bpmNEXT 2019 demo: intelligent BPM by @SAP plus DMN TCK working group

ML, Conversational UX, and Intelligence in BPM, with Andre Hofeditz and Seshadri Sreeniva of SAP plus DMN TCK update

We’re at the end of bpmNEXT for another year, and we have one last demo. Seshadri showed a demo of their intelligent BPM for an employee onboarding process (integrated with SuccessFactors), where the process can vary widely depending on level, location and other characteristics. This exposes the pre-defined business processes in SuccessFactors, with configuration tools for customizing the process by adding and modifying building blocks to create a process variant for a special case. Decisions involved in the processes can also be configured, as well as dashboards for viewing the processes in flight. Extension workflows can be created by selecting a standard process “recipe” from a SuccessFactors library, then configuring it for the specific use; he showed an example here for adding an equipment provisioning extension that can be added as a service task to one of the top-level process models. He demonstrated a voice-controlled chatbot interface for interacting with processes, allowing a manager to ask what’s happening for them today, and get back information on the new employee onboardings in progress, and expected delays and a link to his task inbox. Tasks can be displayed in the chat interface, and approvals accepted via voice or typed chat. The chatbot is using AI for determining the intent of the input and providing a precise and accurate response, and using ML to provide predictions on the time required to complete processes that are in flight if asked about completion times and possible delays. The chatbot can also make decision table-based recommendations such as creating an IT ticket to assign roles to the new employee and find a desk location. He showed the interface for designing and training the bot capabilities, where a designer can create a new conversational AI skill based on conditions, triggers and actions to take. This is currently a lab preview, but will be rolled out as part of their cloud platform workflow (not unique to the SuccessFactors environment) in the coming months.

Decision Model and Notation Technology Compatibility Kit update with Keith Swenson

We finished off bpmNEXT 2019 with an update on the DMN TCK, that is, the set of tools provided for free for vendors to test their implementation of DMN. The TCK provides DMN 1.2 models plus sets of input data and expected results; a runner app calls the vendor engine, compares the results and exports them as a CSV file to show compliance. In the three years since this was kicked off, there are eight vendors showing results and over 1000 test cases, with another vendor about to join the list and add another 600 test cases. The test cases are determined through manual examination of the standard specification, so represents a significant amount of work to create this robust set of compliance tests. The TCK group is not creating the standard, but testing it; however, Keith identified some opportunities for the TCK to be more proactive in defining some things such as error handling behavior that the revision task force (RTF) at OMG are unlikely to address in the near term. He also pointed out that there are many more vendors claiming DMN compatibility than have demonstrated that compatibility with the TCK.

That’s it for bpmNEXT 2019 – always feels like it’s over too soon, yet I leave with my brain stuffed full of so many good ideas. We’ve done the wrapup survey and heading off to lunch, but the results on Best in Show won’t come out until I’m already on my way to the airport.

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