Ultimus jump-starts BPM deployment

Schema import from XSD, Web services, or DLL helped seed definitions. Routing was good, with opportunity for graphical schema translation. Additionally, everything from e-mail alerts to process constraints was easily accessible via the properties menus.

Although any Word/Excel forms development is external to the suite, built-in Ultimus Web forms can be created internally.

Graphical rules construction was concise and covered basic runtime Boolean operations over process instance variables. Although more advanced processing and combining would enhance development, the result here was a rapid buildup of logic without much demand for technical expertise -- both a blessing and potential curse as ad hoc process forks and rules libraries could become unwieldy.

Ultimus fares extremely well in paying attention to process cost. The ability to monetize a process at every step -- including combining steps for net totals -- is essential in driving process improvement directly to the bottom line. The suite does a great job of helping you recognize it.

Simulation tools, launched right inside Studio, were useful in verifying flow and garnering insight into runtime data and metrics. Although the tool would be bolstered by provisions such as randomization and stress testing, final reports delivered good analysis of throughput and process efficiency.

Seeing the sites

To administer running processes, Ultimus does a very good job with an additional interface for sifting and sorting process instances and peering into user workloads. Stuck processes can be opened and examined, rerouted, or rolled back (although comprehensive transaction compensation is not built in), all with good clarity. Additionally, good security over process permissions and access helps to implement delegation control.

The Ultimus Director interface -- used by process experts to manage unmanaged events -- is also well thought out. I was able to easily replay process histories, and could manipulate and create rules to address newfound process hiccups.

Although the reporting facility built into the BPM Suite offers only static output, Ultimus addresses dashboards by bundling its Ultimus iBam Suite -- a separate installation -- into the mix with its additional repository, dev tools, and server requirements for monitoring real-time KPIs.

From a user's perspective, the Windows and browser clients are good, although there are minor quirks that better usability testing could weed out. I would also like to see a plug-in for Outlook, despite the Web-based thin client being accessible as an Outlook task.

Still, the browser client is well laid out with easy access to the task inbox, group queues (also configurable at the system level by round-robin or workload), and shared views and reports. Task reassignment, incident status updates, search, and other niceties will do a good job keeping your staff on track as well.

I would like to see the numerous interfaces for each separate component bundled into one permissions-based portal to streamline access, particularly in smaller groups where multiple duties often accompany a single job title.

Other improvements need to be made to address design-time issues. Ultimus indicated it was working on a Visio conversion tool to migrate diagram docs, but the tool was not ready for prime time, and is not included as part of the product offering.

Ultimus Adaptive BPM Suite 8 is in many respects a diamond-in-the-rough; there are a few gaps and snags, but also many strengths and much promise. Given its relatively low startup costs and reduced process-expertise requirements, I found it a good choice for small and midsized human-centric projects where rapid development and good visibility into process optimization are primary concerns.