IBM V2.3 manual

Image and Workflow Library: FlowMark V2.3 Design Guidelines Bob Stegmaier Mike Ebbers Tomislav Begovac International Technical Support Organization http://www.redbooks.ibm.com SG24-4613-02[...]

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International Technical Support Organization Image and Workflow Library: FlowMark V2.3 Design Guidelines February 1998 SG24-4613-02[...]

Take Note! Before using this information and the product it supports, be sure to read the general information in Appendix C, “Special Notices” on page 29. Third Edition (February 1998) This edition applies to Version 2 Release 3 of IBM FlowMark, Program Number 5697-216 for use with the OS/2, Windows NT and AIX Operating Systems. Comments may be[...]

Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v The Team That Wrote This Redbook ......................... v Comments Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi Chapter 1. Introduction and Overview ....................... 1 1.1 Basic Concepts of FlowMark ..[...]

A.3 Data Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 A.4 Other Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Appendix B. The FlowMark Internet Site .................... 2 7 Appendix C. Special Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Appendix D. Relate[...]

Preface This redbook tells you how to design your FlowMark processes to optimize performance, capacity and resource utilization. This version has been updated for IBM FlowMark V2.3 and runs on the OS/2, NT and AIX platforms. It was written for technical professionals such as solutions architects, consultants, and application programmers who are imp[...]

Comments Welcome Your comments are important to us! We want our redbooks to be as helpful as possible. Please send us your comments about this or other redbooks in one of the following ways:  Fax the evaluation form found in “ITSO Redbook Evaluation” on page 51 to the fax number shown on the form.  Use the electronic evaluation form found[...]

Chapter 1. Introduction and Overview Workflow management helps you manage and control your business processes, pinpoint areas for improvement, and streamline your procedures for speedier cycles and shorter response times. By defining the flow of work, everyone is notified of outstanding work and presented with the required information and an approp[...]

 The Staff Definition facility is used for the definition of staff personnel to which activities could be assigned. It maintains information about people, skill levels, roles, organizations, their relationships and their authorizations.  The Program Registration facility is used to register programs that are invoked at process execution by an[...]

Chapter 2. Importance of Process Design The design of your processes is critical to the project and to your business. It must be done well. You should expect to refine your processes on an ongoing basis. Since FlowMark provides data in the audit trail on process performance, you can more easily find the weak points in the processes. Since the “pr[...]

2.2 Understand the Basis: FlowMark V2.3 The suggestions in this redbook are based on FlowMark as it is implemented in Version 2 Release 3, the generally available (GA) level of code. As early users find new and intriguing ways to solve their business problems using workflow, they will at times desire functions that are not offered or find uses that[...]

Chapter 3. Client/Server Can Mean Multiple Servers While FlowMark is a client/server tool, do not limit your thinking and design to a single server. You should consider capacity and performance in your design, and there are times when you will need multiple servers to achieve your goals, particularly if you are designing something larger than a dep[...]

The expectation in this concept is that each server and database combination are independent of any other. There is no communication between FlowMark servers. However, this solution could, over time, be combined with the following option.  Have processes on one or more servers perform subprocesses on other servers. This function in V2.3, introdu[...]

Chapter 4. How Big is a Process? How big should a process be? How much of the business should it encompass? How many activities should it contain? The answer lies somewhere between bigger than the head of a pin and smaller than a galaxy. Again, there are no hard-and-fast rules, but some guidelines can help. If the process has only one or two activi[...]

two-activity processes (or subprocesses) need to be questioned as they will entail this overhead, which is much more than just “inline” activities. On the other hand, a very large process, with many activities and long paths that are infrequently used because of the transition conditions, can impact database size. The process instance size is i[...]

Chapter 5. Starting and Deleting Process Instances The most obvious way to start a FlowMark process is to open your process list, copy a process template and start the instance manually. But it is probably better to provide a simple FlowMark API program to do that. This program could be accessible to users via an icon on their desktop, or could be [...]

 Write a program that calls the ExmDeleteProcess API. You can use this API to explicitly delete individual instances whenever you wish, based on such things as time and date or other criteria external to FlowMark processing. The finishing and subsequent deletion of process instances is at least as resource intensive as creating an instance. When[...]

