Mark CraigSenior Product ManagerOracle WorkflowOracle Corporation

Workflow and Business EventsDatabase to J2EE

Oracle Workflow

Supports enterprise requirements for business process management

– Business Event and Process Definition– Business Process Automation, Integration– Business Process Intelligence

Traditional application workflows– Business document approvals

E-business integration workflows– Sending, receiving, routing on JMS messages

Oracle Workflow

Embedded Process Management Engine of – the Oracle E-Business Suite– Oracle Application Server 10g Integration

technologies

Workflow Server 2.6.3 ships with upcoming Database/Application Server 10g releases

Business Benefits

Visual documentation of the business process– Crosses organizational, company boundaries– Analyze time and costs of entire processes with

multi-dimensional analysis

Business processes will change– You can only fix what you can see– Enabling dynamic processes sympathetic to change– Change business processes without changing code

(Reduced cost of ownership)

Workflow Enabled e-business Suite

ERP– Order Management– Internet Procurement– Self Service Financials– Advanced Planning System– Projects

HRMS– Candidate Offer – Career Management

Reviews

Release 11i highlights

CRM– Call Center– Service– Contacts– Support– Marketing– iStore

And many more...

Traditional Workflow: Expense Report

Approved

ShortPay

AP Approval

Manager Approval

Server Validation Approve

Reject

Resubmit Report Abort

AP ApprovalProcess

End (Approve)

End (Reject)

Start DetermineWhich ProcessTo Start From

Manager(Spending)ApprovalProcess

RejectionProcess

Server SideValidationProcess

ShortpayUnverified

Receipt Items

AP Standard Expense Report Process

Oracle Workflow For Java (OW4J)

Currently Under Development Next generation of Oracle Workflow Java based Business Process Management Integrated with Oracle JDeveloper Application

Developer Framework You choose whether your workflow is

executed by the database or java engine (based on where your business logic is deployed)

Architecture Transformation

PLSQL Web Toolkit UI

Design Tool (Windows)

Database Repository

Java Engine PLSQL Engine

JSP UI

JDeveloper IDE (Java)

Web Browser (HTML)

Database or XML

Oracle Workflow OW4J

PLSQL Engine Java Adapter

Business Eventslaunch

Business Processes

Business Eventslaunch

Business Processes

Why?

Don’t hardcode your business actions or process to your application

Achieve maximum flexibility to make additions and modifications without changing code

Identifying business events already key part of the development process

Register Events, optionally register actions

Business Event

ApplicationApplication

WorkflowWorkflow

BusinessBusinessEvent Event

BusinessBusinessLogicLogic

Integration Integration

Act

ion

s A

ctio

ns

Applications raise events

Declaratively register

– Business Events

– Actions to Business Events (no coding required)

Actions include

– Launching a workflow

– Publishing XML to JMS

– Executing Code

Business Event System

RaiseLocal Events

ListenExternal Events

EventDispatcher

Action(Java/PLSQL)

WorkflowProcess

XML on JMS

Matching Event Subscription

Application

JMS

Business Event System Architecture

Model yourBusiness Process

Model yourBusiness Process

Model your Business Process

Bottom up/Top Down Design– Receiving and Raising Events– Receiving and Sending Messages– Business Logic– Task assignment

Use sophisticated constructs– Looping– Results-based branching– Parallel Flows– Rendezvous

Today…Oracle Workflow Builder

Future……OW4J Modeler

OW4J Modeler– Applications developer tool– Integrated with Oracle JDeveloper Application

Framework

Based on XML– Leverages Oracle JDeveloper Application Framework

metadata services

Runs on platforms supported by Oracle JDeveloper

OW4J Modeler

OW4J Modeler

ComponentPalette

PropertyInspector

Process Window

ApplicationNavigator

StructurePane

D E M O N S T R A T I O N

OC4J Modeler

Future…OW4J Self Service Modeler

OW4J Self Service Modeler– Browser Based– Process modeler for Business Analysts– Optimized for simple use case scenarios (Notification

messages editing & simple activity re-sequencing )– Hosted environments

OW4J Self Service Modeler

Layered Customizations Base Workflow Definition/Template modeled in OW4J Modeler

Never overwritten by customers Customizations applied in OW4J Self Service Modeler

Layered on top of base definition at runtime Available Customization layers

User Verticalizations Localization Organization

Powered by Application Developer Framework XML metadata services technology

Manages runtime application XML metadata (file/database) Supports Reuse, Caching, Translation, Customization

XML Business Process Definition

OW4J based on XML Schema process definition

Member of the Workflow Management Coalition Moving towards industry standard XML schema

based import/export definition of business process

Closely following ongoing debate(s) in various standards bodies (BPMI.org ,BPEL….)

