotuesdays.com/feed.)

Starting March 9 and continuing on March 16, we’re going to try something a little different. Michael will present, for the first time, two separate, but thematically related topics:

• On March 9: The state of BPMS state: persistence for process
• On March 16: How BPMSs support long-running transactions

The first topic is one I’ve nagged Michael to discuss: how does a BPMS persist long-running transaction state? The second takes this idea and builds on it by comparing a BPMS to a traditional transaction monitor (CICS, anyone?) and describing BPMS support for long-running business transactions.

No matter where you are in your thinking about BPM — a newbie, actively trying your first process project, a grizzled veteran — CTO Tuesdays is for you.

You can always register for the upcoming CTO Tuesdays at www.activevos.com/ctot. Registration is free.

Be sure to join us — and bring all your friends.

In this episode of CTO Tuesdays (our 15th!), Active Endpoints CTO Michael Rowley discusses an elegant way of bridging the world of BPEL and the Java world. Then, after the technical presentation, Rowley discusses in the Q&A how, when and why process developers might want to use Java in their processes and warns against “speaking BPEL with an accent.”

There are three formats of the webinar attached to this post. For iTunes and iPod touch/iPhone users, an .m4v is available. A Flash file that can be streamed from the blog and/or downloaded is attached and a Windows Media 9 .wmv is also available.

Please remember to register for next week’s CTO Tuesdays at http://www.activevos.com/ctot

 CTO Tuesdays #15: Using Java with business processes [36:51m]: Download (100)

 

 CTO Tuesdays #15: Using Java with business processes [37:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (150)
 CTO Tuesdays #15: Using Java with business processes [37:00m]: Download (46)

searchSOA.com has just published a story on SCA (Service Component Architecture) which describes some of the benefits that SCA delivers for developers of services-based process applications. You can read the full article here, including the comments of our CTO, Dr. Michael Rowley.

We are honored to have been added to Ovum’s list of BPMSs to consider in their latest decision matrix on business process management.

Attached to this post are two PDFs. First, a press release announcing the results and, second, a copy of Ovum’s conclusions along with their “radar” (or detailed report) on ActiveVOS.

 New Analyst Report Rates ActiveVOS BPMS in “Consider” Category: Download (90)
 OVUM BPM Decision Matrix report: Download (165)

I came across an interesting discussion on LinkedIn which lead me to this post by Mark McGregor who asks, “…is BPMS now just becoming the next incarnation of application development”?

Our short answer is, “Yes…and the best way to get there is to minimize the disruption to application development.” In other words, BPMSs need to look and feel like previous-generation tools, all the while doing the right thing architecturally and automatically.

In short, it shouldn’t be necessary to teach old dogs new tricks. You simply swap in a new, improved dog in that looks and barks like the old dog…and the new dog’s “firmware” already knows about the new, modern tricks of app dev. (And I apologize for the tortured metaphor and to anyone horrified at the idea of swapping out Fido 1.0 for Fido 2.0.)

That’s what we are doing in ActiveVOS. Like your integrated development toolset for monolithic programs? We’ve got one that goes from modeling to deployment in a single tool. Holding on to that Turbo Pascal-like step/start/stop debugger? Ours works with services. Want to integrate with Java? REST calls? SOAP? Check, check and check.

Beyond just being familiar, for BPMS to become the next incarnation of application development, we believe there has to be a payoff for making the changes that using a BPMS requires. IOW, there are things that cannot be mapped to the previous experience — and which shouldn’t be. But a good BPMS still has to give application developers a reason to step up to the bar and change their habits.

For example, instead of coding, you model in a BPMS. Payoff? Learning BPMN 2.0. What else does an application developer get in return for allowing op codes to be pried from their cold, dead hands? How about automatic documentation plus resource simulation. The things that are new are really, really new and exciting…and worth the price of admission. That combo of familiar and enticingly new capabilities is what will attract developers and, ultimately, change the way apps are developed.

So, Mark has a really excellent point when he says that key BPMS players today include traditional app dev companies like IBM and Oracle. What Mark is hinting at is something we violently agree with: for BPM as a discipline to become the dominant way of creating apps, developers have to conclude that BPMSs are their primary development environments. Tools focused on end users won’t cut it for these developers. That’s why vendors like us have put so much effort and attention on app devs (how about we call them process developers?).

We (and they) know that until BPMS becomes the standard way in which new processes are created — companies that want the advantages of process thinking won’t get it.

Attached to this post is a replay of a webinar we recently presented with our UK partner, T-Impact. T-Impact has deep expertise in BPM in industries like telecom. In this webinar, they detail their approach to BPM and how they use ActiveVOS to deliver process applications for their clients.

There are three formats attached to this post. First, an iPod touch/iPhone-formatted .m4v. We also have a Flash file that can be streamed from the blog and a Windows Media 9-encoded .wmv.

 VOSibilities podcast #45: An introduction to T-Impact [65:25m]: Download (76)

 

 VOSibilities podcast #45: An introduction to T-Impact [65:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (60)
 VOSibilities podcast #45: An introduction to T-Impact [65:30m]: Download (22)

OK, I know…the title “preventing problems through static analysis” doesn’t exactly make you want to spend 40 minutes watching the replay of episode #14 of our weekly tech talk on BPMS technology.

But you’d be missing a really interesting and, dare I say it, fun topic. Trust me.

This week Michael Rowley tackles bugs in BPMSs. Bugs are just a part of life when creating business applications. But what about when you are creating process applications using a model-based BPMS? What happens then? How does the BPMS help you identify — even prevent and eliminate — bugs? Watch this episode to find out how standards like BPMN 2.0 and BPEL work together to help make designing and executing process applications more error-free.

As always, we have three formats of the podcast posted. There’s an iPod touch/iPhone .m4v; a Flash file that can be streamed from the blog and a Windows Media 9 .wmv.

 CTO Tuesdays #14: Preventing problems through static analysis of business processes [37:12m]: Download (102)

 

 CTO Tuesdays #14: Preventing problems through static analysis of business processes [37:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (77)
 CTO Tuesdays #14: Preventing problems through static analysis of business processes [37:17m]: Download (55)

BPMN 2.0 is a hot topic. From documenting processes to creating executable process models that combine system and human tasks, BPMN is on everyone’s lips.

But what is the state of BPMN 2.0 usage in the real world? This webinar, originally broadcast on February 18, 2010, offers some answers.

The bottom line? BPMN 2.0 usage is gaining traction — it’s becoming the modeling notation of choice for everything from documentation to creating executable process applications. If you are interested in what BPMN can do for you, you will want to watch this webinar replay to learn more about BPMN and how people are using it today. Watch Sandy Kemsley show you how not to create BPMN models as she parades models from the “BPMN modeling hall of shame.” And you can also watch as Michael Rowley shows you how to make BPMN executable with BPEL. At the end of the webinar is a very stimulating Q&A in which Kemsley and Rowley discuss the future of the BPMN specification and answer attendees’ questions.

A variety of formats are attached to this post, including a Flash format that can be streamed from the blog. Also, the slides Sandy and Michael presented are available in PDF form.

 VOSibilities podcast #44: The state of BPMN: an update from the real world [87:30m]: Download (182)

 

 VOSibilities podcast #44: The state of BPMN: an update from the real world [87:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (256)
 VOSibilities podcast #44: The state of BPMN: an update from the real world [87:36m]: Download (114)
 VOSibilities podcast #44: The state of BPMN: an update from the real world: Download (145)

There’s peanut butter and jelly. Noodles and chopsticks. Ducks and water. All perfect together…even made for each other.

That’s how we feel about business process management systems (BPMS) and enterprise content management systems (ECM). These two important technologies are made for each other.

If you have an important business process you want to automate, it’s likely to have people, processes and documents that all need to work together. And, you are likely to want everything to work together based on open, industry-wide standards. We’d go so far as to say, it’s an absolute requirement that the BPMS and ECM be totally based on standards.

That’s what Alfresco and ActiveVOS offer together. The best capabilities; the most openness.

Watch the replay of this webinar — and the absolutely brilliant demo of ActiveVOS BPMS and Alfresco ECM working together — to see how you can quickly, easily and compatibly produce better process applications for your organization.

There are three formats attached to this post, along with a PDF of the slides presented in the webinar. First is an iPod touch/iPhone-formatted .m4v. Second, a Flash .flv file that can be downloaded or played from the blog. Third, a Windows Media 9-encoded .wmv is available.

We hope you enjoy this introduction to combining BPM and ECM technologies.

 VOSibilities podcast #43: Combining BPMS and ECM for better process applications [62:55m]: Download (105)

 

 VOSibilities podcast #43: Combining BPMS and ECM for better process applications [62:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (230)
 VOSibilities podcast #43: Combining BPMS and ECM for better process applications [62:55m]: Download (85)
 VOSibilities podcast #43: Combining BPMS and ECM for better process applications: Download (102)

One of the most important — and useful — capabilities of a BPMS is its ability to view, alter and fix running processes. In this edition of CTO Tuesdays, Michael Rowley explores this topic and demonstrates what any good BPMS should be capable of delivering to BPMS users and developers.

