DITA MEETS BPMN
By France Baril
PROLOG
“Ce qui se conçoit bien s’énonce
clairement et les mots pour le dire
viennent aisément.”
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
What is well understood is clearly told,
and the words to say it flow with ease.
GLOBAL CORPORATE KNOWLEDGE
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Support work activities
(Know how)
Support decision making
(Know why)
Increase findability
(Gotta find it first!)
IMMEDIATE PROJECT
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Existing PIPP product
New processes
New system that
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CONTEXT TIMES 2
Stores documents
Assigns tasks to users
Allows users to perform tasks
Allows users to forward tasks
Tracks case history
SMEs know about exceptions…
MEETING WITH A SME
DOCUMENT A SYSTEM…
With many operations, rules and exceptions:
It manages tasks of all team members
 It manages documents
 The mailroom has to send all documents to the
scanning unit
 The scanning unit has to classify all documents in
the system, nobody else can scan/add metadata
to documents
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DOCUMENT A SYSTEM…
With many operations, rules and exceptions:
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It manages tasks of all team members
It manages documents
The mailroom has to send all documents to the scanning
unit
The scanning unit has to classify all documents in the
system, nobody else can scan/add metadata to documents
Self-employed claimants are managed differently

There is an entire process to identify how much income
replacement they get, that’s really complex because they don’t
make a consistent wage, also if they have been in business for
less than 5 years…
DOCUMENT A SYSTEM…
You’ll see, there are so many operations, rules and exceptions:
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It manages tasks of all team members
It manages documents
The mailroom has to send all documents to the scanning unit
The scanning unit has to classify all documents, nobody else can scan documents
Can you say that self-employed are managed differently
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There is an entire process to identify how much income replacement they get,
that’s really complex because they don’t make a consistent, also if they have been in business for less than 5 years…
When claimant is eligible to PCA, meet to fill PCA form, and explain PIPP and PA
When claimant is eligible to IRI, meet to fill IRI form, and explain PIPP and IRI
When claimant is eligible to Dependant Care, meet to make evaluation
For minors there are extra forms for the legal guardian
If the claimant has a criminal record, they may not receive the full amount
If the claimant has a second accident, the cases need to be merged into a single claim
There are 12 types of entitlements and they all have different eligibility rules, forms and life cycles
Some entitlements require that service providers like chiropractors and athletic therapist be registered within the system
The case manager may fill the forms, but the claimant may also fill and mail them
Some types of claims don’t need to be assigned to a case manager
Supervisors have to approve a claim over X$
If some who has income replacement is over 65 and has been receiving compensation for more than 5 years, there are some
If a person was taking care of sick family members or kids and can no longer fulfill that role…
The case manager has to call a new claimant within 48 business hours, else…
Every year, retirement benefits has to be indexed, but not …
Claimants can appeal a decision, there is a process for handling appeals
If the organization or the claimant doesn’t agree with the appealed decision, they can appeal to another court instance
If the organization of the claimant doesn’t’ agree with the second appeal decision, they may appeal it to a different court instance
To get compensations, the claimant must be a state resident
There are rules that define who may be considered a resident
If the claimant was injured on the road at work, they may instead get compensated by the worker’s board, In that case…
There are entitlements that apply to the loss of an animal, rules…
To open a fraud investigation, you must send a request to the SIU.
Investigations are not done through the system, but the reports need to be stored there
If the claimant gives the document to the case manager, the case manager has to forward them to either the mailroom or the scanning unit
If the claimant’s injuries occur out of province, then the out-of-province unit has to get involved
Grief counseling is not normally for the claimant, it’s for its family, although if the claimant loses a person or an animal, they may also get grief counseling
WHAT IS IT?
I want it all!
BIG PICTURE AND DETAILS
WITH DITA WE WANT, BUT IT’S HARD TO:
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Understand how/why people use the system you document
Create topics that make sense on their own
Create topics that make sense globally
Build context that linearity used to bring
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Build meaningful relationships
Don’t rewrite the entire context in each topic
Optimize reuse
Work as a well orchestrated team
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I write this topics
You write this topic
We don’t duplicate
We don’t let important elements through the cracks
BPMN CAN HELP TO…
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Identify the sequence of operations
Who does what when?
 What comes before or after what?
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Identify when each actor enters/exits the system
Start + end point
 What they need to perform between these points
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Identify reusable sub-processes
 Separate tasks from the business decisions/rules
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But maintain the link between the 2
Split business and system tasks
BPMN: A SIMPLE SEQUENCE
Start
Activities
End
BPMN: EVENTS
Message
BPMN: PROCESSES, ACTORS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Make a claim
Claimant
Register FNOL
CC Agent
Mail: Info package
Call xxx-xxxx
Send forms
Accident
In IC2, enter…
Call: FNOL
Call close
…
Call xxx-xxxx
Send forms
Accident
CC Agent
Claimant
Mail: Info package
Mailroom
Register FNOL
Make a claim
BPMN: PROCESSES, ACTORS AND COMMUNICATIONS
In IC2, enter…
Call
In IC2, scan…
Mail: forms
Call close
IC2 task: evaluate case
…
THE 5 STEPS FROM METHOD AND STYLE
by Bruce Silver
1.
Define the process scope
From road accident to end of compensations
2.
Draw the happy path (high level)
Make claim. Is eligible. Receive compensation. End.
3.
Add exceptions to top level happy path
Is not eligible.
4.
Expand sub-processes to show details
To make claim: call, fill and send forms…
5.
Add message flows
Org. receives form from claimant; org. sends payment to claimant.
BPMN DIAGRAM IS ALL ABOUT WHEN…
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Not about how to do it.
 About
what happens before what.
 It tells when to apply my know how.
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Not about making decisions
 About
when decisions are made.
 About what happens when decisions are made.
BUT…
Users need to know HOW TO USE THE SYSTEM
 Users need to MAKE DECISIONS
 Users need to HOW TO FILL FORMS

