Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

David Chappell, Chappell & Associates March 2007

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2007. All rights reserved.

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

Contents
CONTENTS .....................................................................................................................................................................3 BPM AND BUSINESS PROCESSES..................................................................................................................................4 THE GOAL: BETTER BUSINESS PROCESSES.............................................................................................................................4 REACHING THE GOAL: BPM TECHNOLOGIES..........................................................................................................................4 CONNECTING PEOPLE: HUMAN WORKFLOW..........................................................................................................5 HUMAN WORKFLOW WITH WINDOWS SHAREPOINT SERVICES AND OFFICE SHAREPOINT SERVER 2007 .................................6 MICROSOFT TOOLS FOR CREATING HUMAN WORKFLOWS .....................................................................................................7 CONNECTING SOFTWARE: SYSTEM WORKFLOW...................................................................................................9 SYSTEM WORKFLOW WITH BIZTALK SERVER....................................................................................................................... 0 MICROSOFT TOOLS FOR CREATING SYSTEM WORKFLOWS ................................................................................................... AN ASIDE: WINDOWS WORKFLOW FOUNDATION.................................................................................................12 USING HUMAN AND SYSTEM WORKFLOW TOGETHER.......................................................................................13 COMBINING WINDOWS SHAREPOINT SERVICES AND BIZTALK SERVER................................................................................. ! PARTNER SOLUTIONS........................................................................................................................................................... 4 AUTOMATING COMPLEX DECISIONS: BUSINESS RULES ENGINES....................................................................1 THE BIZTALK SERVER BUSINESS RULES ENGINE ................................................................................................................. " RULES IN WINDOWS WORKFLOW FOUNDATION................................................................................................................... " PARTNER SOLUTIONS........................................................................................................................................................... # TRACKING BUSINESS PROCESSES: BUSINESS ACTI!ITY MONITORING...........................................................21 DESCRIBING BUSINESS PROCESSES..........................................................................................................................24 CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................................................. 25 FOR FURTHER READING..............................................................................................................................................25 ABOUT THE AUTHOR....................................................................................................................................................2"

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

BPM and Business Processes

What is b siness process !anage!ent "#$M%& 'o b siness people, #$M !eans vie(ing an organi)ation as a set of processes that can be defined, !anaged, and opti!i)ed. *ather than foc sing on traditional depart!ental silos, s ch as finance, !ar+eting, and !an fact ring, #$M ta+es a cross, depart!ent, process,oriented vie(. 'o technical people, ho(ever, #$M is so!ething - ite different. .n this conte/t, it !ost often refers to a gro p of technologies foc sed on defining, e/ec ting, and !onitoring process logic. Despite their different perspectives, both gro ps have the sa!e goal0 !a+ing b siness processes better. Microsoft has a range of offerings that fall nder the !brella of #$M technology. 1or Microsoft2s c sto!ers, these technologies can provide direct sol tions to process proble!s. 1or independent soft(are vendors ".34s%, Microsoft2s #$M technologies act as a platfor! for b ilding !ore speciali)ed sol tions. 'his paper presents a big,pict re vie( of the area, loo+ing at both Microsoft offerings and co!ple!entary partner prod cts. 'he intent is to provide a technology overvie( of #$M in the Microsoft (orld.

The Goal: Better Business Processes

As (ith any technology, #$M isn2t a goal in itself. .nstead, organi)ations se #$M to i!prove their b siness processes. #$M technologies can !a+e processes faster, letting b sinesses be !ore responsive to their c sto!ers. 'hey can also !a+e those processes !ore reliable, !ore consistent, and less error,prone. .n a very real sense, b siness processes are the b siness, and so !a+ing the! better is a clear path to i!proving the b siness itself. 5ven tho gh different organi)ations se - ite different processes, there2s still a great deal of co!!onality across different b sinesses. 1or e/a!ple, !any processes depend on a gro p of people (or+ing together to perfor! a defined gro p of tas+s, often in a prescribed order. Writing a proposal fits this !odel, for e/a!ple, as does approving a doc !ent and !any other b siness processes. .t2s also co!!on for processes to depend on different +inds of soft(are (or+ing together, s ally in a - ite str ct red (ay. 'his soft(are can !a+e decisions, ranging fro! choosing a!ong si!ple options to !a+ing co!ple/ r le,based choices. Monitoring r nning processes is also sef l, as is having so!e (ay to describe those processes. 'hese si!ilarities across different organi)ations are (hat !a+e #$M technology possible. #y e/tracting the co!!on ele!ents of b siness processes, then i!ple!enting a to!ated s pport for this co!!onality, #$M technologies offer a generally sef l approach for process i!prove!ent.

Reaching the Goal: BPM Technologies

As (ith the definition of #$M itself, reasonable people can disagree abo t e/actly (hich technologies sho ld be incl ded nder this heading. 3till, there2s broad consens s that the essentials incl de the follo(ing0

'echnologies for defining and e/ec ting h !an (or+flo(s, (hich are processes that connect people. $roviding a to!ated s pport for h !an,oriented processes is a f nda!ental aspect of #$M, as are the graphical tools sed to define those processes.

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

'echnologies for defining and e/ec ting syste! (or+flo(s, (hich are processes that connect soft(are. 3 pporting these a to!ated interactions a!ong applications is another f nda!ental part of #$M, and it again incl des graphical tools to define those interactions. .ntegration technologies are often incl ded here as (ell, s ch as adapters for connecting to diverse syste!s and tools for defining data transfor!ations. 'he ability to co!bine h !an and syste! (or+flo(s is also i!portant, since !any b siness processes involve both. # siness r les engines "#*5s%. .f decisions !ade by a b siness process can be e/pressed as a set of r les, a #*5 can fre- ently be sed to !a+e those decisions in soft(are. Doing this can help decision !a+ing be faster, cheaper, and !ore consistent. # siness activity !onitoring "#AM%. 'he people (ho rely on a b siness process can often benefit fro! visibility into c rrently r nning instances of that process. #AM provides this visibility, e/posing relevant infor!ation abo t r nning processes in ter!s that are !eaningf l to the infor!ation (or+ers (ho se it. $rocess description tools0 6aving a clear nderstanding of a b siness process co!!only starts (ith a pict re of that process. 7raphical tools for ill strating the actions and relationships in a process are sef l for creating this pict re.