Chapter 6. How Big is an Activity? How much work should an activity represent? How long should a user take to complete an activity? For activities that involve the user interacting with a program, thinking about the problem, and then responding correctly, consider these guidelines:  An activity is done by one person (if you want another person i[...]

Here is an example. A new customer comes to your retail business. You would like to keep the customer for a long time so, as part of the “new customer process,” you gather information into a database. The process design has the following activity steps: 1. Enter customer and spouse names 2. Enter social security numbers 3. Enter addresses 4. En[...]

Chapter 7. How Many People Do I Assign to an Activity? There are many options in FlowMark to help assign activities to different people. These are quite helpful in getting the job done. But do not go overboard, giving everything to everyone. Think about the implications. Narrow the range of who is assigned activities as quickly as possible in the f[...]

 If there is some front end program that uses FlowMark API calls to create and start process instances, have it divide the work in a round robin way: one for team A, then team B, then team C, then back to A. You can use the system fields in the data container to limit the “range” by department, or have separate roles whose members have the s[...]

Chapter 8. When Do I Use an Activity Block? An activity block is a construct that allows you to group several activities together. Its major functions are:  To reduce clutter at a higher level. This lets you have a cleaner big picture at upper levels of your process.  To allow a loop. The activity block can have an exit condition, so the enti[...]

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Chapter 9. When Do I Use a Subprocess? A subprocess is really just a process, but it is called by another (parent) process. It has functions similar to an activity block, but it can do more for you. The characteristics of a subprocess include:  Reusability: a subprocess can be invoked at multiple points in a single process; and it can be invoked[...]

leave the activities inline. If there is a low probability of needing the function, a subprocess is preferable. Also, with subprocesses there are also the considerations of ease of use and having a reusable object. You must make the trade-offs. 18 FlowMark V2.3 Design Guidelines[...]

Chapter 10. Data Container Usage The FlowMark data container is used to pass information from activity to activity within the process. It also controls the flow within the process when data fields are used in transition conditions. The terminology used is “process-relevant data.” It is important to understand this concept. The data container is[...]

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Chapter 11. Using FlowMark Functions Wisely There are many functions in FlowMark that can influence system performance but are not directly related to process design. They relate to end-user activities. The people who design a FlowMark system, those with the most knowledge of FlowMark, frequently have the opportunity to influence the training the u[...]

To see the exact possibilities, or to help train your users, do the following, starting from the Runtime client icons:  For work lists, select the work list icon, then the specific work list. Open settings, and go to the Activities page. You can do this for each work list if you have multiples.  For process lists, select the User information [...]

arrays of data container items. The effects of large data containers was discussed in Chapter 10, “Data Container Usage” on page 19. Chapter 11. Using FlowMark Functions Wisely 23[...]

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Appendix A. Factors Influencing the Size of a FlowMark Data Base When you design your process in FlowMark Buildtime, you create a process model. You then translate this model and create a process template. This is a bit like compiling a program. The template contains the rules and other information necessary to run an instance of the process. You w[...]

A.2 Results of Staff Resolution When FlowMark determines that a particular activity should be run, it goes through a function called staff resolution. This function determines who should have this activity as "ready" on their work list. Based on what the process designer has specified on the two "staff" pages in the activity not[...]

Appendix B. The FlowMark Internet Site If you would like more information on FlowMark, visit the Internet site: http://www.software.ibm.com/ad/flowmark Here you will find lots of information on what is happening in the world of FlowMark, frequently updated.  Copyright IBM Corp. 1996, 1998 27[...]

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Appendix C. Special Notices This publication was written to give system architects more information to plan for the number of servers needed for their FlowMark system, and to design it for better performance. The information in this publication is not intended as the specification of any programming interfaces that are provided by FlowMark. See the[...]

The following terms are trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and/or other countries: The following terms are trademarks of other companies: C-bus is a trademark of Corollary, Inc. Java and HotJava are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Incorporated. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and the Windows 95 logo a[...]

Appendix D. Related Publications The publications listed in this section are considered particularly suitable for a more detailed discussion of the topics covered in this redbook. D.1 International Technical Support Organization Publications For information on ordering these ITSO publications see “How to Get ITSO Redbooks” on page 33.  FlowM[...]

