Mr Phifer spoke about well-known application platforms providers like SAP, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft. But he also introduced new platform vendors like Amazon, Google and Salesforce which are actually known for other products. They offer cloud-based application platforms which already provide the platform approach of the future. Also the big vendors like IBM, Oracle and SAP are moving towards cloud computing to provide cloud-based application platforms to their customers. 

Oracle is moving in the cloud forward with their middleware stack. Oracle Fusion Middleware is a pluggable platform which also allows to integrate non-Oracle applications. If you use BEA components you should better check if they will be integrated into the Fusion middleware stack. If not they are probably close to their end of life.

SAP has an enormous number of applications running on their SAP NetWeaver Platform. SAP is also moving aggressively in the cloud. Business by Design is already SaaS (software as a service). Some of the readers of this post might know that SAP used ARIS to model the processes supported by Business by Design.

Mr. Phifer pointed out that the Microsoft .net Framework is better scalable than its image suggests. Mostly small companies are using .net right now, but over time this will change. Bigger companies will move onto the .net platform. Sharepoint is already available via the cloud.

IBM has many products to choose from. They have 2 or 3products for everything ;-) Their blue cloud offerings are also cloud based applications.

Amazon offers an application platform as a service. They offer a huge variety of services offered by the cloud. This product is not well known yet but if they will follow this path, their product will be very successful in the next years.

Salesforce also provides an application platform as a service model. They call it force.com. You can run the CRM application on it but also other applications from other vendors.

Google app engine is an application engine as a service. We will see an interesting development in the next years in this field, as well.

Mr. Phifer pointed out that Google, Amazon and Salesforce will have a huge potential to grow with their cloud-based model in the next years. With the growth of the SOA approach they will become important players. The big players should better have an eye on them.

Here my short summary on the event:
The Gartner SOA Summit in Tokyo is an excellent event with interesting presentations. I guess some 700 people found their way to the conference center. The networking is a bit challenging because of the language barrier. My presentation on Business-Driven Service Management went also very well. After the session I had several talks with visitors. The Business-Driven SOA approach really attracted many visitors. They all agree that in the discussions around SOA, the business is not getting enough attention although the business is the customer of SOA.

Now it’s late in the evening and I guess I deserve some sushi.

Sayonara

As you might know, there is a strategic partnership between Microsoft and IDS Scheer for roughly a year now and the first tangible result will become available with the upcoming service release of the ARIS Platform at end of July.

The release will offer a new product “ARIS for MS BizTalk” that helps customers to make the step from a business process towards an automated process in a BizTalk environment. For those of you who are not familiar with the Microsoft world: BizTalk is Microsoft’s main product for process execution and messaging and one of the most often installed execution engines on our planet.

“ARIS for MS BizTalk” is actually an add-on to ARIS SOA Architect and makes life easier for customers that want to use ARIS for enterprise modelling and MS BizTalk as execution platform. The overall scenario is as follows: The business analyst models his process view in the well-known EPC notation. In a second step, processes slated for execution are transformed into a more technical representation, typically by creating models of type BPMN or BPEL. For the latter, this is even done automatically by SOA Architect, for BPMN, such a feature will be available quite soon.

Now, where does the new add-on functionality comes into play? “ARIS for MS BizTalk” first of all offers so-called semantic checks that verify if a given technical BPEL or BPMN process can be successfully converted into a MS representation (called orchestration). Simple example: if an XOR splits the flow into several branches, it must be ensured that these branches merge again in order to fulfil the block-orientation of a MS orchestration.

Once the technical process on the ARIS side is deemed ready, an automatic export feature is available that creates a full-fledged MS Visual Studio 2005 project. It includes not only the orchestration but also auxiliary artefacts such as the schemas (for data types) and web services that were used in the BPMN or BPEL model.

This greatly helps in bridging the gap between business and IT: BizTalk developers can take the generated project and immediately start working on low-level details (e.g. exception handling, data copying). They no longer have to spend time to build up the overall process logic from scratch. This greatly boosts the overall turnover-time from process modelling to execution.

But the story does not end here. How do I monitor and analyse my automated processes? Microsoft offers Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) for the BizTalk platform, but their product has limited analysis capabilities and therefore meets only basic needs. Much more insight becomes possible by using high-performance software like ARIS PPM, which is dedicated to process monitoring and analysis. Therefore, “ARIS for MS BizTalk” also includes a BizTalk-specific data extractor that pulls the information from the BAM database and hands it over to the PPM server for further analysis.