Microsoft2s pri!ary #$M technologies fit - ite (ell into these five categories. 'hose technologies are the follo(ing0

6 !an (or+flo(0 Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices and 8ffice 3hare$oint 3erver. 3yste! (or+flo(0 #i)'al+ 3erver, (hich provides integration services as (ell. .t can also be sed (ith Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices and other prod cts to create co!bined h !an and syste! (or+flo(s. # siness r les engine0 #i)'al+ 3erver2s #*5. Microsoft also provides a r les engine (ith Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation, part of the .95' 1ra!e(or+ :.0. # siness activity !onitoring0 #i)'al+ 3erver2s #AM, together (ith technologies s ch as Microsoft 5/cel and 8ffice $erfor!ance$oint 3erver for displaying #AM infor!ation. $rocess description tools0 Microsoft 4isio.

Microsoft2s #$M technologies are directly sef l for i!proving b siness processes. .n - ite a fe( cases, ho(ever, organi)ations can also benefit fro! co!ple!entary prod cts that others have b ilt for Microsoft2s #$M platfor!. 1or e/a!ple, Microsoft partners s ch as Ascentn, $9Msoft, and 3o rcecode, ;2.net all allo( creating co!bined h !an and syste! (or+flo(s (ith capabilities beyond (hat Microsoft provides. 3i!ilarly, prod cts fro! .n* le, * le# rst, and others provide i!proved tools for (or+ing (ith Microsoft b siness r les technologies. <nderstanding #$M technology in the Microsoft (orld re- ires nderstanding (hat Microsoft itself offers and ho( .34 partners enhance those offerings. Accordingly, this paper describes both.

onnecting Peo!le: "u#an $or%flow

Despite soft(are2s central role, the !ost i!portant interactions in !any organi)ations are bet(een people. A to!ating those interactions (ith h !an (or+flo( soft(are can i!prove b siness processes in
&

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

a n !ber of (ays. $roviding for!ali)ed s pport helps !a+e processes !ore repeatable, !a+ing s re that the sa!e steps are carried o t each ti!e. .t can also !a+e the !echanics of the process, s ch as ro ting a doc !ent and collecting approvals, significantly si!pler. =et even a to!ated (or+flo(s need so!e fle/ibility. 6andling n s al cases>e/ceptions>is essential, as is allo(ing people to change their !inds in the !iddle of the process. 6 !an (or+flo( is applicable to !any different b siness processes. Doc !ent approval is the !ost co!!on in !any organi)ations, b t !ore co!ple/ scenarios are also in (idespread se. Whatever it2s sed for, the f nda!ental technology re- ired is ! ch the sa!e.

"u#an $or%flow with $indows 'harePoint 'ervices and Office 'harePoint 'erver 2(()
'he latest release of Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices, Microsoft2s flagship collaboration soft(are, incl des b ilt,in s pport for e/ec ting h !an (or+flo(s. Developers can create (or+flo(s for this environ!ent sing 4is al 3t dio, (hile infor!ation (or+ers can se a ne( tool called 3hare$oint Designer 2007. Microsoft 8ffice 3hare$oint 3erver 2007, part of the 2007 Microsoft 8ffice syste!, b ilds on the basic capabilities of Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices, adding pre,defined (or+flo(s and !ore. 'his section provides an overvie( of these technologies. 'he easiest (ay to nderstand ho( Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices s pports h !an (or+flo( is to (al+ thro gh a scenario. 'he fig re belo( sho(s a slightly si!plified ill stration of doc !ent approval sing a 3hare$oint (or+flo(.
1) Initiate workflow

Document Library Sites

Task List Approve ...

Workflow Initiator
') (eview doc%&ent ") A##rove or re$ect doc%&ent

Workflow 2) Add task to task list

Workflow Participants

Windows SharePoint Services

) !heck task list

'r e to its role as collaboration soft(are, Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices lets sers create sites, each of (hich can contain document libraries and lists. A doc !ent library !ight contain a collection of Word doc !ents, $D1 files, or other things, (hile a list is ? st a collection of ite!s. *ather than reinvent ne( concepts, the h !an (or+flo( capabilities in Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices b ild on these basics. .n this e/a!ple, the (or+flo( allo(s a n !ber of participants to approve or re?ect a doc !ent stored in a doc !ent library. 'o start this (or+flo(, the initiator ses .nternet 5/plorer or another Web bro(ser to select the doc !ent, then chooses an e/isting (or+flo( definition to e/ec te "step @%. Wor+flo(s can also be started a to!atically, s ch as by adding a ne( doc !ent to a doc !ent library. 6o(ever it2s done, Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices no( begins e/ec ting the (or+flo(.
*

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

'o let (or+flo( participants +no( that they have so!ething to do, the (or+flo( adds a tas+ to each participant2s tas+ list "step 2%. 'his tas+ list is ? st an ordinary 3hare$oint list>there2s nothing special abo t it>that2s sed to let a r nning (or+flo( infor! participants of (aiting tas+s. 5ach participant then chec+s his or her tas+ list sing a Web bro(ser or Microsoft 8 tloo+ 2007 "step :%, and finds a re- est to revie( this doc !ent. 5ach participant can revie( the doc !ent "step A%, then interact directly (ith the r nning (or+flo( thro gh a c sto! for! to indicate approval or re?ection "step B%, perhaps adding co!!ents. 8nce all of the (or+flo(2s participants have done this, the (or+flo( infor!s the initiator that it2s done. 'his e/a!ple o!its several possibilities. 'he (or+flo(2s initiator !ight be able to c sto!i)e the (or+flo(2s behavior, for e/a!ple, s ch as by controlling (hether the participants are assigned tas+s se- entially or all at once. .t !ight also be possible to change a partic lar (or+flo( instance (hile it2s r nning, s ch as by adding another person to the list of approvers. 3till, this si!ple ill stration sho(s the basics of h !an (or+flo( s pport in Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices today. 8ffice 3hare$oint 3erver b ilds on these services to provide !ore (or+flo( options. <nli+e Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices, (hich is a standard co!ponent of Windo(s 3erver 200:, 8ffice 3hare$oint 3erver is a separately licensed prod ct. 8rgani)ations that choose to se it have !ore (or+flo( capabilities, incl ding the follo(ing0

'he ability to interact (ith (or+flo(s directly fro! 8ffice 2007 applications. As described earlier, Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices alone !ostly s pports interacting (ith (or+flo(s thro gh a bro(ser. 'he ability to define the for!s a (or+flo( displays sing .nfo$ath. Wor+flo(s b ilt solely on Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices rely on for!s created (ith A3$.95'. A gro p of c sto!i)able pre,defined (or+flo(s for doc !ent approval and other p rposes.

