Workflow Tools

Workflow is an integral component of Knowledge Management Initiatives.  More often than not, I am approached to implement a Knowledge Management System (KMS) where the KMS is the perceived end-all to the information management problem and the process/workflow component is not on the radar.  Without standardized (manual or electronic) processes, the KMS becomes a content conversion project that inevitably fails.  Current content is converted and the processes for information inception to the end pristine knowledge artifact(s) are not addressed.  Ultimately, adding another information silo and useless repository.

Business Process Management (BPM) tools will address the information lifecycle from inception to retention.  J2EE BPM tools have inundated the BPM space and work well for system-to-system processes.  Knowledge Management heavily relies upon human-to-system and human-to-human interaction; requiring BPM tools to integrate within the users’ workspace.  J2EE BPM tools are code intensive and do not embrace corporate agility.

J2EE BPM’s generate rigid programming code.  Whereas Microsoft .Net platforms immediate deployment, shared and combined with other best processes and practices throughout the enterprise. The three metadata driven, dynamic framework architecture tools that I have deployed are Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), Ascentn AgilePoint, and K2.net. All three are great tools integrating within the users’ Microsoft space, such as, MS Office, web forms, InfoPath, SharePoint, MS SQL Server, Active Director, etc.  Depending upon the decision to empower the business units and the financial availability to purchase/implement a workflow/BPM solution, will influence the selection process.  WF is code intense and free.  It is not a BPM tool but a framework to code workflow processes. 

K2provides a GUI interface to model the workflow after significant coding is complete for each object.  Note: I have viewed demos of the new k2 [blackpearl] version and have yet worked with it in production environment.  AgilePoint provides out-of-the-box process activities, which need configuration but no code development.  Of the three tools, AgilePoint is the only true BPM solution.

Research each tool for yourself and remember Gartner statistics show 85% of IT projects fail to meet objectives whereas 90% of ‘process’ projects succeed.

WF (100% Code: 0% Business Analysis)

K2 (80% Code: 20% Business Analysis)

AgilePoint (20% Code: 80% Business Analysis)

Comments

[Julian Keith Loren]

Great to see that you had some initial good luck with AgilePoint. Has it held up through the rest of the implementation?

I'm currently looking at AgilePoint, K2 BlackPearl, Captaris Workflow and Transparent Logic's LogicBase. LogicBase, in particular seems to share a lot of AgilePoint's strengths. Was LogicBase a product that you considered?

I also was surprised by the 85% IT project failure statistic from Gartner. It's 11% higher than the highest figure I'd seen previously ... but who's going to split hairs ... 74% failure rate is just another level of abysmal ;o)

Do you know the exact Gartner report?

OK .. I'm past my question quota. Thanks for the outstanding post!

Cheers,

Julian

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Julian,

To be frank I never heard of LogicBase. I contacted other cohorts at MetaStorm, K2.net, BlueSpring, Lombardi, AgilePoint and Microsoft, and I found none have heard of it. Quick research derived the following non-scientific analysis:

1) Like many new BPM advertised products, LogicBase hopes to address the business and IT divide challenge. Their approach is to target and enable business users by being able to leverage the predefined out-of-the-box capabilities through process and eventually turn them into a compiled executable.

2) LogicBase has a compiled environment that is rules driven. It can only change process behavior through meta-data at predetermined, predictable locations. Adaptability such as New task insertion at any activity would be difficult if not impossible without a remodel, redeploy and restart.

3) LogicBase uses proprietary technology for their LogicBase stack, their modeler, their forms designer, their rules engine, etc. It doesn’t seem to leverage the best of Microsoft technologies like Office for modeling, InfoPath or any ASP.Net Forms technology, and any 3rd party rules engine including iLog, Haley, Win WF, BizTalk and others. Less proprietary BPM code = less risk!

What challenges their approach did not address:

A) Their approach really does not solve the business and IT divide issued fundamentally.

B) The compiled executable is no longer adaptable (e.g. to meet unexpected exception or migrate running instance from one process definition version to another) at run-time at all. Gartner calls this implicit process management. (Gartner’s Evolving view of BPM – July 2007)

C) Logicbase supports simple workflow patterns. Where more robust BPM applications support at least up to 80% of the workflow pattern published under BPM Center Report BPM-06-22 , BPMcenter.org, 2006. (http://www.workflowpatterns.com/documentation/documents/BPM-06-22.pdf).

I recommend non-compiled, XML based tools designed for SOA based strategies. Here are a few examples of how SOA based .NET BPM’s are different from LogicBase types of products:

Architecture: True BPM’s delivers the next generation model-driven real-time architecture – i.e. a process model is directly executable without having to convert into rigid compiled executable – allowing any running process instance to be adapted at runtime. Gartner calls this explicit process management and again, predicts 80% of the competitiveness going forward will be derived from here as most companies have only achieved code-based non-adaptable automation so far.

Align with SOA and Composite Application approach: Few BPM applications’ IT asset abstraction metadata framework enables the abstraction and encapsulation of IT assets to be included into process and quickly assemble directly executable process models – in fact a process-based composite application.

Address business and IT divide from the root: BPM applications must empower business users, which is accomplished with IT’s full involvement and within an IT controlled eco system. The IT asset abstraction metadata framework enables IT to ‘translate’ their development into a language, i.e. process, that business can understand.

Regarding my AgilePoint project, I happen to install the new version this week that integrates with MOSS’s Form Server. The old version is versatile with zero issues. The new version offers significantly more AgileParts, which is great for someone without a dedicated .NET developer; like me. I hope this quick response is helpful with your product analysis.

Geoff

[Ben]

I'm curious how you compare Agilepoint with Bluespring? Both seem to be SOA aligned BPM suites on the .NET platform.

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Ben,

April of 2006 is the last time I touched BlueSpring. I developed with it extensively for a vendor who wanted to implement it. If I recall, it wasn’t a SOA based-solution and wasn’t XML based, but I’m sure they’ve extended its capabilities in the last year and a half.

I actually liked BlueSpring. It has similar functionalities as MetaStorm. Majority of its features are designed around its form generating mechanism. It allows users to create web based forms within the BlueSpring application and design complex workflows around form fields. I would always recommend BlueSpring over MetaStorm based upon the features & price-point comparison.

There are several variables why I selected AgilePoint over BlueSpring. I tend to work with organizations heavily using Microsoft tools (i.e. SharePoint & InfoPath). The power of BlueSpring’s form module doesn’t add value to firms using InfoPath. I would have been forced to rewrite hundreds of forms last year if I hadn’t gone with AgilePoint. AgilePoint allowed me to open up Visio (Visio is AgilePoint’s interface to create process models) and select the InfoPath integration template and select a pre-existing XML form template within SharePoint. Every applicable workflow tasks automatically knows the InfoPath data model of the form and allows rules to be built. I never needed to modify any existing corporate InfoPath forms. Another integration point that surpasses BlueSpring, is AgilePoint’s integration with SharePoint. It is architecture integrates with SharePoint’s object model. With no code I could move files between libraries and manage SharePoint list within WSS 2.0. It’s even more powerful with WSS 3.0. The final reason is the price point and user interface. AgilePoint provided a higher ROI and more user-friendly GUI.

I’m sure in the last 18-months, BlueSpring has advanced exponentially. Please note that it was 2006 that I compared the BlueSpring software with AgilePoint. Since then, I’ve used AgilePoint’s new MOSS integration version, which provides even more enhanced features that I didn’t mention during the above rationale.

I hope this helps,
Geoff