Read on about ARIS for MS BizTalk: www.aris.com/biztalk

Imagine you are a company in the food domain and a new regulation is established by the EU Commission or some other governmental organisation. The new regulation defines that certain kinds of vegetables must be sold within a shorter time period than before. Of course you have to comply with this regulation, so you start digging into your business processes to find all business functions handling this kind of vegetable. If you have documented your business processes in a BPM repository like ARIS, this task is supported by visual navigation and search functionalities. Still, it is the business expert performing this analysis.

In semantic business process management, the above mentioned scenario is simplified, because now the business processes as well as the new regulation are defined in a way that a machine is able to understand them. Therefore, no manual work is needed to verify that your business processes handling the vegetable comply with the new regulation. It allows removing manual work, while moving from the business to the technical process perspective as illustrated in the following figure.

This might sound like magic! Well, behind the scene advanced technologies are applied. Those technologies like reasoners, ontologies, and mediators were developed in the past years for the so called Semantic Web. It is the aim of the Semantic Web to enable machines to understand the content of the Internet.

Of course semantic business process management is still research in progress. For example, there is a big public research project called SUPER, which is supported by the EU Commission. In the SUPER project, well known companies like SAP, IBM, and IDS Scheer are working together with leading research institutes from all over Europe to achieve the vision of semantic business process management. If you are interested in what might be the next big wave of business process management, you can check SUPER’s website, follow SUPER’s Blog or join the SUPER tutorial during the upcoming Business Process Management conference. The SUPER tutorial will give you an overview of the technology behind, but it will also showcase prototypes of semantic business process management tools. We would be happy to discuss with you the vision of semantic business process management. What are your thoughts about Semantic BPM?

A Question that I got at the booth was: “Do you think we can do this in future without ARIS, because models can also be created in future in the SAP Process Composer”. The nice thing is actually that in customer presentations like BMW and Océ Technologies, the answers were given that ARIS is necessary upfront. Océ Technologies presented that in their Globalization program they started with enterprise modelling with ARIS before implementing SAP.

First step was to harmonize their existing end-to-end processes using ARIS Process Selection Diagrams in workshops that led to a reduction of 30% of process variants. The effect was less complexity and more involvement and approval by business owners. Within the ARIS design also the supporting applications (SAP and non-SAP), data and infrastructure were modelled. Based on the relation between these enterprise architectures the impact of to-be decisions and changes could be analyzed easily in ARIS.

This brought business and IT people together in decision making during the project. VP and Program director Jo Bleser of Océ also mentioned in the presentation that BPM Governance was supported by assigning global owners to processes and architectures and defining methods & standards for releasing models. After approval by global owners on all the harmonized process models, the models were synchronized to SAP Solution Manager for further configuration and realization in the program.

Actually this approach of analysis, process harmonization and BPM Governance is the same for setting up an enterprise Service Oriented Architecture using SAP Process Composer. Models that are optimized and approved by the business before implementing in SAP, perform better and more aligned with business needs. The nice thing about ProcessWorld is that people that have these questions can be contacted very easy with other customers that are font of sharing their experiences. No matter if it is at the Exhibition hall, diner table, party or during an exciting Football game. Actually Ann Rosenberg, BC Global Practice Owner for Business Process Management and Senior Strategic Business Process Management Consultant at SAP, has a very clear view on the value of enterprise modelling and tells about it on ARIS TV. So take a look!

On the IDS Scheer website you find more information on BPM and SAP: www.aris.com/sap

How to develop a BPM roadmap and how to integrate BPM with SAP’s Enterprise SOA approach? What is the role of ARIS within SAP-related projects? How is ARIS related to SAP NetWeaver BPM (a.k.a. Galaxy)? Where can you read more about BPM? In this episode I had the chance to interview Ann Rosenberg, BC Global Practice Owner for Business Process Management and Senior Strategic Business Process Management Consultant at SAP who is author of the upcoming book “Roadmap to Business Process Management”…

Episode 7: SAP’s Roadmap to BPM and ARIS

Today we provide you with a new episode of ARIS TV. In episode 7 I had the chance to interview Ann Rosenberg, BC Global Practice Owner for Business Process Management and Senior Strategic Business Process Management Consultant at SAP. I had this interview with Ann during ARIS ProcessWorld 2008 in Berlin.

Ann is responsible for BPM consulting at SAP and she is author of an upcoming book with the title: “Roadmap to Business Process Management”. I wanted to have more details regarding this BPM roadmap and the use of ARIS within the BPM roadmap. Ann gives a great overview about how to benefit using ARIS for your BPM approaches and how ARIS can be used within different use cases together with SAP software and applications (i.e. SAP Implementation with SAP Solution Manager, SAP NetWeaver BPM (a.k.a. Galaxy), SAP Enterprise Service Repository…).