Along (ith these h !an (or+flo( additions, 8ffice 3hare$oint 3erver also provides a range of other f nctions, incl ding doc !ent !anage!ent, broad search capabilities, s pport for blogs and (i+is, and !ore.

Microsoft Tools for reating "u#an $or%flows

.n so!e cases, infor!ation (or+ers can define their o(n h !an (or+flo(s. .n others, developers are re- ired, especially for (or+flo(s that re- ire !ore co!ple/ behavior. 'o address both sit ations, Microsoft provides t(o different tools targeted at these t(o different gro ps. 3hare$oint Designer, a ne( prod ct for Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices, lets infor!ation (or+ers create straightfor(ard (or+flo(s. ".t2s (orth noting that the tool also does other things>it2s not ? st a (or+flo( a thoring tool.% As the screen shot belo( sho(s, 3hare$oint Designer ta+es a r le,based approach to defining (or+flo( logic. 5ach step in the (or+flo( is e/pressed as a condition follo(ed by an action. 'his approach is si!ilar to the (idely sed 8 tloo+ * les 5ditor, and it2s !eant to let infor!ation (or+ers add (or+flo(,based logic to 3hare$oint sites. 3hare$oint Designer also helps its sers create c sto!i)ed A3$.95' for!s for the (or+flo(s they define.

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

More co!ple/ (or+flo(s or those (ith !ore options, s ch as allo(ing changes to a r nning (or+flo(, can be created sing 4is al 3t dio. 'his developer,targeted tool ta+es a significantly !ore general approach, sing activities to describe a (or+flo(2s steps. As the screen shot belo( sho(s, a (or+flo(2s logic can be defined graphically by dragging and dropping activities onto a design s rface. A developer can also create a Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices (or+flo( entirely in code> sing this graphical tool isn2t re- ired.

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

6 !an (or+flo( technology can i!prove !any b siness processes, and it2s (idely sed today. Adding s pport for this technology directly into Windo(s, as Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices 2007 does, is li+ely to !a+e it even !ore pop lar. # t b siness processes often depend on soft(are, too. A to!ating the interactions a!ong this soft(are can i!prove those processes as (ell. 6o( Microsoft technologies provide this is described ne/t.

onnecting 'oftware: 'yste# $or%flow

9o( co!!only vie(ed as part of #$M, i!proving b siness processes by connecting the soft(are that s pports the! is a fa!iliar idea. Disting ishing this +ind of syste! (or+flo( fro! h !an (or+flo( is sef l, as the re- ire!ents and the e/act proble!s to be solved are different. 6 !an (or+flo( re- ires interacting (ith people thro gh tas+ lists and for!s, for e/a!ple, and it typically re- ires the ability to change r nning processes. 3yste! (or+flo( re- ires interacting (ith soft(are thro gh adapters and data translations, and it typically i!ple!ents !ore stable processes>soft(are isn2t as fic+le as people are. 5ven tho gh s pporting an end,to,end b siness process can re- ire both h !an and syste! (or+flo(, a topic that2s addressed later in this paper, the re- ire!ents for these t(o areas are different eno gh that describing the! separately !a+es sense. Connecting soft(are is often divided into enterprise application integration, (hich typically refers to connecting soft(are (ithin an organi)ation, and business-to-business integration, (hich foc ses on connecting soft(are in different organi)ations. #oth categories can be seen as part of the larger gro ping

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

of business process automation. Whatever ter!s are sed, the goal is al(ays the sa!e0 better b siness processes. 3yste! (or+flo( can i!prove a b siness in a n !ber of (ays. A to!ating e/isting !an al (or+ can !a+e processes faster and !ore acc rate. 3ynchroni)ing infor!ation across different applications can ens re that everybody sees the sa!e vie( of c sto!ers, patients, or anything else this organi)ation (or+s (ith. A to!ating lin+s bet(een organi)ations, s ch as (ith electronic data interchange "5D.%, can significantly i!prove the reliability of ordering, pay!ent, and other cross,organi)ational e/changes. All of these process i!prove!ents rely on integration technologies, and all can be driven by syste! (or+flo(.

'yste# $or%flow with Bi-Tal% 'erver

'he pri!ary Microsoft technology for syste! (or+flo( and integration is #i)'al+ 3erver 200C. Along (ith tools for defining (or+flo( logic and r nti!e s pport for e/ec ting it, the prod ct incl des several other #$M technologies. 'his section loo+s at the aspects of #i)'al+ 3erver that are !ost directly related to syste! (or+flo(. As before, a si!ple scenario is the best (ay to !a+e clear ho( #i)'al+ 3erver s pports syste! (or+flo(. 'he fig re belo( sho(s an e/a!ple of ho( an organi)ation !ight se this prod ct to a to!ate the process of placing an order.

