Life in the Swimlane

Unfortunately, I missed the presentation by Robert Shapiro on the BPMN 2.0 update that was hosted by the WfMC, but they were kind enough to share with me the PowerPoint that he talked through. I guess I like where this is going, although it appears to be going too slowly.

I am from the Process Analyst audience and not as concerned with the blending of the needs of developers with the needs of users. Yes, it does make the developers life easier if XPDL is included in a process model, but what percentage of process models actually get to the point where they are part of an automated workflow? I’m just not seeing client’s anxious to get to that point.

I see two drivers for this “inaction.” The first is the cost of the tools and this is being address by the BPM vendors offering SAAS solutions. The second is the dirty little secret that many in the public sector don’t want a system that will broadcast inefficiencies - and BPM certainly does that.

Back to the update by Mr. Shapiro…..

I truly appreciate the multi-level view of process modeling that he describes. The Simple class which provides a high-level map of a process, and the Descriptive class, which gives a level of detail that enables process analysis and improvement, are intuitive.

Form here it seems that we take a turn towards a Domain class, where his presentation sites DoDAF. I can envision other domains establishing a subset of shapes and functions that fit well with their industry. The final view is the Complete class which includes all of the BPMN shapes, functions, etc.

I appreciate that they are attempting to serve the needs of both the Process Analyst and the BPM Developers and rather than creating a strict set of rules are offering guidelines and choices.

OMG meets at the end of the month in Jacksonville and if my schedule permits I will attend to see where they are taking this. I appreciate your feedback on my observations.

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BPM Technology by jlmoon