bpmNEXT 2016 (part 5)

Final half-a-day of bpmNEXT presentations and demos, before heading back home.

Intent-driven and future-proof user experiences

Appian talked about UIs.  They have created an architecture called Sail UI using a server-side approach to UI and focusing on the intent of the UI (rather than the details / technology) so it can evolve over time. The same UI design can be applied to radically different architectures like GWT, Facebook React or native mobile apps.  The UI adapts automatically based on the environment (for example barcode scanning component behaves radically differently on desktop vs mobile).

Continuous integration: tools to empower DevOps in process-based application

Bonitasoft talked about testing processes using CI when doing live changes to your processes and applications.  Using Docker, JUnit and Jenkins, they run various tests on Jenkins on newer versions of the process to detect regressions.

Combining DMN with BPMN and CMMN - the open source way

Camunda showed how they implemented DMN (at least parts of) as a decision service.  DMN can be called from BPMN or CMMN using a decision task, or standalone.   Their Cockpit application allows you to figure out why certain decision have been made at runtime (for specific instances) by looking at the audit data - annotated on top of the decision table itself. 

How I learned to tell the truth with BPM

Gene Rawles is adding another dimension (yes, literally, 3D) to modeling processes, where you can have processes at different layers (2D) and use lines to connect them (in 3D), to simplify explaining what's actually going on for example.  They allow importing processes from different systems, and are not limited to processes but also a rules or a SOA (services) layer.

Self-managed agile organizations

Keith Swenson is ending the conference presentations with a talk on various topics:

• Self-management.  Using the term 'sociocrary', it's about self-managed teams which are highly decentralised and about collaboration (using consensus rather than voting - to get everyone on board with the decision).  How can we support these teams better?
• He made a distinction between token-based and state-based engines - where jBPM (since v5) definitely falls in the second category - and wondering if there's way to describe the difference and should we consider these in combination with BPMN or CMMN?
• He launched the question if there should be one (1!) open-source DMN engine for everyone to use, although this sparked the question whether this would be a reference implementation, which one to use and if there's still differentiation possible for vendors.
• And he wrapped up talking about the future, where he believes a more conversational model (focusing on easy interactions with the user rather than the process itself).

Unfortunately I'll have to miss the wrap up session, heading back to LA slightly early to catch my flight.