!i"Talk Server
Orchestration

Data Transformation dapters

1) )end order re*%est

2) (e*%est PO

) (et%rn PO

') Place order

Inventory pplication

$%P pplication

#ulfillment pplication

'he syste! (or+flo( itself>the logic that controls this process>is i!ple!ented in a #i)'al+ orchestration, as sho(n above. #eca se different applications represent infor!ation in different (ays, #i)'al+ 3erver also provides data transformation tools to !ap bet(een these diverse data for!ats. And since a variety of approaches are sed to co!! nicate (ith applications, #i)'al+ 3erver relies on adapters to i!ple!ent different options. 'he prod ct incl des adapters for co!! nication via - e es, via Web services, thro gh the Windo(s file syste!, and sing other technologies. Microsoft also provides adapters for interacting (ith pop lar pac+aged applications, s ch as those fro! 3A$ and 8racle. .n this e/a!ple, s ppose an inventory application deter!ines that so!e ite! needs to be reordered. .t sends an order re- est to #i)'al+ 3erver via an appropriate adapter "step @%. 'his re- est starts an orchestration, (hich then creates a !essage re- esting a p rchase order "$8% for this ne( ite! and sends it to this organi)ation2s 5*$ application "step 2%. As al(ays, co!! nication bet(een #i)'al+
.(

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

3erver and this application relies on so!e adapter, and #i)'al+ 3erver also perfor!s any re- ired data transfor!ation. 9e/t, the 5*$ application creates the p rchase order and sends it bac+ to #i)'al+ 3erver "step :%. 8nce this !essage is received, the orchestration creates another !essage to act ally place the order, then sends it to the f lfill!ent application "step A%. All three of the applications sed in this process !ight be inside the sa!e organi)ation, !a+ing this an e/a!ple of enterprise application integration. .t2s also possible that, say, the f lfill!ent application is located at a s pplier fir!, (hich !a+es that part of the process - alify as b siness,to,b siness integration. .n either case, the syste! (or+flo( i!ple!ents the controlling logic for this process, (hile each of the applications the (or+flo( relies on carries o t its o(n responsibilities.

Microsoft Tools for reating 'yste# $or%flows

Connecting soft(are (ith syste! (or+flo( co!!only involves dealing (ith a significant a!o nt of technology. #eca se of this, the pri!ary tool #i)'al+ 3erver provides for creating syste! (or+flo(s targets developers. 6osted inside 4is al 3t dio, the 8rchestration Designer lets developers define syste! (or+flo(s by dragging and dropping actions "called shapes% onto a s rface, ! ch li+e the developer tool sed (ith Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices. 'he screen shot belo( sho(s ho( this loo+s.

Along (ith this developer,foc sed tool, #i)'al+ 3erver also provides a 4isio,hosted design tool. Called the 8rchestration Designer for # siness Analysts, it2s ai!ed at less technically oriented people. 8rchestrations created (ith this tool can be i!ported into the 4is al 3t dio,hosted tool sho(n above. A b siness analyst !ight define the process sed in a syste! (or+flo(, for e/a!ple, then pass this

..

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

definition to a developer. 'he developer can then add the technical details re- ired to !a+e the orchestration e/ec table.

An Aside: $indows $or%flow /oundation

6 !an (or+flo( technologies and syste! (or+flo( technologies differ in significant (ays. =et at their heart, both rely on so!e +ind of (or+flo( engine that2s capable of e/ec ting a series of steps in so!e order. Wor+flo(s also co!!only need other services, s ch as the ability to store their state on dis+ (hile (aiting for a response that !ight ta+e ho rs or days to arrive. While ! ch abo t h !an and syste! (or+flo( is different, the f nda!entals are very si!ilar. 7iven this si!ilarity, it !a+es sense to create a co!!on (or+flo( engine that can be sed for any (or+flo(,based application. 'his is e/actly (hat Microsoft has done (ith Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation "W1%. 'argeted strictly at soft(are developers rather than b siness analysts, W1 is intended to be sed for any +ind of (or+flo(,based application. .t provides a (or+flo( engine, a standard set of activities for defining (or+flo(s, and a graphical designer to help developers create (or+flo(s and their o(n c sto! activities. D st as i!portant is (hat W1 does not provide0 direct s pport for h !an (or+flo(, s ch as tas+ lists or for!s creation, or direct s pport for syste! (or+flo(, s ch as adapters and data transfor!ation. W1 is solely foc sed on defining and e/ec ting the (or+flo( logic itself, and it2s !eant to be sef l for both h !an and syste! (or+flo(. .t2s also i!portant to note that W1 provides no host process for (or+flo(s, leaving this p to the application developer. <nli+e a prod ct s ch as #i)'al+ 3erver, W1 offers no b ilt,in s pport for fa lt tolerance, !anage!ent, deploy!ent, or other sef l aspects of an enterprise application. As its na!e s ggests, this technology is foc sed on ? st one thing0 (or+flo(. .n so!e sit ations, s pport for the # siness $rocess 5/ec tion Eang age "#$5E% has beco!e i!portant. 'o address this, Microsoft provides a technology called #$5E for Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation. 3ched led for final release in late 2007, this option allo(s i!porting process logic defined in #$5E into a W1 (or+flo(. Developers can also e/port W1 (or+flo( logic to #$5E as (ell as (or+ directly (ith #$5E,based W1 activities. And (hile an initial version s pports #$5E @.@, the final release (ill i!ple!ent #$5E 2.0, the !ost recent version of the standard. Microsoft itself has beg n to se W1 in its o(n prod cts. 'he h !an (or+flo( s pport in Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices, for e/a!ple, is b ilt on W1. .n fact, the 4is al 3t dio,hosted tool sho(n earlier for creating 3hare$oint h !an (or+flo(s is really ? st the W1 (or+flo( designer. Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices also provides c sto! W1 activities to place (or+ on a tas+ list and perfor! other f nctions specific to h !an (or+flo(. While both Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices and 8ffice 3hare$oint 3erver add - ite a bit, the f nda!ental logic of each 3hare$oint (or+flo( is e/ec ted by W1. 3i!ilarly, a f t re release of #i)'al+ 3erver (ill i!ple!ent syste! (or+flo(s "i.e., orchestrations% sing W1 "altho gh e/isting orchestrations (ill still be s pported%. 'he W1 (or+flo( designer is also planned to s pplant the prod ct2s c rrent 8rchestration Designer. *ather than i!ple!ent and s pport ! ltiple (or+flo( engines, Microsoft has chosen to se W1 as a co!!on fo ndation in !ost of its f t re prod cts that i!ple!ent (or+flo(. .34s and end ser organi)ations can also se W1, of co rse. #eca se it2s part of the .95' 1ra!e(or+ :.0, this technology is available at no e/tra cost for any Windo(s application. As described in the ne/t section, a n !ber of .34 partners have b ilt #$M prod cts on W1. 7oing for(ard, it2s li+ely that this engine (ill beco!e a pop lar fo ndation for Windo(s,based (or+flo( of all types.
.2