More info regarding the book you will find here:
www.sap-press.com

Hint: If you want to watch the video in better quality just go directly to the Youtube Website and click on “watch in high quality” directly under the video player element.

And here the link to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/aristv

Please give me your feedback via blog comments or by e-mail (arisproductmarketing@ids-scheer.com). If you want to do an interview or if you have a good topic on which you would like to have more information please let me know!

Every year in early summer, a small town in the Saarland region called Dillingen goes into a running frenzy. This time around, over 12.000 runners gathered to make this 5km corporate race the fifth-biggest event of its kind in Germany. Naturally, it’s a matter of honor for IDS Scheer to put in an impressive performance.

Just under forty runners represented IDS Scheer. Linking variable pay to taking part would doubtless achieve wonders, but for some reason my offhand suggestion here was met with considerable skepticism regarding its practicality…

The problem of covering the distance in the shortest possible time without collapsing breathless mid-route paled into insignificance compared to the challenge of finding the best starting position. Ideally, you want to be ahead of the slower runners so they don’t impede your progress, but you also don’t want to get in the way of the faster athletes. To make things easier, blocks are marked out, based on the expected running time.

Being an honest kind of guy, I get into position at the front of the 20-minute block — a decision that earns me merit points for fairness, but which was to have serious repercussions later on. We stand there, packed in. While we’re waiting for the starting signal, two presenters entertain us, doing a nice job of warming up the runners and spectators alike.

And then we’re off. Because the start line narrows slightly (each runner’s time is measured individually via an RFID chip attached to their shoelace), it takes a while for everyone to get moving. A good two minutes after the race officially begins, I finally cross the start line and try to get up to speed. Unfortunately, this proves very tricky, as it seems that most runners can’t gauge their ability particularly well — or just start at the front as a matter of principle. Permanently having to avoid slower people, speed up, slow down, look for gaps, avoid spectators and even some cars, which strangely are still parked on the course, quickly gets my heart rate up to 175, even though I’m still under my goal pace.

A race with this many participants is especially fun, because although people are passing you all the time, you can also overtake others. So it’s never boring and blasting past as many other runners as possible naturally gives you a psychological boost. The water station marks the halfway point. I ignore it — five kilometers is a pretty short distance and although it’s very warm, taking liquid onboard now would interrupt my rhythm rather than helping it.

The throng approaches the finish faster than anticipated. In front of me, I can see another IDS colleague, but unfortunately I’ve overexerted myself so much already that there’s no way I can catch him. Our running times surprise most people. Even I can’t quite believe I ran under 20 minutes because my training had been hampered by injury. It seems that the organizers were not quite accurate when measuring the course and let us off a couple of hundred meters. But hey, everyone benefited equally.

At the finish, it’s time to drink a non-alcoholic beer, collect my finishing medal, and return to the team tent. A couple of coworkers are already there, with the others gradually drifting back. Everyone is in upbeat mood and proud to have taken part — and to have made it to the finish.

If you are responsible for Business Process Management in your company, what are the right services to offer? How can you identify your BPM maturity level and identify potential strategies to improve your BPM system? Professor Michael Rosemann will give you more insights into one of his BPM research fields…

Episode 6: What are your BPM Services?

Today we provide you with a new episode of ARIS TV. In episode 6 I had the possibility to ask Professor Michael Rosemann some basic questions regarding his field of research. Michael is Professor for Information Systems and Co-Leader of the Business Process Management Research Cluster at Queensland University of Technology.

Because Michael is a part of IDS Scheer’s Research Network he was participating at ARIS ProcessWorld in Berlin. Michael gives us an excellent overview about his new concept of the BPM service portfolio. Watch ARIS TV to learn more about this concept and find out how it can be beneficial for your daily work or requirements…

Hint: If you want to watch the video in better quality just go directly to the Youtube Website and click on “watch in high quality” directly under the video player element.

And here the link to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/aristv

More information regarding Michael’s work can be found here:
http://www.bpm.fit.qut.edu.au/

Please give me your feedback via blog comments or by e-mail (arisproductmarketing@ids-scheer.com). If you want to do an interview or if you have a good topic on which you would like to have more information please let me know!

Would you like to learn more how SAP is managing their BPM approach? Would you like to see an example of an excellent BPM organization? Would you like to understand how SAP is internally using ARIS Process Performance Manager to measure and control their end-to-end business processes? Today we provide you with a new episode of ARIS TV. In episode 5 I had the chance to interview Mark Scavillo, Head of Process Governance at SAP AG…

Episode 5: Learn more about SAP’s internal BPM Organization
I met Mark Scavillo at ARIS ProcessWorld 2008 in Berlin where SAP won the Business Process Excellence Award in the category of Process Intelligence and Performance Management. Mark and the team are driving SAP’s internal BPM approach and I took the chance to ask him some questions how they do that and what are their main fields of engagement.

