A New Approach to Software

Development and Management

The convergence of two distinct but completely complementary technologies; the Internet/Extranet/
Intranet (collectively Xnet) and e-Process Design and Management (EPDM) software is transforming the
business landscape. Metastorm has developed a new approach to custom software application
development and management to ensure successful exploitation of its EPDM technology.

This radical approach successfully overcomes major problems that have inhibited the widespread
penetration of entire classes of software application; the protracted delays associated with initial
development, and the difficulty and costs of maintaining essentially static applications in a dynamic
business environment.

DEMAND DRIVERS

The widespread adoption of Internet/Extranet/ • Processes extended to allow partners, customers,

Intranet (collectively Xnet) technologies has allowed
companies to redefine the nature of their
relationships with every constituency impacting their
business – employees, customers, suppliers,
partners, prospects and government/regulatory
agencies.
Meanwhile, emerging EPDM technologies are
allowing every kind of business process to be
automated, enhanced and extended over the newly
developed Xnets.
suppliers and remote staff to be made part of
business activities.
• E-process applications where everything is tracked
and monitored all of the time. And with a complete
record of all of the data created or employed in the
e-process, managers get continuous feedback on
the efficiency and content of the operations – a
major tool to inform improvement in the future.
• EPDM systems allow changes to be made in real
time in response to changes in business conditions
and company strategy.

EPDM adoption is being driven by companies

looking to achieve the benefits of this transforming
technology:
Enhanced business processes: more accurate, more
reliable, faster and less costly.
Information and intelligence held and managed in
previously disconnected databases and systems now
integrated and at any time, to everyone.
THREE PIVOT POINTS
In re-thinking the traditional approach to application
development and management, Metastorm software
architects identified three pivot points around which
we could transform the experience of deploying and
supporting applications developed on the Metastorm
e-work™ software platform.

1 A New Approach MWP1002-000-00102

 • Application development is a process not
a project.
By this we mean that there is no “end point”
in developing a custom software application.
There is a deployment date when users first
use the new application, but from then on
the application should be in a cycle of
continuous improvement. No longer should
IT departments try to maintain essentially
static applications in a dynamic business
environment.
• The people who specify and operate
applications should have a more direct
role in developing them.
We broke down the traditional barriers
between the non-technical business
managers who understand their needs and
goals and the technical software developers
who understand the design and
development of applications.
• The real rewards of e-business
automation only begin when the
complete process cycle is automated
end-to-end.
For as long as even one element of a
transaction process is performed manually,
or outside of the core application, then the
full benefits of the automation transformation
will be lost. Audit trails will be incomplete,
metrics will be approximations – or someone
is wasting time and money by re-entering
data from one application to another.
Automation must encompass every step in
the process.
Process vs. Project
The development of custom software
applications has traditionally been viewed as a
project – specify, design, test, deliver. New
releases or versions have been adopted to allow
periodic updating of legacy applications.
At its core, however the approach to application
development has been determined by the fact
that all but the most simple solutions are either
monolithic, and hence hard to alter, or highly
complex and fragmented, and hence hard to
alter.
2 A New Approach
Since the application was specified and then
delivered, company objectives, market
conditions, business strategies have changed,
often radically. However, such is the difficulty of
One way or another most
significant corporate
applications are no longer in
tune with current
requirements.
modifying mature applications that users make
do with what they have or they develop
workarounds to compensate for the deficiencies
of the applications.
The answer is to incorporate into the
fundamental architecture of development tools
and platforms, the idea that software
development is an ongoing process.
Software Esperanto
According to a KPMG-commissioned survey at
the beginning of 2000, a third of board directors
admitted to not knowing how to go about
adopting new technologies for their organization.
Consequently, 60% said they would wait until
the technology was tried and tested by their
competitors.
A common theme in software project inquests is
the gap that exists between the training and
vocabulary of technical and non-technical staff.
This gap leads to miscommunication that leads
to delays and solutions that fail to meet user
expectations. A cycle of re-specifying and re-
presenting goes on until the budget is exhausted
or exceeded.
MWP1002-000-00102
Lowering the Passing Grade in the
Materiality Test
Software development is subject to materiality
tests. Such is the cost of traditional software
development efforts that applications deemed
‘non-critical’ would generally not be automated.
Consequently, although the Internet has forced
many organizations to digitize one link in the
process chain – the part that interacts with the
web site, this is more often than not a façade,
behind which processes continue to operate in
the same inefficient and costly way.
Accountancy software vendor, Exchequer
Software, estimates that medium- and small-
sized companies each spend around 700 hours
a year re-keying web data just into unintegrated
accounting packages.
Only by radically lowering the cost of
development can the cost/benefit analysis be
made to support the effort of linking and
automating each link in the chain. The more
links are integrated into the system, the more
benefit is derived.
3 A New Approach
THE METASTORM e-WORK
SOLUTION
Metastorm’s solution to these challenges
recognizes a number of key issues.
The development process must allow extremely
rapid development and extremely easy updating.
The development tool must be appropriate for both
non-technical and technical users.
The platform has to allow in-process, real-time
updates to the code, with ready roll back
irrespective of the complexity of the application.
The development environment must be modular
and truly scalable in the sense that it has to allow
modules to be updated independently, without
risking a breakdown of the application.
Non-technical staff must maintain the most
dynamic elements of the application design. This is
a real world requirement as it can be assumed that
technical staff will always be a scarce resource and
therefore it is imperative to reduce dependency on
this resource if continual change is to be managed
in a timely manner.
MWP1002-000-00102
 Figure 1 provides an overview of e-work’s architecture. A critical component is the e-work Process
Management Suite. This consists of a group of user definable modules, which allow distributed
control and management of all aspects of application development and maintenance.
PEOPLE