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

0sing "u#an and 'yste# $or%flow Together

1ro! a technical perspective, h !an (or+flo( and syste! (or+flo( are different in i!portant (ays. 1ro! a b siness perspective, ho(ever, i!proving a b siness process !ight re- ire sing both approaches. Accordingly, it ! st be possible to se both technologies together. 1or e/a!ple, so!e orders in the process ? st described !ight re- ire h !an approval. Does it really !a+e sense to let soft(are decide to spend (hat co ld be a large a!o nt of !oney& .f the e/pense is high eno gh, placing an order !ight even re- ire approval fro! several people. 'he process of !a+ing this decision co ld be i!ple!ented sing a h !an (or+flo(, (hich !eans that the entire b siness process (o ld rely on a co!bination of syste! and h !an (or+flo(. 'his section describes ho( this can be done in the Microsoft (orld.

o#1ining $indows 'harePoint 'ervices and Bi-Tal% 'erver

Microsoft2s fo ndation sol tion for h !an (or+flo( is Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices, (hile #i)'al+ 3erver plays that role for syste! (or+flo(. .t sho ldn2t be s rprising that these technologies can be sed together to i!ple!ent a process co!bining h !an and syste! (or+flo(. 'he fig re belo( sho(s a si!ple e/a!ple of ho( this !ight loo+.
Workflow Participants Document Library Sites

!i"Talk Server
Orchestration

') Initiate workflow -y adding doc%&ent

Workflow

") A##rove or re$ect order

Windows SharePoint Services

Data Transformation dapters

1) )end order re*%est

2) (e*%est PO

) (et%rn PO

+) If a##roved, #lace order

Inventory pplication

$%P pplication

#ulfillment pplication

'he first three steps in this scenario are the sa!e as in the syste! (or+flo( e/a!ple sho(n earlier0 the inventory application sends an order re- est to #i)'al+ 3erver "step @%, and #i)'al+ 3erver re- ests "step 2% and receives "step :% a p rchase order fro! the 5*$ application. 9o(, ho(ever, let2s ass !e
.3

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

that the $8 a!o nt is s fficient to re- ire approval fro! a gro p of !anagers at this fir!. A h !an (or+flo( i!ple!ented sing Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices is sed to !a+e this decision. 8nce the orchestration has deter!ined that this $8 re- ires !anagerial approval, it ses a 3hare$oint adapter to add a doc !ent to a partic lar doc !ent library "step A%. As !entioned earlier, adding a ne( doc !ent to a library can a to!atically trigger e/ec tion of a 3hare$oint (or+flo(, (hich is e/actly (hat happens here. 'his (or+flo( then e/ec tes as described earlier, adding tas+s to the participants2 tas+ lists. 5ach participant approves or re?ects the order "step B%, and once all responses are in, the (or+flo( adds infor!ation to the doc !ent previo sly created in this doc !ent library by the orchestration, an action not sho(n in this fig re. #i)'al+ 3erver2s 3hare$oint adapter retrieves this !odified doc !ent, so!ething that2s also not sho(n, and if the order is approved, contacts the f lfill!ent application to place it "step C%. Co!bining h !an and syste! (or+flo( is the right approach for i!proving a n !ber of b siness processes. As this e/a!ple sho(s, Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices and #i)'al+ 3erver can be sed together to acco!plish this. '(o distinct (or+flo(s ! st be defined, sing t(o different design tools, and those (or+flo(s (ill be e/ec ted by t(o separate (or+flo( engines. 3till, this co!bination can be sed for b siness processes that re- ire both +inds of (or+flo(.

Partner 'olutions
3everal Microsoft partners provide (ays to connect their #$M technologies (ith Microsoft2s, offering alternative approaches to creating co!bined h !an and syste! (or+flo(s. 'his section loo+s at so!e of these partners, providing a brief description of ho( each one co!ple!ents (hat Microsoft provides. Ascentn Ascentn Agile$oint, b ilt on the .95' 1ra!e(or+ and other Windo(s technologies, is foc sed entirely on h !an (or+flo(. Accordingly, the prod ct relies on #i)'al+ 3erver for syste! (or+flo( and integration. As the screen shot belo( ill strates, Ascentn2s 4isio,based tool for defining processes, called 5nvision, can incl de a #i)'al+ orchestration directly (ithin an Agile$oint (or+flo(. While the orchestration2s logic can2t be !odified in this tool, it is possible to define #i)'al+ endpoints and config re the orchestration in other (ays.

.4

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

1or b siness processes that need both syste! and h !an (or+flo(, co!bining #i)'al+ 3erver (ith Agile$oint in this (ay can !a+e sense. While #i)'al+ 3erver addresses the syste! (or+flo( and integration aspects of the proble!, Agile$oint offers s pport for h !an (or+flo( that goes beyond (hat2s possible (ith Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices. A!ong the things this prod ct provides, for e/a!ple, are the ability to add ne( participants in ne( roles (hile a (or+flo( is r nning and to display different for!s based on a participant2s role. P2Msoft 'he forthco!ing release of $9Msoft2s #$M offering, called 35F<59C5 and d e by !id,2007, is b ilt on Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation. 'his prod ct foc ses pri!arily on h !an (or+flo(, and li+e 3hare$oint (or+flo(s, 35F<59C5 (or+flo(s can interact (ith people thro gh a Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices interface, thro gh 8 tloo+, and in other (ays. 35F<59C5 provides its o(n e/ec tion environ!ent, ho(ever>its (or+flo(s don2t r n inside Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices. And (hile the pre,defined (or+flo(s incl ded in 8ffice 3hare$oint 3erver s pport basic doc !ent approval and other relatively straightfor(ard processes, $9Msoft targets a !ore co!ple/ set of scenarios. <nli+e 3hare$oint (or+flo(s, for instance, 35F<59C5 allo(s a tas+ to be ro ted to (hoever c rrently has the shortest - e e of (aiting ite!s or broadcast to all sers b t processed only by the first ser (ho handles it. 'o create (or+flo(s, $9Msoft provides a (eb,based design tool called 35F<59C5 3t dio. 'his tool incl des a large n !ber of (i)ards, each intended to help an infor!ation (or+er !ore easily define so!e aspect of a process. <nder the covers, these (i)ards create W1 (or+flo(s sing both standard W1 activities and $9Msoft2s c sto! activities. 'he tool also provides (i)ards that allo( an infor!ation (or+er to e/a!ine available #i)'al+ orchestrations, then define a connection that e/changes data (ith this orchestration via Web services. 'he screen shot belo( sho(s an e/a!ple of ho( this loo+s.