 We’ll add them IN CONTEXT
Call xxx-xxxx
Send forms
Accident
CC Agent
Claimant
Mail: Info package
Mailroom
Register FNOL
Make a claim
GRAPH: HOW TO USE THE SYSTEM
In IC2, enter…
Call
In IC2, scan…
Mail: forms
Call close
IC2 task: evaluate case
…
GRAPH: HOW TO MAKE DECISIONS
Case manager
Review case
Decision:
Eligibility
Happy path
Is eligible?
Review file for
eligibility
IC2 Notification:
Files received
Yes
…
No
Alternate path
Decision letter
DECISIONS & BUSINESS RULES
Decision model, methodology from
Barbara von Halle and
Larry Goldberg
Determine
eligibility
Conclusion
s
Manitoba resident
• Proof - Birth date
• Proof - Identity
• Proof - Perm. address
• Proof - Entitlement to be
in Canada
Conclusions
…
Business rules
Facts
Proof – Birth date
• Valid Canadian passport
• Secure Certificate of
Indian Status issued by
the Government of
Canada
• Permanent resident card
issued by Immigration…
Road injury
Conditions
•Proof - Legal name
•Signature
•Photograph
Proof – E
Proof – P. addr.
Proof – Identity
…
…
Call xxx-xxxx
Accident
CC Agent
Claimant
Mail: Info package
Mailroom
Register FNOL
Make a claim
HOW TO FILL FORMS (HOW TO FILL GUI)
Send forms
Forms:
Init.Pack
In IC2, enter…
Call
In IC2, scan…
Mail: forms
Call close
IC2 task: evaluate case
…
Call xxx-xxxx
Accident
CC Agent
Claimant
Mail: Info package
Mailroom
Register FNOL
Make a claim
PROCESSES & AUDIENCES  POOLS & LANES!
Send forms
Forms:
Init.Pack
In IC2, enter…
Call
In IC2, scan…
Mail: forms
Call close
IC2 task: evaluate case
…
IA on managing corporation knowledge
THE LONG TERM PERSPECTIVE
GLOBAL CORPORATE KNOWLEDGE



Support work activities
(Know how)
Support decision making
(Know why)
Increase findability
(Gotta find it first!)
IMMEDIATE PROJECT



Existing PIPP product
New processes
New system that





CONTEXT TIMES 2
Stores documents
Assigns tasks to users
Allows users to perform tasks
Allows users to forward tasks
Tracks case history
WHY BPMN?
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To better connect information with business:
 Close
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to user’s everyday job and context
Provides business knowledge that leads to
business intelligence
 Know
how
 Know why
 Understand impacts on the system as a whole
EASIER THAN REL. TABLES

With diagrams:
 It’s
harder to forget to add or remove links.
 The domino effects of change are easier to identify.
 It’s easy to get back into context.
After 2 years; even if you missed the 1st round.

