© Copyright 2011 Fujitsu

Keith D SwensonVP at Fujitsu America, Inc. Chairman of Workflow Management Coalition

Position: BPMN is incompatible with ACM

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Proposition

Any work support system that depends upon processes

designed with BPMN (or BPMN-like languages)

cannot be considered an ACM system.

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What is BPMN-like

This is not a critique of BPMN in particular. Here, I use BPMN to refer to any flowchart like, two-

dimensional process diagram with boxes and lines.

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Change: Lifecycle

BPM& PCM

ACM

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-- 1 --

Drawing a diagram requires a kind of abstract thinking about the process

that a business user is not comfortable with.

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-- 2 --

Drawing an executable diagram actually involves some programmer-

like skills

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-- 3 --

Modifying someone else’s diagram is particularly difficult:

the assumptions that went into drawing the diagram are not visible

in the diagram

The BPMN-like diagram is the output of planning, and supporting concepts

are lost

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The Nescafè Process

(example from: M zur Muehlen)

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Web ServiceA

Web ServiceB

Web ServiceC

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Can a Step be Inserted?

Web ServiceA

Web ServiceB

Web ServiceC

Web ServiceX

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Can Steps be Rearranged?

Web ServiceA

Web ServiceB

Web ServiceC

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Criterion 1:

Ability to design a basic process quickly with very little investment by the user is far more important than

the ability to define a precise process which uses more time an attention

from the business user.

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Criterion 2:

Process design must not require a skill beyond what business users

possess

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Criterion 3:

For a process definition to be modified by business users there must be no hidden assumptions.

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Created ahead of timeby specialist crafted to automatically respondto many situations.

Created when needed, by the person doing the work.Manually adjusted forchanging situations.

For Routine Work For Knowledge Work

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The simple checklist

Boil the water

Put coffee in the cup

Put boiling water in the cup

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The simple checklist

Boil the water

Put coffee in the cup

Put sugar in the cup

Put boiling water in the cup

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Why Not BOTH?

If a system has BPMN, then 5% will use it

95% will be unable to modify those diagram

The system will no longer be adaptive

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Conclusion

For all participants to be able to adapt processes to their need, all processes need to be in low-tech form

You must force all users into a least-common-denominator situation, using the low-tech form

The mere presence of a flow-chart format will disrupt the ability to be adaptive.

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What are the open questions that need to be answered?