CC-02-162 ENABLING NEW BUSINESS PROCESSES WITH WEB, WORKFLOW, AND INTEGRATION STRATEGIES

Description:

The software applications that support plant activities are traditionally based on independent data silos and/or independent, proprietary networks. Hence, one of the key challenges for IT has been the ongoing integration of new and legacy systems both within and without the plant boundaries. Web-related technologies and standards have continued to mature, with related offerings including Portals, Workflow/Process-oriented integration tools, Application Servers, and Web Services. Building on the value of these Business Process Management (BPM) technologies for basic data exchange and application integration, these toolsets are arguably enabling a new class of virtual applications, delivered via a portal and presenting to the user all the relevant information required for their job regardless of the owning application or that application’s location. Enabling greater data “transparency” throughout the plant, the virtual application will provide better use of existing systems and data, as well as reduce the risks of adding new systems and preserve investments in legacy systems. Similarly, process-centric tools will enable more flexible business processes, with reduced cycle times.