.&

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

$9Msoft2s c sto! activities can also be sed by developers to create 35F<59C5 (or+flo(s directly in 4is al 3t dio. As (ith !any #$M prod cts, the goal is to provide tools for both technical staff and !ore b siness,oriented people. 'ource ode3425net 1oc sed pri!arily on defining and e/ec ting h !an (or+flo(s, 3o rceCode2s ;2.net relies on #i)'al+ 3erver for syste! (or+flo(s. 'he prod ct2s forthco!ing release, codena!ed G#lac+ $earlH and sched led to be available by !id,2007, provides a 4is al 3t dio,hosted designer that developers can se to do this. Written sing Windo(s $resentation 1o ndation, this designer lets a developer add a #i)'al+ orchestration to a (or+flo(, then config re so!e aspects of the interaction bet(een the orchestration and the h !an (or+flo(. #lac+ $earl also ses Microsoft2s #$M technologies in other (ays. 'he prod ct2s native h !an (or+flo(s are e/ec ted sing Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation, and it incl des a designer that lets infor!ation (or+ers define these (or+flo(s. 'his tool, a si!ple e/a!ple of (hich is sho(n belo(, can be sed to create either native #lac+ $earl (or+flo(s or (or+flo(s that r n in Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices. <nli+e Microsoft2s 3hare$oint Designer, #lac+ $earl2s ADAI,based approach provides a !ore traditional graphical vie( of a b siness process. C sto!ers (ho have 8ffice 3hare$oint 3erver installed can also se this tool to create 3hare$oint (or+flo(s that display .nfo$ath for!s, so!ething that2s not possible (ith 3hare$oint Designer.

.*

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

Auto#ating o#!le6 7ecisions: Business Rules 8ngines

Ma+ing good decisions - ic+ly is the essence of an effective b siness. 3oft(are has al(ays been good at si!ple ifJthen choices, b t !ore co!ple/ decisions have traditionally been left p to people. 'his tradition is changing, ho(ever, (ith the increasing se of b siness r les engines "#*5s%. #*5s are a sef l technology (hen the set of r les that deter!ine a co!ple/ decision can be e/pressed na!big o sly. 3o!e co!!on e/a!ples of this are ins rance nder(riting and loan origination, both sit ations (here a decision is based on a !yriad of facts abo t an applicant. #*5s can be sef l in si!pler sit ations as (ell, s ch as e/a!ining retail transactions in real ti!e to detect fra d. Ei+e other #$M technologies, #*5s potentially offer a n !ber of benefits. Decision !a+ing can be faster, since it can be done by soft(are rather than people, and it can be !ore consistent, adhering to the sa!e set of r les every ti!e. A decision !ade by a #*5 can also create an a dit trail, so!ething that2s i!portant for certain +inds of applications. And co!pared to i!ple!enting co!ple/ decisions in traditional soft(are, #*5s can !a+e r les easier to change and to share across different applications. .n so!e sit ations, it2s even possible to let b siness people directly define and pdate these r les. While a #*5 isn2t the right technology for every sit ation, it nonetheless can be sef l for i!proving a variety of b siness processes.

.)

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

The Bi-Tal% 'erver Business Rules 8ngine

Microsoft2s !ost (idely sed #*5 today is provided as part of #i)'al+ 3erver. Despite ho( it2s pac+aged, this #*5 can be sed either (ith a #i)'al+ orchestration or (ith any .95' application. "And altho gh sing it re- ires licensing #i)'al+ 3erver, the prod ct2s pricing is still co!petitive for a #*5.% 'o see ho( this technology !ight be sed, thin+ once again abo t the co!bined h !an and syste! (or+flo( scenario sho(n earlier. .n that e/a!ple, #i)'al+ 3erver provided the syste! (or+flo( and integration services that connected diverse applications, b t the decision abo t (hether to place high,val e orders (as !ade by people interacting via a Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices (or+flo(. .t !ight be possible, ho(ever, to for!ali)e the r les sed to !a+e this decision, then store the! in the #i)'al+ 3erver #*5. *ather than relying on people, this b siness process co ld be i!ple!ented entirely in soft(are. 'he fig re belo( sho(s ho( this (o ld loo+.

!i"Talk Server
Orchestration

!i"Talk Server !%$

9f : Then : 9f : Then : 9f : Then :

Data Transformation dapters

') A##rove or re$ect order

1) )end order re*%est

2) (e*%est PO

) (et%rn PO

") If a##roved, #lace order

Inventory pplication

$%P pplication

#ulfillment pplication

As the fig re ill strates, the first three steps re!ain the sa!e as in the previo s scenarios. 'he decision to approve or re?ect a high,val e order, ho(ever, is !ade by the #i)'al+ 3erver #*5 "step A% rather than by people. 'he #*5 is invo+ed directly fro! the r nning orchestration, ret rning the res lt of its eval ation. As before, the order is then placed only if it (as approved "step B%. .f the r les nderlying this decision can be e/pressed ob?ectively and acc rately, the benefit to the b siness process is clear0 decision !a+ing (ill be faster and !ore consistent. .t !ight also be !ore transparent, since the r les are no( available in an e/ternal for!at>they2re no longer stored solely in people2s heads. As this e/a!ple sho(s, a #*5 !ight be able to replace decisions !ade by people in a b siness process. .t2s also possible for a process to se both decision,!a+ing approaches. .n the e/a!ple sho(n here, for instance, s ppose that the decision criteria for so!e +inds of orders can2t be co!pletely capt red in for!ali)ed r les. .t2s possible that along (ith the steps sho(n above, the process (o ld also incl de a h !an (or+flo(, perhaps i!ple!ented sing Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices. While a #*5 !ight so!eti!es replace decisions !ade by people, the t(o can also be sed together.