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Glossary Note: This glossary defines terms and abbreviations for IBM FlowMark. For more information about the differences and other terms, not defined here, refer to the respective publication as listed in Appendix D, “Related Publications” on page 31. A activity . A unit of work that is performed by one person in one place and at one time. An [...]

bar code . Industry standard pattern of vertical lines. You can use bar codes to indicate the beginning of a new folder, the beginning of a new document, or to provide a value to be used in indexing the folder or the document. base product . The product that provides the functionality required for the operation, for example, FlowMark, Lotus Notes. [...]

change management bus . On the ALOVC, a continuum of repetitive and unpredictable processes for enabling customers to request and affect changes (for example, a proposal, a contract, or an order at any time during the relationship). child organization . In FlowMark: an organization within the hierarchy of administrative units of an enterprise that [...]

when a customer places an order to when the customer receives the product). D DASD . Direct Access Storage Device. A device in which access time is effectively independent of the location of the data. data bus . On an ALOVC or a LLOVC, a logical set of data. A logical, dynamic data store. It Starts at the beginning of a logical model, such as ALOVC[...]

entity . A thing or object of importance to a business about which the business wants to keep information, such as customer or product. event flow . In process-based applications, including FlowMark, an event flow is part of the control flow. It triggers the continuation of activities that are in a wait status. See also control flow, workflow , and[...]

such as an order, a shipping document, or an invoice. Information flows can use various media, such as FAX machines, telephones, or electronic mail, which can be represented on the LOVCs by icons. See also data flow , material flow , and control flow . information system . See system . input container . In FlowMark: storage for data used as an inpu[...]

loop . A loop is an iteration of activities on a PLOVC or JLOVC. There are two sets of exit criteria for a loop: 1. One set contains the criteria for exiting the loop through the normal flow when the exit conditions are met. 2. The other set contains the criteria for how often the flow can go through the loop before terminating it if the first crit[...]

O opportunity area (OA) . A point in a process or process path where possibilities, advantages, or other positive factors can help an enterprise meet its goals. organization . An administrative unit of an enterprise. In FlowMark: organization is one of the criteria that can be used to dynamically assign activities to people. See also role, child or[...]

process diagram . A graphical representation of a process or process path that shows all its components. process instance . In FlowMark: an executable copy of a process template in Runtime. process management . In FlowMark: the Runtime tasks associated with process instances, such as creating, starting, suspending, resuming, terminating, restarting[...]

Runtime client . In FlowMark: the user interface for working with process templates, process instances, work lists, and work items. See also Runtime . S screen layout . The design and specifications of the image that the user sees on the screen of a system. See also report layout . service encounter . Any point of contact with your customer. See al[...]

order cycle time. The time line shows both actual (As Is) and target (To Be) times. To Be . The desired state of a process or process path: how it could be or should be. See also As Is . To Be view . A chart or diagram showing the desired state of a process or process path. See also As Is view . top-down . Modeling or designing business processes f[...]

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Index A activity 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19 automatic 12 block 1, 15 networks 1 notebook 13 staff pages 13 volumes 11 activity block 2 activity, automatically started 1 activity, unattended 1 additional hardware 3 AIX 5, 6 application 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 17, 19 assign 1 audit trail 3, 9 automate 11 automatic 9, 12 automatically st[...]

headquarters 5, 6 I impact 3, 6, 11, 14, 19, 22 include 19, 21 input container 6 instance 3 K knowledge workers 11 L LAN 3 load balancing 13 M memory (swapping) 6 monitor 9 N navigation 1, 19 navigation evaluation 11 network 13, 21 network address 6 nodes 1 notebook, personal data settings 9 notification servicer 10 O off-load 10 organization 13 OS[...]

server (continued) multiple (continued) no communication 6 subprocess 6 OS/2 5 planning 5 regional 5 registration 2 single 5 step up 5 Unix 5 Server Definition facility 2 shutdown 21 signoff 21 signon 21 skill level 13 staff 1, 5, 13 allocation of 1 staff definitions 17 staff resolution 6, 7, 11 structure 19 subprocess 2, 5, 6, 15, 17 activity note[...]

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SG24-4613-02 Printed in the U.S.A. Image and Workflow Library: FlowMark V2.3 Design Guidelines SG24-4613-02[...]