www.microsoft.com/bpm Microsoft Business Process Alliance Overview The Microsoft® Business Process Alliance is comprised of a select, exclusive group of ISV partners who are focused on creating solutions that further enhance Business Process Management (BPM) enablement on the Microsoft platform. Representing the top BPM solutions in the market, Business Process Alliance members have demonstrated an ability to simplify complex business processes into a manageable process life cycle and deliver outstanding value to customers. By building functionality and extending the features of the Microsoft platform, these partner solutions benefit end users by leveraging a customer’s existing investments in Microsoft products to deliver BPM solutions that span functional areas such as workflow, business rules, document-centric processes, business activity monitoring, process modeling, and optimization. Achieving People-Ready Processes on the Microsoft Platform Microsoft BizTalk® Server 2006, Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007, and the 2007 Microsoft Office system empower organizations to rapidly and efficiently build adaptive, mission-critical Business Process Management solutions spanning people, systems, and organizations. Used together, the platform provides end-to-end process enablement, starting with human- and document-centric tasks in the familiar and easy- to-use Microsoft Office environment, to complex, high-volume distributed transactions through BizTalk Server. People: Increase organizational agility by enabling end users and business analysts to develop efficient processes that require high levels of collaboration, information sharing, and decision making. Process: Model adaptive business processes that span people, system, and organizational boundaries. Reduce the cost and complexity of managing and automating business processes with a unified solution for Business Process Management built on service-oriented architectures. Performance: Make faster, enhanced business decisions with process monitoring, business activity monitoring, business rules engine, and optimization capabilities for greater organizational performance. Differentiate your business through improved process visibility across employees, partners, and customers. Ascentn Corporate Overview Ascentn pioneered the first .NET based BPMS to empower both IT and business with a SOA based process deployment platform to deliver rapid, incremental business agility. Ascentn AgilePoint is a Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) that is a People-Driven and IT enabled method of creating process based, adaptable business applications by rapidly assembling reusable SOA business process activities. Ascentn, a privately held corporation with one-hundred percent Microsoft-compliant focus, was founded in 2002 by individuals with 20+ years of strong domain experience in enterprise class workflow management and BPM solutions on both the .NET and J2EE platforms. Ascentn was named the 2007 Cool Vendor in BPM by Gartner. Ascentn customers span from Global 2000 companies to SMEs such as Siemens, Pfizer, Schlumberger, ChinaTrust, and Daisy Brand as well as a select group of innovative OEM customers. Ascentn has a global presence with offices in North America, APAC, and EMEA in addition to a Partner Network in 15 countries. "…. Ascentn’s metadata-driven IT asset-abstraction framework is a key concept, found in leading-edge J2EE-based BPMSs (such as Lombardi, Pegasystems, Savvion and Appian). …. Its model driven development framework provides the necessary instrumentation to fully experience the value proposition of SOA.” - Gartner BPM Cool Vendor Report 2007
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w w w . m i c r o s o f t . c o m / b p m
Microsoft Business Process Alliance Overview
The Microsoft® Business Process Alliance is comprised of a select, exclusive group of ISV partners who are focused on
creating solutions that further enhance Business Process Management (BPM) enablement on the Microsoft platform.
Representing the top BPM solutions in the market, Business Process Alliance members have demonstrated an ability to
simplify complex business processes into a manageable process life cycle and deliver outstanding value to customers.
By building functionality and extending the features of the Microsoft platform, these partner solutions benefit end users by leveraging a customer’s existing investments in Microsoft products to deliver BPM solutions that span functional areas such as workflow, business rules, document-centric processes, business activity monitoring, process modeling, and optimization.
Achieving People-Ready Processes
on the Microsoft Platform
Microsoft BizTalk® Server 2006, Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007,
and the 2007 Microsoft Office system empower organizations to rapidly
and efficiently build adaptive, mission-critical Business Process
Management solutions spanning people, systems, and organizations.
Used together, the platform provides end-to-end process enablement,
starting with human- and document-centric tasks in the familiar and easy-
to-use Microsoft Office environment, to complex, high-volume distributed
transactions through BizTalk Server.
People: Increase organizational agility by enabling end users and
business analysts to develop efficient processes that require high levels of
collaboration, information sharing, and decision making.
Process: Model adaptive business processes that span people, system,
and organizational boundaries. Reduce the cost and complexity of
managing and automating business processes with a unified solution for
Business Process Management built on service-oriented architectures.
Performance: Make faster, enhanced business decisions with process monitoring, business activity monitoring, business rules engine, and optimization capabilities for greater organizational performance. Differentiate your business through improved process visibility across employees, partners, and customers.
