Process Model versus PRPC Discovery Map

Process Model versus PRPC Discovery Map

by Declan Chellar

Discovery Maps According to Pega

• A Discovery Map is a flexible process mapping tool that captures a project's high level processing steps in business terms.

• Steps are color-coded to indicate a flow shape:• Sub Process - Blue• Human Based Step - Green • Automated Step - Yellow• Integration - Red

(Pega Developers Network article PRKB-26125)

An Example Process Model


Based on a real process for making payments

against an account using a Credit Card.


This diagram reveals the top-level of the

process from start to all possible ends.


Sub-process can equate to Sub-process shapes on a Discovery Map.


But the nature of the business trigger cannot

be shown on a Discovery Map.


Nor can end results be shown on a Discovery

Map.


And manual steps cannot be shown on a

Discovery Map.


Branch points cannot be modelled on a Discovery Map.


Not least when those branch points reflect

human choices.


As a result, overall process flow cannot be

modelled in a Discovery Map.

Consider the amount of useful information in

this top-level business process model.



Then remove what Discovery Maps cannot

model at this level.


However, Discovery Maps represent

automated process flow.

What does Customer

want me to do next?

Whereas many top-level processes are user

driven.


What does Customer

want me to do next?


So the top level of the process cannot be

modelled as a single Discovery Map


Each sub-process becomes a DM on its own, losing the top

level view inside PRPC.


Let’s take a look inside one of the sub-

processes.

The “Take Payment” Sub-process


Let’s convert this sub-process into a

Discovery Map.


Any User/System interactions are

represented by green shapes.

Any steps the System carries out without

input from the User are yellow.



Except for steps where the System integrates with another system,

which are red.


An understanding of any manual steps is key

to understanding the business need.


But a Discovery Map cannot show manual

steps.


Nor can a Discovery Map show end results.


Or branch points and their alternate paths.


A Discovery Map does know the sequence of steps in the “Happy”

path.


By virture of the sequence in which you place the steps on the Discovery Map itself.

Input Payment Details

Check whether duplicate payment

Submit payment request to Bank

Display payment confirmation


But since a Discovery Map does not know

about branch points or alternate flows…


…it has no idea what the correct sequence of

alternate steps is or where they fit.





Save payment details

Display error message

? ?


So alternate steps are lumped together after

a red divider on the Discovery Map.








Let’s remind ourselves of the wealth of

information in the visual process model.


Versus what the equivalent Discovery

Map can show us.








“A Discovery Map is a flexible process mapping tool that captures a project's high

level processing steps in business terms.” (Pega Developers Network)








PRPC can automatically generate a Flow Rule

from a Discovery Map.







Start

Check for Duplicate Payment

CapturePayment Details

Submit Payment Request to Bank

Display Confirmation

Display Error Message

Save Payment Details

Our Discovery Map would generate a Flow

Rule like this.


Start







Notice the absence of branch points.


Start







And how the alternate flows are poorly

represented.


Start




Display Error MessageSave

Payment Details

Duplicate Payment

ImmediatePayment

Not Duplicate

Future

Duplicate

Immediate

Submit Successful

Not Successful

Successful

The draft Flow Rule we really need would be

more like this.


But the DM cannot generate the actual

draft Flow Rule needed.


Start





Payment Details

Duplicate Payment

ImmediatePayment

Not Duplicate

Future

Duplicate

Immediate

Submit Successful

Not Successful

Successful

Recap







The Discovery Map is supposed to model the

business process.

Recap







But at best all it can model is this.

Recap

Instead of this.

Start








A Discovery Map is supposed to generate a

Flow Rule.

Start








But the best it can do is this.

Recap

Start





Payment Details

Duplicate Payment

ImmediatePayment

Not Duplicate

Future

Duplicate

Immediate

Submit Successful

Not Successful

Successful

Instead of this.

Recap

When you go into your DCO sessions armed

with this…

Recap

Start





Payment Details

Duplicate Payment

ImmediatePayment

Not Duplicate

Future

Duplicate

Immediate

Submit Successful

Not Successful

Successful

…it takes only minutes to produce this Flow

Rule manually.

Discovery Maps in Reality

• A Discovery Map is NOT flexible because it cannot model branch points or alternate flows.

• Because DM shapes indicate Flow Rule shapes, a DM does NOT model in business terms, but in PRPC implementation terms.

• A DM can only model what is to be implemented in PRPC, so does NOT model the entire business process.

Recommendation

• If you want to document business process within PRPC:1. Model the process using BPMN before your Pega

project starts2. Build your Flow Rules manually based on the

process models (it only takes minutes if your models are robust)

3. Attach the process model to the relevant Flow Rule (that is DCO too, you know)

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Process Model versus PRPC Discovery Map

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