As with relationship tables:
I
can have different rel. for different contexts
COMPLETE WITH MAPS/REL. TABLES

For links that are not as well represented
 History
of business rules
 Decisions about forms
 Contact/No
contact
 Adult/Minor
 Hierarchy
of roles
EASIER MAINTENANCE
Change decision rules
 Change processes
 Change system
 Change to system fields and/or look
 Change to process

 Increase agility, limit domino effect.
STICK WITH DITA/DOC. BEST PRACTICES
Separate different information types
 Focus on tasks first
(BPMN = process = task)

Writers on system project
IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVES
GLOBAL CORPORATE KNOWLEDGE



Support work activities
(Know how)
Support decision making
(Know why)
Increase findability
(Gotta find it first!)
IMMEDIATE PROJECT



Existing PIPP product
New processes
New system that





CONTEXT TIMES 2
Stores documents
Assigns tasks to users
Allows users to perform tasks
Allows users to forward tasks
Tracks case history
SPLIT TASKS EFFICIENTLY

Identify where tasks start and end
 Limit
overlaps
 Don’t let info slip into the cracks
 Limit rewrite (pseudo topics)
Work on terminology and language after the
message for each topic is clear
WHERE TO REUSE?

With the global picture and the happy path,
we found repetitions:
 Requests
for calculation
 Requests for health evaluations
 Mailroom/Scanning unit job
 Send decision letters from templates
 Opening and closing a task in the system
 Recurrent business rules/decisions
SCOPE/MANAGE THE PROJECT
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Pools and linked objects = How much work
 Get
more predictable timeline
 Adapt resources
 Identify risk
Where information is confused or incomplete
WHERE EXACTLY IS MY OUTPUT?
BPMN GRAPHS AND DITA TOPICS
BPMN
DITA
Pools & Lanes
Topics per persona
Activity
Step/substep
Event
Info/step-result
Objects (decisions, forms)
Info/related-link
CC Agent
Register FNOL
REGISTER FNOL, AN EXAMPLE
Context
A client calls for FNOL.
In IC2,
enter…
Call: FNOL
Call close
1.
In IC2:
Click FNOL.
Result: IC2 displays Page X.
b) Fill page X and click Next.
Info: Field list and
descriptions.
Result: IC2 displays
Summary page.
Result: The initial forms are
mailed to the claimant.
a)
Context
CC Agent
Register FNOL
REGISTER FNOL, ANOTHER OPTION
In IC2,
enter…
Call: FNOL
A client calls for FNOL.
Call close
1.
Enter FNOL information in IC2
1.
2.
Click FNOL.
Result: IC2 displays Page X.
Fill page X and click Next.
Info: Field list and descriptions.
Result: IC2 displays Summary
Page.
In IC2, enter the FNOL
information.
Enter FNOL information in IC2
Result: The initial forms are
mailed to the claimant.
AND LETS NOT FORGET…
Context
Related forms
A client calls for FNOL.
Initial FNOL package
Related tasks
1.
In IC2, enter the FNOL information.
Enter FNOL info in IC2
Enter FNOL information in IC2
Troubleshooting
Result: The initial forms are
mailed to the claimant.
IC2: Status list not
available in FNOL
IC2: Browser back
button kicked me out
CONCLUSION
AND MAYBE, WE CAN HELP BAS
BPMN
DITA
BAs need to understand the present to
improve processes for the future
SO…
“Ce qui se conçoit bien s’énonce
clairement et les mots pour le dire
viennent aisément.”
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
What is well understood is clearly told,
and the words to say it flow with ease.