IBM's BPM enabled by SOA method
As mentioned earlier, SOA is not a technology but glue that cements the holistic relationship between IT and business. BPM again is a practice of focusing on the improvement of operations efficiencies within an organization by modeling, automating, and monitoring their core business processes. Both BPM and SOA are an art into themselves. Some of the key concerns, questions, and topics that arise when venturing into the adoption of BPM and SOA may include:
How to identify process metrics and KPIs which are not only aligned with my core business performance objectives, but also help me constantly improve?
How can I set up and implement a process governance and management framework?
How to identify an implementation of a continuous and iterative BPM process optimization cycle that improves business and process agility?
How to realize the value of applying BPM to deliver business processes?
What are the set of phases, associated activities, and deliverables that I should adopt for the BPM solution development and management?
So when I'm building solutions with a BPM enabled by SOA approach, what are the lifecycle phases and what do I typically do in each of the lifecycle phases? Also, how and where do WPS, WESB, and potentially other products from IBM apply to each of the lifecycle phases? Let's look at IBM's BPM enabled by SOA methodology.
IBM's BPM enabled by SOA methodology provides a structured set of activities that you can manipulate and use in the build out of SOA and BPM based solutions. By using the method correctly, you can be assured that the solution including the business processes and Business Services will be aligned with business goals and that it creates a framework for continuous improvement. As shown in the following figure, the BPM enabled by the SOA method has five primary phases, which are as follows:
Envision
Define strategy maps
Identify process capabilities and processes
Assess
Collect understanding of current processes, process performance, and process enablers
Define
Model future business processes, future process performance, and supporting process enablers
Validation of models and design
Execute
Build, test, and deploy business processes, process performance monitoring and reporting, and supporting process enablers (technology, organization, and knowledge)
Optimize
Operating, monitoring, and managing operational processes and their supporting process enablers (technology, organization, and knowledge)
Governance spans all phases
Tip
For detailed information on IBM's BPM enabled by SOA methodology, refer to the IBM Redpaper, Business Process Management Enabled by SOA by Anthony Catts and Joseph St. Clair:
