modern office environment session 4 12:15 - 12:45 dr deepak b phatak, iit bombay
TRANSCRIPT
MODERN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
Session 4 12:15 - 12:45
Dr Deepak B Phatak, IIT Bombay
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SESSION OVERVIEW
Modern Tools Integrated Office Environment Work Flow Management
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MODERN TOOLS
CONVENTIONAL TOOLS– Word Processors
– Spread Sheets
– Simple Data Managers More Advanced Facilities
– E-mail, Bulletin Boards
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INTEGRATED OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
Multiple Sessions In Different Windows
Single Environment– No Multiple log-ins
– Browser Front-end
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INTEGRATED OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
Cut And Paste Information Across Applications
Automatic Info Movement
– E-Mail to Data Base to Graphics Multi Media Capability Project Management Office 2000
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WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT
Coordinating– Multiple Activities / Programs– Many People
Examples– Application Processing For Credit
Cards, Loans– Course Registration By Students
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CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKFLOWS
Humans And Computers Are Involved
Integrated Office Environment Desirable
Code And Document Repositories Can Be distributed
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CREDIT CARD APPLICATION
Step 1: Receive Application Decision Point [DP] Is The
Information Sufficient?– Yes, Go To Step 2
– No, Receive More Information
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CREDIT CARD APPLICATION
Step 2: Get Information From– Credit Reporting Agency
– Applicant’s Bank
– Applicant’s Employer [DP] Is Information Satisfactory?
– Yes, Ship Card
– No, Reject Application
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BENEFITS OF WORKFLOW
Increasing Quality of Service– Automated Routing, Work Division
Improved Productivity– Better Throughput
– Elimination of Delays
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BENEFITS OF WORKFLOW
Better Cost-Effectiveness– Efficient Resource Utilisation
Reducing Vulnerability– Better Monitoring and Investigating
capabilities
– Minimise Chances of Errors
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PROBLEMS IN WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT
Each Person Must Understand– Individual Tasks
– Their Invocation Sequence
– Program Used By Each Task
– Inputs To Each Such Program None Of These (Usually) Well
Documented
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PROBLEMS IN WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT
Islands Of Automation Goal: The Responsible Person Or
System MUST Have the relevant Jobs And Pertinent Data At The Right Time
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WORKFLOW STEPS
Define Jobs, Roles, Participants Specify Workflow Structures Verify Model Definition Navigate, Ensure Work Distribution Control And Monitor Flow of Work Post Mortem Analysis And Correction
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WORKFLOW TERMS
Workflow Model – Specification Of Activities
– Connections Between Activities
– Necessary Conditions Activity
– A Component Of The Workflow Which Is triggered By The Occurrence Of Events / Conditions
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WORKFLOW TERMS
Role– Helps Assign Responsibilities
– Depends On Capabilities Worklist
– List Of Tasks To Be Done At Run Time As A Part Of An Activity
All These Maintained In A Workflow Database
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WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT
Coordination / Scheduling of Workflow Activities– Includes Failure Handling
Action Scheduling– with finite-state automation– event-condition-action (ECA) interpreters
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ECA INTERPRETER
When an automated activity is eligible for execution, WFMS starts the activity immediately
A human activity is added to the work list of the role responsible for that activity to be selected later by the role player
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ECA INTERPRETER
An application agent - workflow client - supervises the actual execution of an activity
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MODELING SUPPORT IN TRADITIONAL WFMSs
Workflow level details– WF, inputs, etc.
Step level details– Node, program, inputs, outputs
Data flow between steps Control flow between steps Staff definition and organizational
hierarchy
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DATABASES IN WORKFLOW
Data Bases That hold Application And Enterprise Data
Data Base that Holds the State Of The WorkFlows– Hidden From Workflow Application
Both These Data Bases Can Be Centralised Or Distributed
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APPLICATION PPROGRAM
WFMS ARCHITECTURE
WF ADMIN &
MONITORING TOOL
WF ENGINE(SCHEDULER)
APPLICATION AGENT
INTERACTION AGENT
WFDEFINITION TOOL
HUMANWORKFLOW DATABASE
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WORKFLOW PRODUCTS
Notes (LOTUS) Link Works (DEC) ProcessIT (AT&T) InConcert (XEROX) WorkManager (HP) FlowMark (IBM) Exchange (Microsoft)