Designing processes - EMC Community Network

Chapter 1
Overview
This chapter discusses the following:
• Introduction
• Advantages of using an automated system
• Recommended approach to solution construction
• An example: a Grants Management application
• Technology Considerations
Introduction
Business processes occur in many contexts: government, law, health-care, insurance, retail,
telecommunications, and other domains. A process orchestrates a combination of human and
automated activities that produce and deliver information. This information can be in the form of
structured data or unstructured content, and the process must be able to manage both types easily and
seamlessly. During the course of the process, users add documents and enter business data. The
process uses this information to route the process to the correct people. The people working in the
process use this process information to make the correct decisions.
One example of process-based solution is case management. The case launches one or more processes
to perform its work. The best practices described in this document apply to both case management
solutions and to process-based applications in general. See the xCelerated Composition Platform (xCP)
Grants Management Sample Application and its documentation (xCelerated Composition Platform
Grants Management Sample Application Technical Reference Guide) for an in-depth discussion of
case management concepts and practices.
Advantages of using an automated system
Using an automated system to manage a business process improves efficiency and effectiveness and
provides better service to the client. Using an automated system provides these benefits:
• Eliminates the need for time-consuming and error-prone paper-based systems to compile and
manage process data
• Improves processing time by eliminating the need to locate and physically transport information
stored in file cabinets
• Enables ongoing monitoring and control of the process through a real-time dashboard
• Allows process participants to interact, giving their inputs and participating in discussion threads
EMC Documentum xCelerated Composition Platform Version 1.6 Best Practices Guide 9