Ascentn Corporate Overview
Ascentn pioneered the first .NET based BPMS to empower both IT and
business with a SOA based process deployment platform to deliver rapid,
incremental business agility. Ascentn AgilePoint is a Business Process
Management Systems (BPMS) that is a People-Driven and IT enabled
method of creating process based, adaptable business applications by
rapidly assembling reusable SOA business process activities. Ascentn, a
privately held corporation with one-hundred percent Microsoft-compliant
focus, was founded in 2002 by individuals with 20+ years of strong domain
experience in enterprise class workflow management and BPM solutions
on both the .NET and J2EE platforms. Ascentn was named the 2007 Cool
Vendor in BPM by Gartner. Ascentn customers span from Global 2000
companies to SMEs such as Siemens, Pfizer, Schlumberger, ChinaTrust,
and Daisy Brand as well as a select group of innovative OEM customers.
Ascentn has a global presence with offices in North America, APAC, and
EMEA in addition to a Partner Network in 15 countries.
"…. Ascentn’s metadata-driven IT asset-abstraction framework is a key concept, found in leading-edge J2EE-based BPMSs (such as Lombardi, Pegasystems, Savvion and Appian). …. Its model driven development framework provides the necessary instrumentation to fully experience the value proposition of SOA.” - Gartner BPM Cool Vendor Report 2007
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AgilePoint Overview:
Ascentn’s AgilePoint is a .NET based BPMS that connects business and IT
at an SOA process layer through familiar Microsoft tools, XML, and Web
services. AgilePoint’s model-driven process framework allows dynamic
change to the process in real-time with no compiled code (necessary). This
enables easy composition, adaptation, and control of process based
applications that utilize any IT asset. Business can own and adapt the
business process as required, and IT does not have to anticipate or be
involved in every business decision. In its 2007 BPM Cool Vendor Report,
Gartner has stated that Ascentn’s approach is needed “…to fully experience
the value proposition of service-oriented architecture”.
Eliminate Business – IT Divide
• IT abstracts and brings to the surface; assets, transactions, and
SOA as process components in Visual Studio.
• IT provisions process components, provides governance,
manages SLA for components and process model execution.
• Information Workers assemble process components in Microsoft
Visio to create composite Office Business Applications using
InfoPath, SharePoint, Word, and Excel.
• Consistent and visible model driven process eliminates code
generation and discrepancies during round trip development.
• Model Driven XML to XML - Not XML to Compiled Code!
Reduce the Time, Cost and Risk of Mainstream BPM
• The integrated Microsoft stack and interoperability reduces
implementation effort, coding, maintenance, and training.
• Small, incremental solutions provide immediate return on
investment and migrate easily to larger BPM processes.
• The no-code, model driven approach allows business to handle
new scenarios and exceptions at runtime which are now tracked
for compliance and audit trails.
• Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast!
Enable People-Driven Innovation
• IT or business process designers compose and own the process
end to end inside Office using any IT assets on the SOA.
• The BPM framework provides glue and context for all steps in the
process including InfoPath forms, Office documents, SharePoint
portal usage, system activities, human tasks, approvals, business
and conditional rules, and transactions with line of business
systems.
• A complete, adaptable stack of integrated BPM technology
encourages streamlined process deployment. No need for
miscellaneous email, phone or paper.
• Model, Adapt, Innovate!
Industry Expertise
Much ground has been gained from the evolving efforts to improve
business process management (BPM) technology in the past few years.
But the approach has been limited to automating static processes such
as straight arrow transactions and fixed, easily definable core business
procedures. This approach neglected the real payoff in the 80% of a
firm’s process efforts that involve human intelligence and judgment that
are not so easily defined.
The need to collaborate and innovate for better customer service,
efficiency, and operational effectiveness is imperative for competitive
differentiation. The fundamental flaw is in the approach to BPM that
focuses mainly on the developer and the notion of automating code
generation. This forces the information worker to abdicate control of the
business process to IT which in turn provides a rigid, compiled code
executable, making process adaptability at runtime a major dilemma.
Ascentn AgilePoint provides a new approach to Business Process
Management that eliminates this IT-Business divide by addressing the
entire spectrum of business processes from efficient but static business
procedures to dynamic, high value added innovative practices.
AgilePoint was built completely upon the Microsoft .NET Framework by
individuals with 20+ years of strong domain experience in enterprise
class workflow management and BPM solutions on both the .NET and
J2EE platforms. As a result, AgilePoint employs many J2EE type
characteristics while leveraging the universal Microsoft productivity tool
sets to deliver a technologically balanced, modern BPMS solution.
