In a continuing series evaluating the tools used by Business Process practioners, this article looks at Metastorm ProVision®. Criteria for evaluation are ease of use, a short learning curve, and good collaboration features.
Metastorm ProVision is a modeling and discovery tool, and is one of several products offered by Metastorm in its integrated product suite, Metastorm Enterprise. This product enables the visual representation of all levels of the enterprise – including the business and technical levels. A component of Metastorm ProVision—Metastorm ProVision BPA– focuses solely on business process analysis components. Metastorm ProVision integrates with the other members of the product family including Metastorm BPM® (the human-based Business Process Management execution capability), Metastorm Integration Manager (the system-based Business Process Management capability) and Metastorm Knowledge Exchange (the common repository and collaboration tool). Metastorm ProVision Discovery, which captures as-is process execution data for direct import into Metastorm ProVision, is bundled with the Metastorm ProVision product.
Ease of Use
Metastorm ProVision installs on a desktop for use by individual users. I didn’t have to configure, customize, or perform any set-up apart from clicking the “Next” buttons during the install.
Drag and drop, double-click navigation, and right-click context menus make the software easy to use.
Short Learning Curve
I downloaded the demonstration copy, took the guided tour, and had a pretty rough but working understanding of the tool within about 25 minutes – and I’m a slow learner. Because the modeling tool is robust and encompasses.
Collaboration Friendly
The basic Metastorm ProVision package is intended for a single user, launched from the desktop. However, the Metastorm ProVision Knowledge Exchange product, sold separately, extends the program to a server for collaboration.
In addition to real-time collaboration, the user has the option of using the Data Exchange and Translator to import/export to a wide variety of software such as Erwin, Visio, MS Project, MS Access, and several Rational products. Some models can easily be ported to Metastorm BPM process execution workflows.
How To
The underlying concept of Metastorm ProVision, which is what I liked most, is that it enables a comprehensive view of the enterprise, from the strategic business level down to the lowest level process – and it enables verification of alignment between and among the elements. Here is a company that understands that a single-department pilot will not succeed absent the larger picture of how the project aligns with other parallel workflows, with the company’s goals, strategies, visions, and with ongoing tactical efforts.
The product comes out of the box with built-in frameworks for modeling these elements:
- Business Interaction Modeler – this looks a bit like a giant SIPOC diagram, but adds competitors and the outside market environment
- Organization Modeler – this provides both a top-down hierarchical view and a lateral view of the enterprise
- Workflow Modeler – the standard swim-lane process flows, but with drill-down and linkage capabilities to unlimited layers and unlimited peer/parallel processes
- Thirty one other modelers—a number of business and technically oriented ones
Each of these can be viewed from any of the other perspectives, as well. For example, once you have modeled any workflow, you can view the steps in the context of the organization, or where it fits in a company’s strategic and tactical roadmap.
Features
Some of the key features of Metastorm ProVision include:
- Integrated Repository – provides storage for complementary documentation for individual process steps, workflows, organization, or business interaction models;
- Simulation – multiple scenarios can be analyzed for cost, timing, and resources across workflows;
- Interpreter – graphical models are translated to text, and can be used to do the reverse, i.e., making changes to either view dynamically updates the other;
- Reporting – Crystal Report controls and out of the box reports are integrated into the product suite;
- Publication – Models can be published using either HTML or MS Word, in addition to printing hard copies.
Multiple industry-specific and specialty reference models are pre-built:
- Financial & Audit, including Sarbanes Oxley
- Telecommunications, based on the enhanced Telecom Operations Map® (eTom)
- Supply Chain, Design Chain, and Customer Chain Operations References – SCOR, DCOR, and CCOR, are standards of the Supply-Chain Council and their SIGs
- Value Reference Model
- Reference Model for IT Infrastructure Management, based on the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
- Provision ProGuide, based on methodologies of Business Process Analysis used by Metastorm consultants during their engagements
My Take
This program has a comprehensive, enterprise view of process and workflow, putting it in the context that is lacking in many other BPM and modeling suites. It’s easy to use, intuitive to set up, and focuses practioners to the alignment and linkages needed to successfully discover, document, and ultimately improve business processes.