The Promise of a Standard Definition

Business Analysts already using specialized desktop applications to model business processes

These applications will be able to export an industry standard XML definition of a business process…… XML imported into OW4J Modeler Configuration by Developers and Analysts OW4J Engine runs that business process

Include People(Employees,Customers,Suppliers)

in yourBusiness Process

Include People(Employees,Customers,Suppliers)

in yourBusiness Process

Automated Task Management

FYI Notifications Response Required Notifications e.g..

Approvals Browser based Oracle Workflow Worklist

– Automatically Notify Users of Tasks– Sends Notifications to Roles (users and

groups)– Drill down capability (URL, Attachments)– Escalation Management– Vacation Handling

Automate Task Management

Worklist Configuration Capabilities

Control Notification Filtering, Column Display and Order

Choose Column Display and Order

Choose Notifications to Display

Notification Content

Notification Mailer

Based on Java Mail APIs, XML and JMS Outbound SMTP, Inbound IMAP HTML, Text, Summary formats Managed & Configured using the Oracle Workflow

Manager Some customers send up to 20000 outbound

emails/day

Wireless Access to Notifications

Leverages Oracle Application Server 10g Wireless Option

Sends FYI or Response Required Text Messages Wireless Devices supported

– PDA– Phone– Instant Messaging– Voice etc

Electronic Signatures

What are Electronic Signatures– Password Based E-Signatures (PSIGS)– Digital Signatures (PKCS7 / X.509)– Biometrics, etc.

Why Electronic Signatures – Government Requirements – Contractual Obligations– High Value Transactions– Security Consciousness

Electronic Signatures

Already available in Oracle E-Business Suite– Password Based Signatures via Browser

Under Development– Digital Signatures(PKCS 7/X.509) via

Browser Future Directions

– Signing via e-mail (S/MIME)

Content Management Workflows

Oracle Content Management SDK– Java based, Object Oriented File System– Targeted at Developers building CM solutions– Integration with Oracle Workflow via AQ

Oracle Files– Enterprise File Server Replacement– Built on CM SDK– Workflow integration for approval and routing

Automate yourBusiness Process

Automate yourBusiness Process

Business Process Automation

Short and Long Lived Processes Sequence the execution of

– Java Methods– Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs)– Web Services– PL/SQL– Task assignment

Consume and Publish JMS Messages Store and Manipulate Java Objects

– Serialize/Deserialize Java Objects

Business Process Execution

The OW4J Engine will complement, not replace the existing database resident PL/SQL engine

Easy optional migration for existing customers from PL/SQL Engine to Java Engine

For existing customers, no incentive to upgrade existing processes until/if applications are reimplemented in Java.

Utilize Expression Languages Minimize Coding Route on Java Object or EJB Attributes SPEL, the Simplest Possible Expression

Language– Example: Employee Item Attribute stores as Employee

Java Object– ${employee.salary>50000} returns boolean which

workflow can route on XPATH for XML Third Party Java Rules Engines Database Rules Engine

OW4J Engine Status

OW4J Engine Developer Preview Lightweight, no Database required Demo Application: Requisition Approval Available from OTN now!

