IBM FileNet P8, Version 5.2.1            

Interrelated processes

In any business process management solution, not only can individual processes be complex, but processes can also be programmed to interact with each other. Interaction facilitates the implementation of processes that cut across the internal and external boundaries of an organization.

An example of this interaction is process outsourcing, where the responsibility for the execution of a particular function is delegated to an outside service provider or business partner. The outside company should have access only to the specific information required to complete the process. This can be achieved by creating an entirely separate process to represent what is to be done by the outside company. This process can be called from the main process. The work to be outsourced is then automatically created as a separate process, and is then merged back into the main process after the outsourced tasks are completed.

Because the outsourced tasks are defined in a separate process, rather than a submap, they can be distinguished from the main process. This allows an entirely separate audit log that can be tracked independently from the main process.

You can use Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) to assist you when you design complex, interrelated processes such as these. BPMN is a standardized graphical notation that is designed to allow business users to create diagrams of processes by using their choice of diagramming tools, then output those diagrams in a standard format, XPDL 2.0. Advanced process modeling applications such as Process Designer can open these diagrams and map the diagram elements to workflow entities, steps, and routes. This eliminates the time-consuming task of re-creating the steps and routes in Process Designer, improving the communication between the business user and the workflow author.



Last updated: October 2015
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