e-Process Managers Employees Partners Customers Public Suppliers

ENTRY POINTS

Process Design & Existing applications Browser / Portal Custom

Management Suite e.g. CRM, HR, Finance / Email Clients

Process Controller

Enterprise Adapters EAI

Directories

e-Process Data
Back Office
database Stores
Applications

DATA APPLICATIONS

Figure 1

4 A New Approach MWP1002-000-00102

METASTORM e-WORK PROCESS DESIGN & MANAGEMENT SUITE

The e-work Process Design & Management Suite consists of three modules for each of the technical and
non-technical staff involved in specifying, developing and maintaining e-processes.

Note that the modules designed for use by business managers require NO technical knowledge at all.
Where required, short presentations introduce the module and its use.

MODULE USED BY USED FOR

Metastorm e-work Business Manager Mapping the business process and documenting the
Manager’s Edition integration required. Can also be used to lay out the
forms and interfaces used in the process.
®
Includes output to a supplied Microsoft Excel
application for simulation and “what if?” analysis.

Reporting Application Business Manager A customized e-work application to deliver

performance and content reports on each e-work
application. Can be supplemented by additional
reporting using standard tools (e.g. Crystal Reports)

Process Maintenance Business Manager Customized for each process, this e-work application
Application allows the appropriate manager(s) to respond to
reports by updating key variables in the procedure
(e.g. signing levels, deadlines, escalation levels), in-
process and without input from technical staff.

e-work Designer Developer Takes the file created by Manager’s Edition and adds
integration to databases, third party applications, other
e-work procedures.

e-work Users & Roles Network / Technical Creates e-work users, manages role information
Administrator

e-work Administrator Network / Technical Administers and troubleshoots e-work folders and
Administrator applications.

5 A New Approach MWP1002-000-00102

THE METASTORM e-WORK APPLICATION DESIGN PROCESS

The e-work application design process is unique. The following outline illustrates how most
e-work applications would be developed and maintained.

1. DESIGN
e-work Manager’s Edition allows the 2. DEVELOPMENT
business manager to simply draw a
map of the desired e-process. He or The developer then takes over with
she can annotate each element in e-work Designer to implement the
the process, for example “At this integration requirements of the
point, update the employee record in process, add client and server
®
PeopleSoft ” or “When complete, scripts and manage the
send an email to the customer.” connections between multiple
e-work applications.
A supplied Microsoft Excel Process
Analyzer application provides a set He or she will also complete the
of standard reports – How long will definition of the procedure’s forms
the process take? How many folders and interfaces.
will follow route A, B or C? Which
steps are holding up the process?

Figure 2

3. FEEDBACK and MAINTENANCE

A key benefit from adoption of EPDM technology is continuous feedback. e-work can generate
both content reports (How many widgets are we ordering?) and performance reports (How long
does it take us to process an order for widgets?).

With this feedback, the owner of the e-process uses e-work Manager’s Edition to make changes to
the process definition, or, more often, uses the Process Maintenance Application to quickly
change key decision variables.