I think this is a very intersting interview giving more insights at the BPM governance process, the BPM roadmap at SAP and how to use ARIS PPM to measure the end-to-end processes.

I hope you will have the same fun watching this video as Mark and I had during the recording session.

Please give me your feedback via blog comments or by e-mail (arisproductmarketing@ids-scheer.com). If you want to do an interview or if you have a good topic on which you would like to have more information please let me know!

In this webinar, Sandy Kemsley presented the combination of BRM and BPM and talked about true agility within this combination. This sounds very interesting to me, because my experience is that there is a strong relationship between business process and business rules definition and of course of the management of these assets.

So let’s have a look at what Sandy pointed out in her presentation.

First she defined the BPM discipline as

• a management discipline for improving cross-functional business processes (independent of the technology), and
• the methods and technologies tools used to manage and optimize business processes

Sandy talked about the goals behind all BPM initiatives. She said that the main goal in the last 8 years behind the most BPM activities is to become more efficient. This means increasing automation steps and handoffs and integration systems and data sources throughout all business processes.

After this is achieved, compliance is the next step: with the explicit representation of process definition you can show that you are compliant, because the business processes are now transparent and can be used for meeting new compliance requirements. Since 2005, agility and visibility have been the real important requirements inside the BPM activities. This means to be agile and visible brings the real benefit to organizations to reach their business goals.

This is exactly the reason why I see today a need to take a more in-depth look at the business rules inside the business processes, i.e., identify the business rules and describe this real corporate asset in a complete way: management information, business need, system relationship, rule statements, etc.

Sandy also defined BRM as a

• discipline for discovery and management of business rules, and a
• set of methodologies and tools to manage rules.

What she means is that there is a misunderstanding in many discussions inside the Business Rules context. BRM is much more than technology (or a rule engine). Like the name says, it is both a management discipline and a methodology.

This is what I also have seen in a lot of Business Rules projects: many IT professions see a benefit for their work, but the business department is often outside of those project activities. Often the discussions are tool-based. And often the methodology how to discover, describe, formalize and implement, and deploy business rules is the key factor to deliver successful business rules projects and implement the corresponding governance.

Does your company see that real agility is only reachable by separating BPM and BRM by extracting decisions from processes? Do you think using BPM on the one hand and using BRM on the other hand is enough? In my experience, you need an organization with an enterprise architecture skill to bring both parts seamless together.

What is your experience?

Learn more about ARIS Business Rules Designer!

At beginning of June we have been granted membership entitlements and benefits and now participate in the Architecture Forum of The Open Group. This forum is just one of many. Other forums are working on topics you may perhaps heard about like WAP (e.g. you can browse certain web sites right from your cell) or CORBA (that is for programmers) or UNIX (and that is for old grey-haired gurus somewhere in depths of data centres of your company :-)).

Well, we are going to participate in the Architecture Forum, which has developed and is evolving a comprehensive enterprise architecture framework (TOGAF – The Open Group Architecture Framework) to enable businesses to achieve the right balance between IT efficiency and business innovation, while also taking into consideration the constantly changing needs of the business environment. TOGAF was developed and continuously evolved since the mid-90’s by representatives of the world’s leading IT customer and vendor organizations, working in The Open Group’s Architecture Forum.

Why did we decide to participate in this very forum and why do we need it? In fact, TOGAF is now a widespread industry standard architecture framework, especially in English speaking countries like UK, US, South Africa, Australia and almost-whole-population-speaking-English countries like Sweden, Finland, Denmark. Another reason was the fact that TOGAF may be used freely by any organization wishing to develop enterprise architecture for use within organizations. Large consulting companies have developed their own methods as well (like Cap Gemini’s IAF), but they cannot be freely used and therefore are less popular (if known at all in some parts of the world).

Another good reason for joining The Open Group is the fact that recently Telematica Institute, which was looking after Archimate framework, very popular in The Netherlands and getting more popularity in neighbour countries, gave all the rights for Archimate to The Open Group and a new Archimate Forum was established there. Our colleagues from IDS Scheer Netherlands participate in Telematica activities for ages and now will be happy to work on further improvement of this emerging framework within TOG.
Besides the membership we are also looking for TOGAF 8 certification of ARIS Platform in the very near future. Stay tuned and do not miss the moment when ARIS gets the logo “TOGAF Certified Tool”!