There are three versions of the podcast attached to this post. First, an iPod touch/iPhone-formatted .m4v file (also available in the iTunes Store; seach for “vosibilities”). Second, a Flash .flv file which can be viewed here on the blog and/or downloaded. Third, a Windows Media 9-encoded .wmv file.

 CTO Tuesdays #13: Viewing and fixing running processes [43:23m]: Download (155)

 

 CTO Tuesdays #13: Viewing and fixing running processes [43:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (125)
 CTO Tuesdays #13: Viewing and fixing running processes [43:26m]: Download (116)

Sandy Kemsley commented on the XPDL 2.2 effort to support the interchange of BPMN 2.0 model. I agree with her that it is a good thing. It will be a while before the BPMN 2.0 interchange formats are completed and even longer (if ever) before enough vendors support import and export of the format for it to be the lingua-franca of process models.

XPDL 2.1 is already supported by many tools, including ActiveVOS, so extending XPDL to support the new constructs in BPMN 2.0 will provide the fastest path for most vendors to achieve some level of interoperability of their BPMN 2.0 models.

Nonetheless, I’ve found that most people who have asked Active Endpoints about model import/export formats have been people who have the wrong idea of how to work with a BPMS. These are people who are trying to hold on to their old waterfall methodology for building software, where there are separate tools for building process models during analysis from the development tools that are later used to create the software. In that world, there is a constant need to translate back and forth between the tools as changes may occur on either side.

And there’s the rub. The roundtrip translation always loses so much information that the effort to keep the separate representations in sync and accurate outweighs the value of using the automatic export / import functionality. Eventually, changes made on the analysis side get redone on the implementation side by hand, and vice versa.

The right way to work is to let the BPMS own the model. Yes, you may want to allow early requirements gathering to use simpler modeling tools, but those tend to be fairly informal flow charts anyway. Once you get involved in real modeling you should use the modeling capabilities of your BPMS. By “real modeling”, I mean that you are at the stage where the precise semantics of the notation used is important, since it is going to drive the actual semantics of the resulting software.

In the early phases, the process models are diagrams where the labels on the diagram are what really matter. For example, the arrows coming out of an activity might formally imply that both directions can be followed at once, but the labels on the arrows have labels that imply that one one of them will happen. This is OK during the early stages of modeling, since it is another human who is going to be reading the model and they can guess what was really meant (or they can ask, if they aren’t sure).

Once you are ready to do real modeling, it is time to get the BPMS involved. That way the process model you create will go the rest of the way through the lifecycle of the project without need for translation, much less round-trip translation. How you get from the informal stage to the formal stage of process modeling isn’t really all that important. Yes, you can use XPDL 2.1, but it doesn’t really even matter if you have to redraw it from scratch. Drawing it is very fast in a capable designer like ActiveVOS, and the person doing the modeling is already going to have to be carefully considering each jot and tiddle of the original diagram to determine how to correctly model what the user really wanted to begin with.

Enjoy these predictions of the important trends in enterprise computing for 2010. It’s a little bit late, but worth the wait.

For example, one panelist predicts that “cloud crashes” will have an impact in 2010. Conspiracy theorists may speculate that we’ve already had one major cloud crash in 2010 and that Google’s announcement that it might leave China is one way of not discussing the fact that Gmail — a major cloud app — was hacked.

 

 BriefingsDirect Analyst Insights Podcast #49: 2010 top predictions [57:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (629)
 BriefingsDirect Analyst Insights Podcast #49: 2010 top predictions - transcript: Download (57)

Attached to this post is a recording of a webinar originally delivered on February 3, 2010 that features Dennis Callaghan, principle analyst, enterprise software, The 451 Group. The topic was Where does BPM go now? A business and technology perspective. Callaghan reviews the consolidation in the BPM marketplace and discusses his predictions of the near-term future for BPM. This is coupled with a demonstration of the ActiveVOS BPMS, which is used to illustrate what is possible in a pure-play BPMS today.

Three versions of the podcast are attached. An iPod touch/iPhone-formatted .m4v, a Flash file that can be downloaded and/or played from the blog and a Windows Media 9-formatted .wmv

 VOSibilities podcast #42: Where does BPM go now? A business and technology perspective [65:57m]: Download (94)

 

 VOSibilities podcast #42: Where does BPM go now? A business and technology perspective [65:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (146)
 VOSibilities podcast #42: Where does BPM go now? A business and technology perspective [66:02m]: Download (93)