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Sure we can throw in a little bold text and make it look grand but how do we back up a statement like that when other BI providers are claiming to be adding process-centric features?
Workflow at the Core
The Pentaho BI Platform has several options available for executing activities. The default execution engine is a built-in, lightweight, Business Flow Sequencer. This sequencer allows the solution developer to build solutions from collections of Business Flows that are generally linear and success oriented utilizing passed parameters and a minimum of looping. For example: run a query to find out which departments are over budget, run a budget report for each of those departments, and finally email each report to the department manager.
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*The platform is built on processes and process definitions.*
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)
This is rapidly becoming a meaningless term with every application that accepts URLs claiming to have a SOA. When you design a system with a workflow engine as the conductor and director every activity in the system, every step of each process, every bubble in your process diagram must be implemented as a standalone, re-usable component that can be directed to execute the activity required.
This is not just an SOA, this is a Service-Implemented Architecture (SIA). Every activity in every process can be a web service because all activities only ever execute as services. They know no other invocation. The three rules to web services success are: invocation, invocation, invocation.
*Services are the building blocks of automated business processes.*
Process Integration
Every process and activity in the Pentaho BI Platform executes as a service. If you want to call a process or activity defined in the platform from a process executing in another system, you can. It's easy.
*Every activity in the system understands how to be part of another process.*
Rules, Rules, Rules
The definition of the platform processes are externally defined, but what about the rules that govern the workflow? XPDL has built in support for complex routing control, and we have added support for multiple rules engines so business logic can be integrated easily into the processes. Multiple rules engines are supported and required because it is unlikely the logic for every decision in every process can be defined easily by only one rules engine.
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*Flexible business rules are a critical part of automated business processes.*
Business Intelligence / Business Process Boundary
The line between business intelligence and business processes is flexible in the Pentaho BI Platform. This is because the line between business intelligence and business processes is blurry and should be up to you. If you have a BI platform that clearly defines the boundaries between it and your other systems, you probably have an application silo that is hard to integrate the way you need it to. It is your processes, your data, and your software.
* The engine executing processes within the platform is a full-featured workflow engine
* The Pentaho BI Platform includes multiple rules engines
* The Pentaho BI Platform activities are easily integrated into other processes
* The roadmap includes manual and data entry tasks by users
Case Study
*Problem*: When an employee shows up for work at a healthcare organization with an expired license either
* It is noticed and a more costly agency worker must replace the employee until their license is renewed
* It is not noticed in which case a patient safety hazard and a liability risk occurs
*Business goals*: increase patient safety, reduce liability of unlicensed employees, and reduce money spent on agency staff covering for unlicensed employees.
*Current process*: Each manager maintains a list of license expirations for their department.
*Proposed 'solution'*: Scheduled execution of a report from a central database that lists, by department, licenses held by each employee, and the expiration date of their current licenses.
Solution 1: Give them what they ask for
Create a 50 page report and deliver it to each department once a month.
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This solution is incomplete because it only automates the information delivery, it does not help the real process that has to occur. The business goal is reached at best as a by-product of the reporting solution.
Solution 2: Give them what they need
* Create business rules that determine the lead time required for adequate preparation for each type of license and escalation paths for problem cases.
* Run an audited report every day or week that lists those employees within their lead time. For each employee initiate a defined license renewal process:
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*This solution solves the business problem.*
Conclusion
In order to deliver this solution you need reporting and analysis tools that:
* Support the business rules needed
* Audit report execution and delivery of information
* Integrate seamlessly with a workflow system
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