6 A New Approach MWP1002-000-00102

Metastorm e-work Manager’s Edition
e-work Manager’s Edition was designed for use
by non-technical staff with no formal training
required to use it.
E-processes can be quickly defined, forms and
interfaces laid out and it will even allow sub-
maps to be used so individual groups can
manage their own part of a larger process.
Annex A to this paper lists the various procedure
Figure 3
and form components that the e-work Designer
utilizes.
e-work Designer
e-work Designer will take a file created by the
business manager using the Manager’s Edition
and allow the developer to quickly complete and
publish the procedure, creating a functioning,
web based e-work application.
7 A New Approach
The working process is now available to staff,
partners, customers and suppliers as required.
Immediately, information will begin to be
collected by e-work – information that can
provide valuable insight into the content and
efficiency of the processes controlled by e-work.
Process Maintenance Application
The Process Maintenance Application is a
specialized e-work application that is used to
maintain another e-work process.
Decision variables such as approval levels and
time constraints, and management of lists can
all be accomplished via simple forms available
to the relevant manager (and only available to
that manager). This allows the process to be
maintained continuously and without the
involvement of an IS department or other
technical staff.
MWP1002-000-00102
 In the example in Figure 4 and Figure 5 below,
the maintenance application is being used to
TYPICAL e-WORK manage the process. A series of input fields on
PERFORMANCE REPORTS a form control the most dynamic aspects of the
process.
Current status of folders by procedure However, it is equally easy to have the
maintenance form control just that single case.
Current To Do list size by staff by
So for example, on major investment cases, the
procedure
originator could specify, within whatever
Min/Max/Ave duration by procedure by constraints corporate management imposes:
stage
deadlines for each stage,
Number of escalations by procedure by
stage make up of a review committee,

Stages reached by less than 1% of sign off by VPs (other than required by corporate),
cases
a list of approved contractors.
Cases actioned in group stages, by staff

Outcome of cases by procedure

Stage durations as percentage of total

procedure

Figure 4

8 A New Approach MWP1002-000-00102

 Here the manager is setting the signing limits
for each management level.

This input determines which senior

managers have to sign off capital
expenditure.

Pull down pick lists can also be

managed.
Timer controls are an
essential mechanism for
ensuring compliance with
quality standards.

Figure 5

9 A New Approach MWP1002-0000-00102

SUMMARY

Metastorm e-work enables a fundamentally new approach to software development and management.

Metastorm e-work Manager’s Edition allows, for the first time, business managers to use the exact
same tool to define their automation needs as the technical developer will use to build a powerful,
integrated Xnet application.

e-work Designer allows developers to be immediately productive as all they are required to do is
complete the development process, not re-interpret business requirements.

As soon as e-work Designer publishes the working application, it is available for use by employees,
customers, suppliers and partners. Feedback reports provide critical information to guide a cycle of
continuous improvement.

e-work Process Maintenance Applications allow process owners to remotely update key variables and
controls in their applications; securely, but without reference to technical staff. Where more substantial
changes are required, e-work Designer Manager’s Edition can again be used to specify alterations.

This means that:

application development is a continuous process of improvement and adaptation,

applications do what the business manager wants them to because he/she played the instrumental role in
designing them, no subsequent translation into technical language was ever necessary, and the business
manager is also in control of updating and maintaining the application,

E-business operations are automated cradle-to-grave, ensuring that the full benefits of e-business migration are
earned, with no compromises - because no element is too expensive to automate.

In short, Metastorm customers have e-business applications that are available now - when they are
required, not at some distant future date; and their business processes are always in tune with market
and business imperatives.

The payback?

Isn’t this what e-business was supposed to be?

10 A New Approach MWP1002-0000-00102

Annex A

e-work Stages

An e-work Stage can be considered as a desk with an in-tray. Folders sit in the in-tray waiting to be
processed. When a folder is waiting in a Stage, it will appear on one or more users’ To Do lists and also
optionally on one or more users Watch lists. There are six types of Stages, each of which is represented
in the e-work map by a different icon:

A User Stage is one where a folder waits for a single user to perform Actions.

A Group Stage is one where the folder is placed on the To Do list of a number of
users. e-work allows the designer two options in a Group Stage. The first is where
only one of the groups undertake the Action on the folder and then the folder is
removed from every group members’ To Do list. The second is where every
member of the group has to perform an Action at the Stage before the folder is
moved to the next Stage. As soon as a particular member of the group has
undertaken their Action, then the folder is removed from that member’s and only
that member’s To Do list.