Rules in $indows $or%flow /oundation

Along (ith the #*5 in #i)'al+ 3erver, Microsoft also provides a r les engine (ith Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation. 'he approach ta+en by the W1 engine is so!e(hat different fro! that of the #i)'al+ 3erver #*5. 1or e/a!ple, the #*5 ses the po(erf l b t harder to nderstand *ete algorith!, (hile the W1
.+

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

r les engine relies on a si!pler approach that2s !eant to be easier to se. 7iven that it2s part of the .95' 1ra!e(or+ :.0, it2s fair to characteri)e the W1 r les engine as a developer,foc sed technology, and so Microsoft has tried to !a+e it !ore approachable by typical Windo(s developers. And since the .95' 1ra!e(or+ :.0 is a standard part of Windo(s, the co!pany2s decision to !a+e s pport for r les a standard part of the platfor! see!s certain to !a+e this technology !ore (idely sed.

Partner 'olutions
#i)'al+ 3erver provides a tool called the # siness * le Co!poser for creating and !odifying #*5 r les. While this tool !ight be sed by b siness people, it2s typically a better fit for developers. 'he W1 r les engine also incl des basic r le a thoring tools, once again targeting developers. 'his section loo+s at alternative partner,provided tools that can be sed (ith Microsoft2s b siness r le technologies. .t2s (orth noting that so!e of the !ore broadly foc sed #$M vendors !entioned earlier also provide r les,related tools. $9Msoft, for instance, provides a W1 activity for invo+ing #i)'al+2s #*5, along (ith graphical tools for defining r les in either the #*5 or the W1 r les engine. 3i!ilarly, 3o rceCode,;2.net provides a #i)'al+ * les Co!poser for creating #*5 r les, then allo(s r nning the #*5 (ith a ;2.net (or+flo(. 'his section describes only partners that foc s specifically on b siness r les technology. RuleBurst .f the goal is to let b siness people create and !odify r les, and it often is, then (hy not let the! do this in the environ!ents that are !ost fa!iliar to the!& 'his is the rationale behind * le# rst2s approach to (or+ing (ith b siness r les. <sing the co!pany2s prod cts, an infor!ation (or+er can create r les in Microsoft Word, Microsoft 5/cel, or Microsoft 4isio. As the Word e/a!ple belo( sho(s, these r les are created in so!ething - ite close to nat ral lang age, helping b siness people !ore easily create and !odify the!.

.,

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

8nce a set of r les is defined in this (ay, it can be i!ported into * le# rst 3t dio, a tool that targets developers, then co!piled into the for!at re- ired by the #i)'al+ #*5. * le# rst also provides tools that help r le creators test r le sets, search the!, and !ore. All of these have the sa!e intent0 provide a !ore b siness,friendly approach to (or+ing (ith r les. 9nRule While * le# rst offers tools for the #i)'al+ #*5, .n* le provides tools that let b siness sers and developers create r les for the W1 r les engine. 'he screen shot belo( sho(s the r le a thoring tool for the co!pany2s .n* le for Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation. As this e/a!ple sho(s, r les can be e/pressed in lang age that2s reasonably close to nor!al speech, allo(ing non,specialists to (or+ (ith r les technology.

2(

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

# siness r les engines have traditionally been sed to address so!e(hat speciali)ed proble!s, s ch as credit scoring and ins rance nder(riting. Microsoft2s decision to incl de the W1 r les engine in the .95' 1ra!e(or+ has the potential to change this, allo(ing r les,based sol tions to be sed in a broader set of scenarios. =et !a+ing r les !ore (idely sed re- ires good tools, and so co!panies s ch as * le# rst and .n* le have an i!portant role to play.

Trac%ing Business Processes: Business Activity Monitoring

A to!ating a b siness process can bring clear benefits. =et co!pared to one perfor!ed by people, an a to!ated process is typically - ite opa- eK getting infor!ation abo t the stat s of a process can be challenging. 'he goal of b siness activity !onitoring "#AM% is to provide visibility into a to!ated processes, offering sef l real,ti!e infor!ation to the people (ho rely on those processes. .t2s sef l to thin+ of #AM technology in t(o distinct parts0

.nfrastr ct re for collecting infor!ation abo t in,progress b siness processes. #eca se these processes !ight rely on ! ltiple applications, this infrastr ct re ! st be sable (ith !ore than ? st a single (or+flo( technology. 'ools that let infor!ation (or+ers access that infor!ation. Different people (ill (ant to se #AM data in different (ays, and so the tools they se !ight be - ite diverse. 3o!e typical e/a!ples incl de dashboards that provide real,ti!e display of critical data, reporting services that present historical trends, and co!!on des+top tools s ch as spreadsheet applications.

2.

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

3ince the technology re- ired for #AM crosses diverse areas, it sho ldn2t be s rprising that it involves a n !ber of different Microsoft prod cts. 'hose prod cts can be gro ped into the t(o categories ? st described0

.nfrastr ct re for collecting infor!ation abo t r nning processes. 'his technology is licensed as part of #i)'al+ 3erver. Ei+e the #*5, ho(ever, the #AM infrastr ct re can be sed (ith both #i)'al+ orchestrations and any application b ilt on the .95' 1ra!e(or+. 'ools that let infor!ation (or+ers access that infor!ation. Whatever application the #AM data co!es fro!, it2s al(ays stored in a 3FE 3erver database, typically in a ! lti,di!ensional c be. 'his !eans that any tool capable of (or+ing (ith 3FE 3erver c bes can access and display #AM data. 'he !ost i!portant of these for #AM incl de Microsoft 5/cel, 8ffice $erfor!ance$oint 3erver, #i)'al+ 3erver2s #AM $ortal, and 3FE 3erver *eporting 3ervices. 8ther Microsoft prod cts can also be sed, s ch as 4isio, as can prod cts fro! other vendors.

