Powering Processes: the Syntax Engine

The Engage Process Modeler is a unique process tool. Designed to enable interactive process workshops, it is built with a unique robotics system that allows you to explore and map business processes in real-time without the challenge of determining how to incorporate input or details in the process maps.

The need for the Syntax Engine

Process workshops are at the heart of process management. Putting the subject matter experts ( operational staff) in the room and discussing their process with them while documenting their feedback is a valuable step, but can be complicated. Oftentimes, participants are not specifically trained in “mapping” processes and may provide feedback in an unstructured way. What is the next step in a process? How often does that occur? What activities will follow? Is that a single activity, a parallel, or a choice? Where do we put comments? Or ideas about improvement? With many elements to consider, efficiently mapping and exploring a process, quick enough to keep the discussion going and capture valuable insights, is a very complex task. To support this, Engage Process Modeler is uniquely equipped with, what we call, a Syntax Engine.

What is it?

The Syntax Engine was first designed and developed by three assistants professors of the University of Warsaw (Poland) in the late 90’s. At the time, they were working for a robotics-IT company and tasked with creating a solution for processes to be designed in a way that was technically correct in order to prepare them for automation. This meant that whatever was added or changed in the process map, it had to be structured and technically correct. Every detail needed to have a logical place in the map and they were not allowed to have any infinite loops, floating process parts, or uncertainties in the design.

This Syntax Engine later became the foundation for the Engage Process Modeler, and has been constantly improved upon to match, or get ahead of the latest developments. This also stayed relevant when the Engage Process platform became fully cloud based.

What does it do?

The Syntax Engine is fundamental for running interactive process workshops. In Engage Process, you simply drag&drop what you want to do and the process map is built for you in real-time. This makes it very easy and flexible to map processes while ensuring that process maps are technically correct and “standard”, regardless of who maps the process. Some additional benefits include:

1. The ability to immediately incorporate input from workshop participants into the process map. This allows you to manage all suggestions being made, empowering the workshop participants and encouraging them to give more input.
2. The process you create inherently follows a standard for the whole organisation. While you may put the emphasis on documentation, someone else may want to highlight the IT systems used. Don’t worry; you will not end up with very different results! Engage Process Syntax Engine ensures a standard process is created every time and that all input can be incorporated.
3. Modelling made easy! Modelling and exploring processes and interactive process workshops are made reasonably easy – automatically adjusting the process and ensuring that all feedback can be captured at the speed of conversation.
4. The Modeler allows you to add all kinds of details in the process map, while you map the process, or later on. There is a place for everything; including input/output, document links, descriptions or comments, calculation input, and more.
5. The Modeler includes a Show/Hide feature that allows you to show any level of detail in the process map, but only when you want to. Otherwise, it is hidden. This allows you to incorporate high levels of detail within the process maps, with the ability to manage the views so that detail can be hidden or shown based on the needs of the user. Particularly when reviewing complex maps, this can help to simplify and make them more manageable.
6. Alternative process maps and views are available at the click of a button; Do you want to show the map in swimlanes or based on IT-systems, for example? Or broken up in sub-processes? Or filter out all steps that are not a “customer contact moment” in order to highlight the customer journey? No problem; this is done instantly in the Modeler.
7. And finally; whatever you do, it is technically correct! Regardless of the project – whether using the process map for an RPA project or risk analysis, you are assured that the map is reliable – without infinite loops or floating steps that do not link to the process.

Conclusion

The Syntax Engine of the Engage Process Modeler is a unique technology that makes the Modeler an invaluable process mapping and exploration tool. As the foundation of the entire Engage Process platform, this technology allows you to easily manage and explore your processes while maintaining technically correct processes with a high-quality standard ensured every time.

See how Engage Process can help your teams get involved. Start your trial today @engageprocess.com.