A System Stage is one where e-work itself undertakes the Actions without any
user intervention. A typical system Stage would be one where conditional Actions
are undertaken as a result of either data stored in the folder or data supplied from
some external system

A Common Stage is used when the same Action is to be made available at a

number of different Stages in a workflow. For example, an Action to add notes to
a folder or an Action to withdraw a folder from the workflow. The Action(s) are
drawn from the common Stage and the common Stage is applied to (or overlaid)
on other specified Stages.

A Sub-procedure Stage is a Stage that automatically creates “child” folders in

one or more sub maps. It is often used in conjunction with a Rendezvous Action
to hold the parent folder at the sub-procedure Stage until one or more of the child
folders have reached the end of their sub maps. These child folders may be
processed in parallel with each other.

An Archive Stage is a special type of Stage that only ever occurs at the end of a
procedure. A folder in an Archive Stage would not appear on anyone's To Do list.

The designer may assign to each Stage operations to be undertaken when the folder arrives at the Stage
and when the folder leaves the Stage.

11 A New Approach MWP1002-0000-00102

e-work Actions

It is the completion of an Action that causes a folder to move from one Stage to another. Actions are
drawn on the e-work map to connect different Stages. The Action buttons that appear in an e-work folder
are defined by the names of the Actions leaving the Stage that the folder sits in.

A User Action is one where a user or group of users undertakes an Action. The
Action could range from completing a form to just pressing a button.

A Timed Action is one that is undertaken automatically by the system after a

certain interval. This is often used either as a reminder to the people on the To
Do list that the folder is still waiting for them to process it or to escalate the folder
to another person. Timers can be set to generate alarms after:
(a) The folder has entered the Stage
(b) The folder was created
(c) The folder was last updated
(d) A deadline that was set has expired.
(e) A specified number of time units before or after a deadline.
Timers can also be set to repeat periodically, for example to instigate weekly,
monthly or quarterly reports.
The following units of time can be used in a timed Action:
Minutes, Hours, Days, Weekdays (Monday to Friday), Weeks, Months

A Flagged Action is one that is triggered by either another procedure or an

external system raising a Flag. This can be useful when, for example, the
Business Manager wants the scanning of a document to create a new e-work
folder. The scanning of the document raises the Flag that causes a new folder to
initiate the procedure.

A Conditional Action is used where the folder has to be sent to a different Stage
depending on values stored in a form or on the results of an inquiry of an
external system.

A Rendezvous Action is always used in conjunction with a sub-procedure

Stage. It holds a parent folder at the sub-procedure Stage until one or all of its
child folders have completed their sub-maps and arrived at an archive Stage.

When an Action is completed, an alert message can be sent to each user who has the e-work folder on
their To Do or Watch list. The designer defines this message. For a User Action the designer can also
define what form the user will see when they invoke the Action, which users are permitted to undertake
the Action and whether the Action should raise a Flag when it is completed.

e-work Forms

e-work also includes an electronic form Designer. One or more forms may be added to a procedure.
When a new form is added to a procedure, e-work will use its Autoprompt technology to add it to the
relevant lists in the Property Editor where it can be selected and be placed into an e-work folder.

The designer has control over all aspects of the form. He or she can set the size, background color,
default font size and color and use a bitmap for the form background. The designer can add the following
elements to a form: fields, text labels, grids, buttons or lines.

12 A New Approach MWP1002-0000-00102

The following field types are available:
þ Text
þ Number
þ Radio Group
þ Date
þ Grid
þ Drop down
þ Check
þ Memo
þ Clip

One field that the reader may not be familiar with is the Clip field. Adding a clip field to a form displays a
clipboard on the form. Users can drag any file and drop it onto the clipboard.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the features and techniques presented in this publication. However,
Metastorm accepts no responsibility, and offers no warranty whether expressed or implied, for the accuracy of this publication.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Metastorm, Inc. makes no warranty of any kind in regard to the
contents of this document, including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability quality or fitness for any particular
purpose. Metastorm, Inc. shall not be liable for errors contained in it or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with
the furnishing, performance or use of this document.

© 2001 Metastorm, Inc. All rights reserved. e-work is a trademark of Metastorm, Inc. Other product or company names herein may
be trademarks of their respective owners.

13 A New Approach MWP1002-0000-00102