'he fig re belo( gives a si!ple vie( of #AM in the Microsoft (orld, sho(ing the f nda!ental technologies in both of these categories.
Infor&ation Workers

&icrosoft $'cel

Office PerformancePoint Server

!i"Talk Server ! & Portal

S*L Server %eportin+ Services

Other Clients

! & Services

!i"Talk Server
Orchestration ! & Database Data Transformation dapters BAM .ata BAM .ata

pplication (
! & Client PI

pplication )
! & Client PI

As the fig re sho(s, #i)'al+ orchestrations can directly generate #AM events and data, all of (hich are sent into a co!!on #AM database. #i)'al+ 3erver also incl des a tool called the 'rac+ing $rofile 5ditor that lets a developer config re an orchestration to send the desired infor!ation to this database. Along (ith b ilt,in s pport for sing #AM (ith orchestrations, #i)'al+ 3erver also provides a #AM client A$. that can be sed (ith any .95' application. "9o #i)'al+ 3erver license is re- ired for applications that se this #AM A$..% .n the e/a!ple sho(n above, for instance, the #AM A$. is sed by t(o other applications to send data to the #AM database. 'he prod ct2s ne/t release, #i)'al+ 3erver 200C *2, (ill add b ilt,in
22

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

s pport for sing #AM (ith applications b ilt on Windo(s Co!! nication 1o ndation or Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation. Altho gh this forthco!ing W1 s pport for #AM isn2t sable (ith h !an (or+flo(s b ilt on Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices, it is possible to se the standard #AM client A$. (ith c sto! 3hare$oint (or+flo(s. 6o(ever it gets to the #AM database, data is al(ays stored in tables and c bes. C bes are !ost co!!only sed in data (areho ses, and so they2re typically seen as a b siness intelligence technology. =et #AM can also be vie(ed in this light0 .t2s real,ti!e b siness intelligence. 'he infor!ation in the c bes is accessible via a set of #AM (eb services, as sho(n in the fig re, and different clients are free to do different things (ith this infor!ation. An 5/cel ser, for instance, !ight read it into a pivot table, then create a graphical vie( of the aspects of this process that she (ishes to see. "#i)'al+ 3erver provides an 5/cel add,in to !a+e this easier to do.% 'his vie( can be pdated as often as necessary, allo(ing real, ti!e !onitoring of the b siness process. 8ther tools can display the data in other (ays. 8ffice $erfor!ance$oint 3erver, for e/a!ple, !ight display #AM data generated by one or !ore b siness processes as part of a dashboard. 'he screen shot belo( sho(s an ill stration of ho( this !ight loo+ sing $erfor!ance$oint2s # siness 3corecard Manager.

When it2s done (ell, an a to!ated b siness process that ses #AM can provide !ore infor!ation to the people (ho depend on it than if it (ere a !an al process. $eople don2t al(ays have the ti!e or the inclination to respond to stat s re- ests, b t (ell,designed soft(are does. .!proving b siness processes
23

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

(ith #$M technologies hinges on !a+ing the! !ore a to!ated, (hich i!plies an increasingly i!portant role for #AM.

7escri1ing Business Processes

As a process,oriented perspective contin es to gro( in enterprises, the ability to describe those processes !atters !ore and !ore. # siness people need to nderstand the processes their organi)ation relies on, and they need to co!! nicate those processes clearly to the .' people (ho i!ple!ent the!. 'he .' staff also needs to have an acc rate big,pict re vie( of (hat their organi)ation is as+ing the! to do. 'ools for vis ali)ing b siness processes can help. Microsoft 4isio is today2s !ost (idely sed tool for describing b siness processes. While it can be sed for !any +inds of dra(ing>it2s not solely a process !odeling tool>4isio is nevertheless a co!!on choice for this p rpose. ".n fact, 7artner2s 200C Magic F adrant for # siness $rocess Analysis 'ools places Microsoft in the Eeaders - adrant d e to 4isio2s pop larity.% 'he prod ct provides shapes for describing processes sing the # siness $rocess Modeling 9otation "#$M9%, and it also incl des its o(n shapes for doing this, as the screen shot belo( sho(s.

6o(ever it2s done, acc rately describing a b siness process is an i!portant step in i!proving it. 4isio is perhaps today2s !ost (idely sed general,p rpose dra(ing tool, and so it2s not s rprising that this pop larity e/tends to doc !enting b siness processes.

24

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

onclusion
#$M has gone !ainstrea!. As its technologies contin e to spread, !ore and !ore organi)ations (ill se the! to !a+e b siness processes faster, less error,prone, and !ore reliable. 5ven in co!panies (hose b siness leaders haven2t e!braced a process,oriented perspective, #$M technologies can provide significant val e in a variety of .' pro?ects. Microsoft2s #$M offerings ai! at s pporting this !ove. Many c sto!ers rely solely on these technologies, (hile others also se the !ore speciali)ed prod cts provided by Microsoft2s .34 partners. .n both cases, the res lt is the sa!e0 better b siness processes and i!proved b siness res lts.

/or /urther Reading

Microsoft and #$M0

http0JJ(((.!icrosoft.co!Jbp!

<nderstanding Wor+flo( in Windo(s 3hare$oint 3ervices and the 2007 Microsoft 8ffice 3yste!0

http0JJdo(nload.!icrosoft.co!Jdo(nloadJLJdJdJLddACAdC,A@a:,A0ed,abab, aAf@7BfM0cc0J<nderstandingN20Wor+flo(N20inN20Windo(sN203hare$ointN203ervices N20andN20theN202007N208fficeN203yste!.doc

<nderstanding #i)'al+ 3erver 200C0

http0JJdo(nload.!icrosoft.co!Jdo(nloadJ5JBJAJ5BA@D0BC,B77M,AD#@,LA1A, LA5CCAALCACAJ<nderstanding.doc

.ntrod cing Microsoft Windo(s Wor+flo( 1o ndation0

http0JJ!sdn2.!icrosoft.co!Jen, sJlibraryJaaAM02@B.asp/

Ascentn0

http0JJ(((.ascentn.co!

$9Msoft0

http0JJ(((.pn!soft.co!

3o rcecode,;20

http0JJ(((.+2(or+flo(.co!

* le# rst0

http0JJ(((.r leb rst.co!

2&

Microsoft and BPM: A Technology Overview

.n* le0

http0JJ(((.inr le.co!

A1out the Author

David Chappell is $rincipal of Chappell & Associates "(((.davidchappell.co!% in 3an 1rancisco, California. 'hro gh his spea+ing, (riting, and cons lting, he helps infor!ation technology professionals nderstand, se, and !a+e better decisions abo t enterprise soft(are.

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