AgilePoint accelerates organizations to the rich benefits of BPM, SOA
and composite applications because it satisfies the technology, cultural,
and people aspects of change. Business and IT have a common
business process services layer, with each having culturally appropriate
roles, tools, and control. Change can be fast, yet incremental as IT can
focus on core deliverables for rapid waves of smaller initiatives. Trust is
enhanced through the provisioning of a repository of targeted, well
tested process services with managed service level agreements and
governance for security, monitoring, and compliance. Meaningful
collaboration among business and IT increases as the business can
control and drive the business process as they see fit, while IT does not
have to be accountable or involved in every business decision.
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Customer Case Studies/Clients Reference
AgilePoint’s unique adaptable architecture and deep integration with
Microsoft technologies has been leveraged by a wide range of customers
and partners. OEM’s and ISV’s have used AgilePoint as a core workflow
engine platform for diverse vertical solutions from petrochemicals, legal,
life sciences, and insurance, as well as horizontal solutions in digital asset
and document management, imaging, and capture. Customers have built
innovative business process solutions with AgilePoint that solve the
seemingly intractable problems of global scaling with hundreds of
departmental process variations by enabling IT to leverage with a
framework, eliminating application development black holes.
Financial Services - ChinaTrust
• Chinatrust (15,000+ employees, 58+ countries)
• J2EE centric Infrastructure: IBM, FileNET, Oracle, etc.
• AgilePoint was selected to align with SOA initiatives
• A host of Microsoft products and technologies were introduced
to deliver combined solutions with AgilePoint
Energy – Velco ( Vermont Electric Power Company)
• AgilePoint selected over J2EE-competitons
• AgilePoint enabled business process management with a small
IT staff and a fraction of cost and time compared to J2EE
Manufacturing – Daisy Brand
• Daisy Brand (75 year, 4th Generation family business)
• Needed to Process Enable existing Microsoft based applications
• Successful project to reduce delayed revenue recognition due to
inconsistent follow-up on invoice deductions
• Process application integrated existing ERP system with
employees in Exchange for 30-60-90-120 day follow-up
• 1st project provided positive ROI on the AgilePoint purchase
Hi-Tech – Elbit
• Business units in different countries needed faster turn-around
• Looked to enabling more effective connections to the underlying
systems to allow the leverage of these systems in new process
enabled composite applications that align with SOA
• AgilePoint enabled Elbit to break the reliance on software
developers in delivering functionality to their users
• Developers now encapsulate the required functionality, the
deployment and delivery is under the control of managers and
analysts who are more closely aligned with the needs of the
business, and as an end result—a lower cost of ownership
"What I really liked was the way Ascentn had leveraged
the openness of the .NET architecture. We are really
pleased with the result. The Accounts Receivable
project has provided a return on investment for the
Ascentn purchase. Everything moving forward is
additional savings for the company."
- Kevin Brown, CIO, Daisy Brand
Better Together: AgilePoint and Microsoft Integration
The combination of AgilePoint and Microsoft technologies provides a
collaborative BPM .NET solution specialized for each community of
involvement. Process Designers and analysts drive development using
familiar Microsoft tools: Visio, SharePoint, and Office, while IT provisions
services and provides governance with their entire array of developer-
oriented tools: Visual Studio, BizTalk Server, and SOA Web services. This
unified business process platform provides the architecture for building
process based Office Business Application solutions that can be
incorporated into end-to-end AgilePoint BPM workflows. As the diagram
below depicts, any IT asset can be process enabled and placed in a SOA
repository within Visio for creating an executable XML process model. This
mode is directly executed from an event in SharePoint resulting in an
InfoPath, Office, or ASP.NET composite business user application.
AgilePoint extends Microsoft Visio into a powerful, full lifecycle BPM tool
that enables business analysts to design, improve, and directly deploy
business processes for enterprise-class BPM applications with no coding
or IT involvement. Process models created by business analysts in
AgilePoint are directly deployed for execution in XML (rather than
compiled code). When business requirements change, the XML-based
AgilePoint process can be easily modified and deployed by business
analysts without having to go back to IT for application changes.
AgilePoint provides the process designer drag-and-drop integration with
SharePoint and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server within Visio-based
process model applications. Processes provide automation capabilities to
create, read, and manage sites, libraries, documents, lists, and provide
human interaction using InfoPath Forms Server or ASP.NET forms.
SharePoint becomes a process portal station with process initiation, task