EJBs with underlying PL/SQL implementation (OTN download)

– Customers can verify and use the new interface– Execution still performed by PL/SQL workflow

engine

Manage and Optimize

Business Processes

Manage and Optimize

Business Processes

Oracle Workflow Status Monitor

Summary of key activities– Decision makers in the process– Current owners

Graphically monitor and administer workflow transactions

– View and analyze transaction history– Retry or skip any activity– Rewind and rerun any process– Available to end users and administrators

Universal access to process status

Self Service Status Monitor

Oracle Workflow Status Monitor Universal access to process status

Oracle Workflow Manager

Component of Oracle Enterprise Manager Browser Based System Management Tool Dashboard for System Administrators and DBAs Highlights

– Manage Workflow Background Processes– Manager Workflow Mailer– Track Workflow System Status– Drill Down Capability

Oracle Workflow Manager

Workflow Manager: Metrics

Access metrics either via graph or Related Links: Throughput:Work Items(View)

Business Process Intelligence

Complete Audit Trail Maintained Business Intelligence through Public Reporting

Database View Graphical Business Intelligence through Oracle

Discoverer Feedback loop for Continuous Process

Improvement

Average Process Execution Time

It’s a Development Framework

It’s a Development Framework

Development Framework

For PLSQL and Java Applications

Pluggable Business Actions

Abstract Business Process from Business Logic

Adaptable Business Processes

– Sequencing application logic execution

– Linking Applications and Systems

– Online and Offline Human interaction

CustomerProof Points

CustomerProof Points

2003 Global Excellence Awards for Workflow Sponsored by WFMC, Giga and WARIA Regional Gold Award won by Oracle Partner

iProcess – Implemented Oracle Workflow at third largest retail

group in Brazil– Implemented Systems range from Travel Management

to Expenses Control – Press Release

http://www.iprocess.com.br/premio/pressrelease_english.asp

Customer Proof Points British Telecom Council of the European Union CERN (European Organization for Nuclear

Research) CompanyFinance Qualcomm Canon Oracle E-Business Suite Reference Customers

British Telecom

Article: Workflow, Oracle’s Hidden Jewel

http://www.odtug.com/members/BRIEFCASE/exchange/huss.pdf

Oracle Workflow customer since 1998 The biggest Oracle Workflow solution is Oracle

Financials, which has 3,000 registered users. The smaller projects have about 50 regular users The larger projects have 200 concurrent users and

300-350 periodic users.

“Oracle Workflow is helping us to reduce our operational

costs through better management and control of users and their workloads, it is also reducing our time to market with new products

and services.”

“Oracle Workflow is helping us to reduce our operational

costs through better management and control of users and their workloads, it is also reducing our time to market with new products

and services.”

- Jim Hutton, British Telecom

CERN World's leading particle physics research laboratory Birthplace of the World Wide Web CERN uses Oracle Workflow for the following business

processes– Purchasing  – Requests to import or export goods– Requests to attend a course from an on-site training catalogue  – Requests to attend external training, conferences or other

events  – Requests for vacation time  – Requests for overtime compensation  – Requests for additional human resources for a project or

activity. 

CERN: The Results

More than 5000 active users Around 1000 different users a day Oracle Workflow processes an electronic document

every 20 seconds. Oracle Workflow also supports the multilingual

environment required by CERN users, sending notifications to users in the language of their choice. 

Average processing time of an e-document is less than a few hours compared with days and weeks for the previous paper version. 

Canon Sales Corporation

Sales Subsidiary of Canon Looking for Open “Centralized and Internet

Enabled” Solution for Business Processes Reengineering

Expense and Payments System – Self Service Access via Browser for all

Employees Oracle Workflow: One Server, 9000 Users Development Effort: 5 people * 1 month

Next Steps…. Other sessions

– #36995 Boosting Process Performance with Oracle Workflow (already held)

Recommended Demos– Oracle E-Business Suite Integration Booth 9D

JDeveloper OC4J Modeler Requisition Approval Demo using OW4J Engine Wireless Notifications

– Oracle Application Server 10g Integration See Your Business in Our Software

– Visit the DEMOgrounds for a customized architectural review, see a customized demo with Solutions Factory, or receive a personalized proposal. Visit the DEMOgrounds for more information.

Next Steps…. Oracle Technology Network:

– Oracle Workflow for Java– http://otn.oracle.com/products/ias/workflow/conte

nt.html– Lots of Collateral, Datasheet, Tech Whitepapers– Developer Forum (Support Forum in Metalink)

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